From the category archives:

Horse Foot Care

Farrier Competency for Horse Owners by Doug Butler

June 15, 2010 0 comments

I’m often asked how I would define farrier competency. “What should a competent farrier look like?” “How will I know one when I see one?” In the British Isles, they would call such a person “a qualified farrier.”
The way a person starts out is generally the way he or she ends up. Attitude is nearly [...]

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Farrier Competency for Farriers by Doug Butler

June 8, 2010 0 comments

Farrier work is a craft skill. It takes many years to master any craft. Farrier school is only the beginning. You must study and practice to become competent. You must train your eyes, your brain, and your motor nerves and muscles to do this precision work. You must obtain the knowledge and develop the skills [...]

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How to Manage Foals for Soundness

May 18, 2010 0 comments

Foal limb soundness begins before a foal is born. It involves considerations of nature (genetic) and nurture (environment). Genetic factors include inherited conformation and behavioral traits from the stallion and mare. Environmental factors include physical space in the mare’s uterus, nutrition, training and disease prevention.
Choosing a mating that has a good chance of producing a [...]

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FAQ #16 – Can you tell me what to look for when looking at the heel?

April 22, 2010 1 comment

“Doug, I attended your Horse Expo seminar this past March in Lincoln and really enjoyed your lecture.  I never thought that I would have to bring out notes from what you talked about in such a short amount of time, but we ended up having a horse go lame on us this spring.  We saw [...]

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The “Shoeless Experiment” Cripples Horses by Doug Butler

March 26, 2010 11 comments

More than one hundred years ago farriers were confronted with the same problems as farriers are facing today. The “shoeless experiment” was then proposed as a one size fits all solution by “the barefoot people.” (See page 2 of William Hunting’s, The Art of Horseshoeing, published by W. R. Jenkins in New York, in 1898).
It [...]

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Opportunity to see Doug Butler in person!

March 10, 2010 0 comments

If you live in the vicinity of Lincoln, Nebraska, we invite you to attend Dr. Butler’s Nebraska Horse Expo program on “Humane Hoof Care,” at 2:00 p.m., Saturday, March 13, 2010!  His 2:00 p.m. program is scheduled in the Nebraska Room of the Lancaster Event Center, Lincoln, Nebraska.
And there’s more “March Gladness” to share, because [...]

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New Farrier and Horse Owner Resources

March 9, 2010 0 comments

“Share a little March Gladness…”
We’d be “glad” if you would check out each of our newly designed websites …
www.dougbutler.com – for horseshoeing books and training DVDs
www.butlerprofessionalfarrierschool.com – learn about our facility, staff, curriculum, class schedules, admission requirements, tuition
www.butlerhorseshoeingschools.com – sign up today to receive weekly blogs on humane horse foot care for owners, farriers, and [...]

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Celebrating “March Gladness” at Doug Butler Enterprises

March 2, 2010 0 comments

March is a special month for many reasons – from basketball teams and their March Madness to the glories of Springtime, such as new baby calves on our neighbors’ ranches, early flowers popping their heads up through the lingering snow, and pastures and yards turning green to announce the long winter is over. Yes, Spring [...]

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FAQ #14 By looking at the outside of the horse’s foot, how can you tell what position the P3 bone is inside the hoof, if it’s out of normality or – if so – at what degree? How can you analyze how to trim and what to do in relation to a rotated or tilted bone?

February 20, 2010 1 comment

The best way to tell the position of the Distal Phalanx, or P3, is to have a lateral/medial radiograph of the hoof.  Usually, the foot will have to be placed on a block to get the x-ray beam parallel to the base of the bone.
Without an x-ray, you can look at the slope of the [...]

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Have you thanked your farrier and others of value in your lives?

February 13, 2010 0 comments

No one who achieves success does so without acknowledging the help of others. The wise and confident acknowledge this help with gratitude.             –Alfred North Whitehead

We have several notable holidays in the United States.  Valentine’s Day is one of them!  Not only is it a good time to communicate with loved ones, family members and [...]

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