This time of year it is wise to stay warm and safe when riding your horse. In addition, you want to ensure your horse has shoes that are going to give them protection from the elements of weather.

One thing that you absolutely want to make sure of is traction to prevent accidental falls in addition to winter horseshoes.

There are several options:

1) HorseshoeBorium® of screen size 8 to 10. This has the texture of coarse sand, has a mild steel matrix and is put on with an oxy-acetylene torch. It will cost several dollars per shoe. It can be put on as raised spots (best for snow and ice) or spread over the shoe (best for slick pavement).

2) Drill Tech Borium® of screen size 4 to 6. This has the texture of small gravel, has a bronze matrix and is put on in the forge on the shoe’s toe and heels. It is also expensive. It is preferred on draft horses.

3) Drive-in or screw in studs. Less expensive than Borium®. Screw-in gives the option of changing height and traction.

4) Weld toe and heel pieces made from square stock on the shoe. These can be made sharp – called “sharp shoeing.”

5) Weld 3/8th inch nuts on the shoe across the web. These are popular on working cow horses here in Nebraska and cost considerably less to install than Borium®.

For additional Winter Care tips you can download my tip sheet that has several more resources for keeping your horse safe and happy this season. Simply fill out the form below and we will send it to you by email.

If you have any additional tips please feel free to post a comment below and share them with me or go over to our facebook page and post them there.

I believe one of the main reasons we hear so much criticism of the lack of farrier skills today is due to a lack of long-term commitment to skill mastery. It seems that many people only want to put in the minimum effort needed to graduate from a farrier school or to make a living. They value their free time when they’re not working more than their work time, which could be devoted to skill improvement.

Daniel Coyle in his book The Talent Code says that greatness or excellence isn’t born, it’s grown. He makes the case that anyone can become excellent at what they want to do, if they will do what the author calls ‘deep practice.’ It takes a long time – at least 10,000 hours – or about 10 years to master most skills with deep practice. Time to learn them can be significantly reduced by setting goals and focusing with our full attention. Initial training at a farrier school (of whatever length) should be seen as only the beginning of life-long learning. Yet, the old saying, “How you start out, is how you’ll end up,” is still true. You can be taught how to use deep practice to improve your craft.

Experience verifies that those who have a long term commitment to mastery and an obsessive desire to improve will eventually achieve what they seek. Inborn abilities can be cultivated or they can be ignored. Studies have shown that to achieve world-class mastery in anything requires about 10,000 hours of ‘deep practice.’ Deep practice is defined as practice where correction is made each time an error is made. This takes about 10 years for most people. Most world-class experts practice between 3 and 5 hours a day, no matter what skill they pursue.

Talent isn’t so much inborn as it is developed by focused and mistake correcting repetition. As we do deep practice, the myelin insulation covering of our nerves increases its wraps and eventually gives us skill mastery. All skills are built using the same fundamental mechanism. The mechanism involves physiological limits from which no one is exempt. The true expertise of geniuses resides in their ability to deep-practice excessively, even when it doesn’t look like they’re practicing. They have the ‘rage to master.’ It’s so obvious that if you have to ask if persons have it, they don’t. Talent development is best done when you are young as myelin breaks down with age.

Many of the more recently held theories on talent and skill development have been debunked by current research. The idea that has been held since at least 1899 that it takes 10 years of focused effort to become a master at anything is as true today as it was then. This applies to all skills including horseshoeing. The apprentice system has great value.

Every skill is a form of memory. Memory is strengthened by repetition. Higher skills are made of million-neuron wire-like chains working together with exquisite millisecond timing. Wrapping wires with insulation makes the circuits work faster and smoother. Repetition causes the body to wrap layers of myelin insulation around our nerves. Circuits that are fired the most and used most urgently are the ones that are wrapped with the most myelin insulation. As many as fifty layers have been measured – the thicker the insulation, the greater the skill.

Much of your ability to pay the price to achieve skill mastery goes back to your perception of self. Have you made a long-term commitment to achieve a goal of mastery? Have you identified a master you want to be like to create the ‘ignition’ needed to motivate you to put in the time and make the great effort to ‘deep practice?’ Have you set goals to prepare for certification or competitions? Can you visualize yourself mastering these skills in time?

External motivating factors may be helpful but not essential. Losing the feeling of security by: 1) losing a parent (“I’m not safe”), 2) being the youngest in the birth order (“You’re behind – keep up”), or 3) poverty or a failing economy (“I may starve if I don’t work hard”), can be primal cues to provide the energy needed to cause you to dedicate the time and effort necessary to build up your talents and take advantage of opportunities that lead to success. More commonly, identifying a master you want to emulate provides the cue that creates the ignition needed to acquire skill mastery.

The sequence is: 1) Talent development requires deep practice, 2) Deep practice requires vast amounts of energy, and 3) Primal cues trigger huge outpourings of energy. Learning any craft is best taught by watching it demonstrated the right or easy way, then observing and trying it the wrong way, and then seeing the right way again and then practicing it the right way.

Edward Martin, a Scottish Master Blacksmith said, “The difference between knowledge and skill is practice.” Francis Whitaker, the Dean of American Blacksmiths said in a clinic several years ago (he was 90 at the time), “Art is long, life is short, get going!” This applies to all crafts, and especially horsemanship and farrier skill. Pat Parelli says in his book Natural Horsemanship that it takes about 1,000 hours in the saddle to become comfortable with a horse and it takes 10,000 hours to become a high level horseman.

Because of the rapid expansion of knowledge in farrier and veterinary education, those who don’t work at obtaining significant continuing education, are inadequately prepared, even if they graduated in the last few years. It is a common saying among college graduates, “If you got your degree more than five years ago, you used to know a lot.”

The AAEP once said that less than half of the veterinarians who treat horses make a serious attempt at continuing education. This number is probably much less for farriers.

More important than attending meetings or subscribing to journals is the amount of effort you put into learning. Continuing your education helps you feel better about your performance, increases your competence, and your business becomes more financially rewarding. If you are not willing to take the time to become a master of your profession, there may come a day when you will regret you don’t have the skill needed to help a horse and its owner that are depending upon you. Consider the enjoyment you could feel knowing that you did the best that could be done – if you had made the effort to practice and develop your skill.

Marshall "Buster" Conklin

Sir Isaac Newton, one of the world’s greatest scientists who formulated many of the laws of physics, once remarked in a letter to his rival Robert Hooke, “If I have seen a little further it is by standing on the shoulders of Giants.” He said he came up with his revolutionary ideas by thinking about them much of the time.

Each of us who stands upon the firm foundation of knowledge that we use to make a living and enjoy the bounties of life stand upon the shoulders of those pioneers who have gone before us.

June 13, 2011 a giant in the farrier world passed away. Marshall “Buster” Conklin of Horseheads, New York, was responsible for getting me interested in shoeing horses. He was very supportive of my desire to do this, even though it was during the late 50’s and early 60’s, a time when horse numbers were at an all time low and many thought it was foolish to pursue a career in farriery. I would like to give tribute to him and others who have been giants in our industry. I look forward to doing this at Cornell this fall.

Buster encouraged me to get good training and build on the foundation of the past. I looked for and learned time-tested principles that would benefit others as well as myself. I was given the opportunity by my teacher at Cal Poly, Ralph Hoover, to write about and teach horseshoeing soon after I got out of school and have been doing so ever since.

I continue to focus on those proven principles in our classes at Butler Professional Farrier School and in clinics. I have made it an ongoing project to collect them and assemble them into my several books. The methods of presenting the ideas are now unique to me as they have evolved over the last 47 years. See www.butlerprofessionalfarrierschool.com.

Buster was also a cowboy – one of the good guys in the white hats. He was an accomplished calf roper and he lived the cowboy life. His wife Bernice was a wonderful complement to him. The Conklins are special people to me. Buster helped many students along the way as an instructor and resident farrier at the New York State Vet College. 

Buster Trimming My Rope Horse, Pepper McCue, 1959

Each of us should recognize and acknowledge the source of our motivation and knowledge that makes us what we are. Buster was a good and great man. He had both skill and character. Skill plus character equals competence. Competence inspires confidence.

I recently read Bruce Daniels new book Just Another Sunday on the Farm. In it he includes many of his experiences that tell the real story of what it was like to shoe horses 50 or more years ago. Being a self-employed farrier today is not really a lot different. What we do is very unique. It’s dangerous, you work with hot fire, sharp tools, unyielding steel, and you get real dirty – all the things your mother said you shouldn’t do! You wrestle animals 10 or more times your size and have no guaranteed benefits if you can’t work.

Lee Liles of Sulphur, Oklahoma has built a splendid museum that honors farriers of the past. I would hope everyone could someday see it. There are shoes and stories of the great farriers of yesteryear that you will find nowhere else. Visiting there gives you a real sense of the heritage we have as farriers. William Russell, a horseshoeing genius, is prominently featured in Lee’s museum.     

I wish to acknowledge with gratitude that we do truly stand upon the shoulders of giants. Isaac Newton didn’t originate this phrase, but rather it was theologian John of Salisbury. He said, “We are like dwarfs sitting on the shoulders of giants. We see more, and things that are more distant, than they did, not because our sight is superior or because we are taller than they, but because they raise us up, and by their great stature add to ours.”

We owe much to those who have preceded us. They are the true Giants of our industry.

Doug and Buster, August 1983

"Team Butler"

“The Butler Team” recently won the three-man draft horse shoeing competition at the Four Corners Contest in Castle Rock, Colorado. The horses were well behaved and were owned by a carriage company in Denver. (Apparently there are nine carriage companies in Denver).

We drew a Shire horse with beautiful feet that stood perfectly. Everything went well for us. It was the first time that Jake and Pete and I have competed together. Jake trimmed and nailed, Pete struck with the sledge hammer and clinched, and I made the shoes. I’m most grateful for that experience of working together. It brought to my mind the differences in shoeing draft horses as opposed to shoeing light horses.

The Finished Front

The Finished Hind

Draft or heavy horse shoeing is different from light horseshoeing. Draft horses move slowly. They often pull heavy loads. They are heavy and their feet need more protection than light horses. They are very strong, and though they are often gentle for most work, they sometimes resist shoeing.

A heavier thicker stock shoe is required due to the size of the animal. Our horse required 18 inches of ½ by 1¼ inch stock to cover its front foot. We used 17 inches on the hind foot. Horses with smaller feet can be shod with a lighter section. Nail holes are punched over the white line and at the pitch of the hoof wall to insure safe and secure nailing.

The shoe was fullered to make it easier to extract the nails and to provide some traction. The fullering fills with dirt – you have dirt against dirt which provides more traction than steel against dirt. Heel calks from one-half to one inch in height are popular for farm and pulling horses. Toe calks one-half inch in height are usually only put on the hind shoes of farm horses. One-inch toe calks that are tilted forward, so they will dig in as the foot breaks over the toe, are put on the front and hind shoes of pullers. Horses used on asphalt road surfaces are often shod with Borium® or bolt-on replaceable rubber “tires.” Borium® can be put on with a forge or with an oxy-acetylene torch.

A wider web shoe is desirable since many draft horses are flat-footed and have a weak hoof-bone attachment that may be compromised by their weight and concussion on road surfaces. Although they need sole protection, they must not have sole pressure. The inside of the shoe must be seated out, sometimes called concaved (hollowed out), to prevent sole pressure and bruising when the sole descends slightly each time the horse’s foot bears weight.

A longer shoe is desirable to support the limb. It also should be a bit wider than the hoof from the last nail hole back to the heel to give more surface area to distribute concussion and prevent corns and deep flexor tendon injury.

The shoe heels should be made and fit to make room for the frog and allow easy cleaning of the foot. They should be finished straight up and down to provide the most ground surface area possible.

The outside branch of the shoes should be fit wider than the hoof since most draft horses are base narrow. The outside of the shoe should be boxed (filed on the foot surface) to reduce the chance of another horse in the hitch treading off the shoe. The inside branch should be safed (filed on the ground surface) to prevent injury when accidently treading on the opposite foot.

Toe clips should be used to prevent shoe shifting when the heavy shoe hits the ground. It is possible for the nails to be sheared off when a heavy horse’s foot strikes the ground. Clips on ½ by 1¼ stock should be an inch high and triangular in shape and without sharp points.

Front View

The nails should be appropriate to foot size (we used number nine nails on our horse) allowing you to drive them 1/3 of the way up the hoof wall with the nail line parallel to the coronary band. Nails must be driven above the chips and cracks found in neglected feet. Broken out areas can be filled with superfast by Vet Tech. Feet should be dressed to correspond to the shape of the coffin bone. The shape can be determined by looking down at the silhouette of the coronary band.

Horses that are not well trained for shoeing should be put in a stock or given a drug by a veterinarian to help them stand still when being shod. Each time the foot is put down it should be put down slowly to prevent the horse from falling. Also, dropping a foot with a heavy shoe on it can cause the coffin bone to fracture. Charges for shoeing drafts should be twice what you charge for a saddle horse since it is more than twice as much work.

Show draft horses are shod differently than working horses. The size and especially the width of the feet are exaggerated. Square shoes that have inserts welded on the inner web allow feet to be built to a greater size. These shoes are manufactured by Will Lent in Michigan. We have applied some for clients here at the school. We used a great quantity of Adhere or Superfast composite by Vet Tech to fill in the space and create square feet. We offer specialty courses of one week in length for those that are interested in draft horse type shoeing at www.butlerprofessionalfarrierschool.com. 1-800-728-3826.

The royal wedding in England has captured the attention and imagination of the world. As I watched, Adam Smith’s statement in The Wealth of Nations came to mind, “The chief enjoyment of riches consists in the parade of riches….” In spite of the occurrence of other significant world events, “the story book event” took precedence. Not that getting married to the love of your life is not significant! My marriage of 44 years has certainly been a most important event in my life that has allowed me much achievement and happiness.

Much preparation went into creating London’s beautiful pageant observed by three billion people. The beautiful horses that accompanied the bride and groom and chauffeured the British royalty were all shod by master craftsmen trained in an ancient but effective system of farriery that preserves the soundness of these noble steeds.

Farriers in England are trained in the most exacting farrier training system in the world. It has been under the watchful eye of the Worshipful Company of Farriers since 1356 A. D. I sought permission twenty years ago to study their system and take all of the exams administered by the Company. My objective was to better understand how to best teach and help students learn this difficult craft. In 1992, I was the first person outside of Great Britain to obtain the Fellowship of the Worshipful Company of Farriers (FWCF), by taking and passing the Company’s highest examination.

Apprentices are first taught to trim the feet of horses that are kept in pastures and are not to be used on roads or ridden to any degree. Those horses that are used on roads, and do something besides eat, are shod with steel to protect them and the people who use them. Due to benefits to the health of the foot and precision in fitting, most horses are hot fit by British craftsmen. This seals moisture in the foot, prevents excess moisture from entering, and assures a perfect unity of hoof and shoe.

The steel horseshoes are fashioned according to the individual animal’s use. Some are made from fullered concave – a section of steel that until recently was available only in the U. K. Fullered refers to a groove all around the shoe which fills with dirt and dirt against dirt gives better traction than steel or even hoof against dirt. Concave refers to the self-cleaning pattern – meaning it is sloped or concaved on the inside edge so mud and snow is shed from the center of the foot as the horse moves. The portion of the shoe against the hoof is wide protecting the wall and sole from bruising. The edge of the shoe contacting the ground is narrow, creating a gripping action supplying traction to prevent dangerous slipping. The horses didn’t slip while carrying the royal couple, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge.

Additional traction may be provided by installing studs – sharp projections that are screwed or driven into the shoe. They are of varying height depending upon working conditions. They have a tungsten core that bites into the ground or pavement to provide safety for horse and rider or coach passenger. Horseshoe Borium® or Carbraze® containing particles of tungsten carbide are often used for this purpose in America.

We wouldn’t shoe horses if we didn’t have to. Horses that are rarely used don’t need shoes. Wild horses that have been naturally selected for sound feet rarely need shoes. Domestic horses that are used to any degree need protection for their hooves, especially since we have bred modern horses for things other than and at the expense of soundness – such as color, conformation, and athletic ability.

The hoof wall is protected from chipping or cracking by shoes. The sole is protected from bruising by shoes. The fragile coffin bone inside a weak hoof is protected. Foot balance is maintained to lessen stresses on joints. Even race horses wear aluminum shoes to provide and maintain balance, protection and traction.

The current barefoot fad has been tried before in the horse industry. Books written before 1900 tell of its trial and call it “the barefoot experiment.” It was abandoned in England and America due to the injury of horses and riders.

Most horses that are rarely worked don’t need shoes. But, those that are worked, ridden over uneven or abrasive ground, and for extended periods of time, do. Horses used for athletic activities such as jumping, racing, reining, cutting, roping, etc. usually need shoes. Using unshod horses in these events could be judged to be cruelty to animals or to the humans who depend upon them. Especially in Britain, where the people are great lovers of horses, animal welfare laws that prohibit unskilled persons from working on horse’s feet are enforced. 

More than luck goes into making a Royal Wedding appear as a fantasy spectacular.

In reality, accomplished horsemen know they need a competent well-trained farrier to maintain their valuable horses. They will either find one or learn the skill themselves. At Butler Professional Farrier School we specialize in training farriers and horsemen to know how and why they do their job of keeping horses sound. We invite inquiries at www.butlerprofessionalfarrierschool.com. Or call 1-800-728-3826 or 1-308-665-1510.

I was invited by Guy Karsh, a former student, to go to Israel to do a clinic for farriers and equine veterinarians. My wife and I traveled there and gave a two and a half day program the last part of November. There were 30 farriers, 27 vets and 33 horse owners in attendance at the programs. There are about 30 to 50,000 horses in Israel with 50 to 60 farriers and 50 to 60 vets that work on horses. There are 7.2 million Israelis. They are 0.1% of the world’s population.

We felt very safe there. There are armed guards everywhere. And the ranches were all surrounded by high fences and guarded by dogs. The weather was perfect. The ranch where the event was held was a beautiful oasis garden just outside of Tel Aviv. It was owned by a gentleman named Arik Raizner, who was very kind to us. The venue was perfect.

The clinic emphasis was on Founder and Limb Length Disparity. Each person received a copy of Life Data’s Laminitis and Founder, written by Dr. Gravlee and myself. Guy constantly reminded us, “We are making history,” for this was the first time such a thing was ever attempted in Israel. It was very well received. The mornings were occupied with lecture and discussion. A delicious lunch was served, and in the afternoon we did hands-on shoeing.

The first afternoon, with the farriers and veterinarians, we did demonstrations on foundered horses. We were fortunate to work with veterinarian Amos Frishling, using his digital radiographs. Both horses were improved after we worked on them, and there was good discussion and interaction.

The second day, with the farriers, we talked about balance. Several brought horses with problems that we were able to solve, working together. The farriers had modern rigs and were knowledgeable. I was impressed with the horse owner’s level of horse knowledge and concern for their animals. One horse that we did had previously fractured a navicular bone. I made and fit some bar shoes and was able to see a very positive change in the horse.

The third day, we talked about balance and answered horse owner’s questions. Many farriers came again, too.  

I was very impressed by the Israelis. They are a happy and committed people. They are happy to be in their homeland. And they love their families. They are modest. They eat healthy. They believe in being prepared. Military service is compulsory – 3 years for men and 2 years for women. They all have weapons in their homes and know how to use them. They seem to have the same four problems as Arizona: hot weather, lack of water, poisonous snakes and dangerous aliens.

The first day after our arrival, we toured Jerusalem with Guy and Dr. Rachael Shuster, a former student of mine at CSU and now a horse vet in New Jersey. Her mother lives in the old city, and she was raised there. Guy had connections with the Jerusalem Mounted Police since he shoes their horses. We started our tour at their stable which is inside the old walls right below David’s Tower. The stable is very old. They employ a young trainer whose full-time job is to train and keep the horses fit.

Most of the police horses are large warm bloods, especially Friesians and Hanovarians. The police ride Western saddles made in the U.S. and carry a lot of riot-suppressing equipment in their saddle bags. The horses and riders are protected from rocks by various pieces of armor and helmets. They are shod with rubber shoes and some have steel plates to protect their feet from caltrops that may be thrown down by terrorists during a riot.

Security in Israel is unbelievable. Even though the guards at the entrance to the stable compound knew Guy, they still checked for bombs under his car. Going in to visit the Western Wall was like going into an airport. People and packages are checked with scanners and physically. On most of the ranches we visited they had high electrified fences with dogs that are turned loose at night.

There were soldiers everywhere, even at street intersections. Military service is required of all Jewish Israelis. Arabs are prohibited from serving in the military. In addition, along with the most religious Jewish clergy, Arabs don’t pay taxes. They mostly live in their own cities. Those that don’t live in Hebrew or Arab cities live in “mixed” cities. Palestinians are not allowed into Jerusalem and other Jewish areas for security reasons.

Jerusalem is a divided city – meaning that there are different quarters that are dominated by different religious groups. The shops are mostly in the Muslim or Arab quarter. We first visited Golgotha, or the place of the skull, where Christ was crucified. It is outside the old city walls and not far from the Garden Tomb, where many church authorities agree that His body lay until He was resurrected. Others believe that Christ was crucified in a place that is now within the city and He was placed in a tomb on the site of the Church of the Holy Sepulcher.

We passed through Stephen’s Gate (where Stephen was taken outside the city and stoned by Saul – Acts 7) and began our walk on the Via Delorosa (Path of Sorrows). This is the traditional path that Jesus walked as he was imprisoned, condemned, scourged and where he carried the cross to Calgary. There are 14 points on the Via Delorosa. It starts where Jesus is condemned by Caiaphas and ends at the Church of the Holy Sepulcher. At each of the points there is a church as a monument to the event said to have occurred there.

We then crossed the valley and went into the Garden of Gethsemane, which is at the base of the Mount of Olives. Some of the trees are more than 2000 years old and would have been there when Christ prayed, as he worked out the Atonement for you and me.

The next day we went north to Galilee. We passed through the Valley of Jezreel where the Battle of Armageddon is to take place. It is a rich agricultural valley, the most fertile in Israel.  Our guide was a man from a kibbutz on the shores of the Sea of Galilee. He was in charge of banana plant propagation on a large plantation.

A kibbutz is a community of people who share resources. No one owns land and all that is produced and sold goes into a community fund. Each family receives a stipend and they usually all eat together at least one meal a day. Rules vary for each kind of businesses the people of the kibbutz own. Persons coming into the kibbutz must wait a year and show they have good character. Then they are voted on by the members before they can join. Later we visited the famous artist blacksmith Uri Hofi, who also lives in a kibbutz.

At the Sea of Galilee, we went to the area where it is believed that Jesus performed the miracle of the loaves and the fishes. Nearby the Sermon on the Mount was given. Where the sermon occurred was probably about a mile outside the city on a hillside. Last, we went to Capernaum, on the northern end of the Sea of Galilee. There is a church built over the top of the remains of the home of the apostle Peter. His home was next to the Sea and is very close to the remains of the synagogue where Christ preached (Mark 1:21).

After the clinics we traveled south to the Dead Sea. Guy had lived near the Dead Sea when he was younger and had shod horses for Itzik, the man who ran a horse riding concession at the Kalia Kibbutz that owns the site of the Dead Sea Scrolls at Qumran. Itzik was very knowledgeable about the Essene people who were apparently like monks who wrote and copied biblical manuscripts on to scrolls. The prevailing theory is that many of the scrolls found here were apparently taken from the temple library in Jerusalem to hide them from the Romans before they destroyed the Temple in 70 A.D. Copies of all of the books of the Old Testament have been found here, except the Book of Esther. Itzik wonders if the Arc of the Covenant isn’t still hidden nearby! He told us that the Dead Sea is going down about a meter a year. I asked if their government is doing anything about it. He said, “Yes, they’re talking about it!” Some things are the same everywhere you go.

 Last of all, we went to Masada. This was the stronghold of the Jewish Zealots who held out against the Romans until 73 A.D. We went up on a cable car to the top rather than walk “the snake path.” The ramp made by the

Romans to breech the fortress was clearly visible. There were many storerooms and cisterns to hold supplies of food and water. Herod’s palace was built here in 37 B.C. and is hung on the side of the mountain where he felt safe for a time. Soon after his death in 4 B.C., the Romans took it over. Before the Romans could breech the walls and force the Jewish people into slavery, the Zealots killed their families and themselves. Israelis soldiers are sworn in here with the words, “Masada shall not fall again!” The horses that were used in the Hollywood movie “Masada” were shod by Guy’s father.

Near Guy’s house and property is the ancient city of Geza, inhabited at the time of King Solomon 3000 years ago. There is also a beautiful forest and park nearby where his family can ride their horses.

Even though we thoroughly enjoyed the weather, and were treated royally by our hosts Guy and his wonderful wife Liat, we were very glad to get back to the United States. We now have a new appreciation for Biblical events. We, more than ever, recognize the importance of family ties. God bless all of us to remember the true spirit of Christmas brought to us by Jesus Christ, the Son of God.

Driving horseshoe nails accurately, consistently and safely is a difficult task for the beginner. Some persons have abandoned horseshoeing altogether and become barefoot advocates because of their lack of confidence and skill in this area. It’s sort of like throwing out the baby with the bath. There are times when nothing but nailing on shoes will help a horse get or stay sound.

Today’s horseshoe nails are manufactured to a high standard. One company, Mustad, controls the majority the nail production in the world. The nails are of high quality and are consistent. Most farriers eventually choose a preferred nail and stick with it. I prefer a slim-bladed nail as it doesn’t displace as much hoof as a nail with a thicker shank.

Nail head fit in shoes is most important. The nail should be tight and not wobble in the hole. When pushed into the shoe it should seat in the nail hole and not fall out when the shoe is turned upside down. The head should project above the shoe 1/16 of an inch to allow for clinching.

Nails should be driven to come out about 1/3 of the way up the wall from the shoe. The nail line should be parallel to the coronary band. Since the hoof wall grows down from the coronary band, the next shoeing will place the new nails in sound horn where they will hold the shoe securely.

After driving all the way into the shoe, the end of the nail should be turned out and wrung off with the hammer claws or hammered down against the side of the hoof to be cut off later. Severe injuries can occur when the ends of the nails are not properly made safe.

Before letting the hoof down, block the nails to seat them in the shoe and start the nail ends to turn where they exit the hoof.

Place the foot on a stand and turn all the nail stubs to a right angle with the wall with the clinching tool. Rasp the projecting ends of the nails to all the same length – about 1/16 of an inch. Turn the nail ends with the clincher letting the jaw slide over and shave the nail. Change position by moving the handles downward and push the nail into the foot with a second squeeze of the handles. Finally, smooth the job with the fine side of the clinching rasp.

The future will bring the foot care industry a combination of good news and bad news.

The good news is that farrier communication will be better and easier. Publications, the internet, conventions, summits, sponsored clinics and general sharing of knowledge make learning faster and easier. The bad news is that unsound ideas will be spread faster by the same media and adopted and put into practice by those weak in knowledge and experience. The “natural” and barefoot movements are examples of fads that continue to spread out of proportion to the application of sound research and common sense.

The good news is that farriery will continue to get easier, more effective and more lucrative for the skilled farrier. New materials and techniques as well as the proliferation of shoes, tools and accessories will be useful to skilled farriers who understand basic balance and therapeutic principles. The bad news is that persons weak in skills and understanding, because they are unwilling to pay the price to become competent, will continue to pass themselves off as qualified farriers by using these products. In so doing, they will hurt more horses and horse owners.

The good news is that business publications, accounting and contact management programs will make the farrier business easier to professionally manage than ever before. The bad news is that surveyed horse owners say good business principles are being ignored by many farriers. Hiring qualified employees to help expand your business has always been difficult. New levels of government watch-dogging and involvement along with the liability and risk of litigation will make it even more so. Continued intrusion by the revenue-seeking federal government will continue to be discouraging to small business owners.

The good news is that people with discretionary income will continue to look to the horse industry as a pleasant way to spend their time and money. There is a strong demand for sound, highly-trained, gentle horses. If horse people have good experiences, they will remain in the industry and support good farrier and veterinary care. The bad news is that less educated horse enthusiasts will buy unsound, poorly-trained, and even dangerous horses. These people will tolerate a standard of work lower than ever before from lazy con artists who have no intention of improving their skill level beyond what is necessary to fool ignorant customers. Fads and incompetence will continue to proliferate in the presence of an uneducated public.

The good news is there is always room at the top, and the hoof care industry is no exception. Farrier work is now and will continue to be practiced at a higher standard than ever before by a few dedicated craftsman. Opportunities will be good for the well educated and highly skilled farrier. Good craftsmen will get better, while the poor ones that have no desire to improve will continue to give the rest an image of ignorance. The poorly prepared farrier is bad news now and will continue to be in the future.

The September/October 1999 issue of the American Farriers Journal published my look into the next 25 years of farriery. I stick by those predictions and comments. The things that all farriers will need to know and do to stay in business in the future are the things that the most successful farriers are already doing.

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 as important as talent. We see this with students at the Butler Professional Farrier School. Those persons that get the highest scores on exams, and become the most successful farriers after graduation, almost always are those that are internally motivated by a strong desire to learn and be of service to others.  Those that require someone else to motivate them, and dare others to teach them something, rarely become competent.

We have found that the state or country of origin, the age, or the sex of the student is not as important as possessing a strong desire to learn. We have had excellent students in all these categories. Horse experience is probably the most important prerequisite. I will refer to the competent farrier hereafter as a he for ease of writing, but we have had many outstanding female students.

Be aware that the passing of certification exams or membership in farrier organizations is not as important as the preparation and commitment to excellence that motivates a person to take an exam. Most horsemen don’t realize the effort and practice it takes to pass a craft exam. Therefore, the main benefit is to the craftsman who challenges himself to do it, puts in the time to make a good job of it, and thereby increases his competency. You, as the client, are directly benefited by getting a more competent farrier and a higher standard of work done on your horses.

First and foremost a competent farrier must know horses. This takes time. That’s why we recommend horse experience before farrier school and apprenticeship afterward. A competent farrier (or any horse professional) should know the horse inside and out. He should know anatomy or structure vocabulary and the physiology or function of the structures. He should recognize effective horse training methods, proper horse nutrition, and what constitutes humane care for horses. To advise the owner, he should know when a horse needs to be shod and how and when it only needs trimming. He should be aware of the top horses and the top people in his specialized breeds and disciplines. He should know the ideal conformation and gaits of these horses and the methods to achieve the best performance in these various disciplines. In other words, he should be able to “talk the talk.”

A competent farrier must be able to do the work. Farrier work is hard work and not everyone has the capacity to do it. The farrier must have the required tools and know how to use his tools to create a solution to foot problems. He must balance the feet and be mindful that he is shoeing the whole horse, not just the feet. He needs to be able to explain what he is doing and why. In addition to carrying an inventory of materials needed to solve foot problems, he must be able to make or modify a hoof or shoe in any situation. He should be capable of following instructions from the horse owner and veterinarian. He should be able to convince owners and vets of the merit of the technique he recommends to help the horse. In other words, he should be able to “walk the walk.”

A competent farrier must know business. He needs to run a sustainable business that will be around at least as long as you own the horse. This requires self-discipline, since the farrier is self-employed and is, in fact, the business. He keeps accurate records and knows his costs. He makes and honors appointments. He returns phone calls and is available during business hours to answer questions, especially when a new horse has been purchased. He is constantly learning by studying, attending selected clinics, and practicing to master his craft in order to be a reliable resource for you, the horse owner.

A competent farrier must have character, not just be a character. He must be clean, courteous and respectful. He is free of addictive habits that adversely affect his business and relationship with you, the client. (He understands that today’s health-conscious clients do not appreciate those who are not.) He must know his limits and be willing to refer cases to more advanced practitioners when necessary. If you move away with your horse(s), a good farrier will help you find a competent farrier in your new area.

This is what I think a competent farrier looks like. I believe a number of the problems confronting our industry at this time are due to the fact that not enough farriers fit this profile. If you are fortunate enough to have a farrier like I’ve described, you will want to do your part to keep him or her happy!

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 of a competent farrier. This means you know your craft and are no longer struggling.

There is a shortage of competent farriers. Many are practicing with inadequate training and experience. The only reason more horses aren’t lame is because most horses are very forgiving of farrier error. Following are skills that are essential. If you don’t have these, the horse owner will look for one who does. Your possession of these traits raises the cost of switching to a new farrier.

1) You must be able to balance a foot. To do this you must take into consideration the horse’s conformation, gait, use and environment. You must position your eyes perpendicular to the plane you desire to assess. You must be able to project the ideal on to and compare it to each foot you work on. You must be able to recognize and describe balance. You must be capable of compensating for imbalance.

2) You must be able to use the trimming tools to achieve balance. Keep your tools sharp and well maintained. Replace them when they are worn out. Practice making over lapping cuts with your nippers to create a level hoof that requires very little rasping. Remove hoof distortion or flares with your rasp. Trim hooves and fit shoes so there is no sole pressure. Round the edges of hooves that are to be left barefoot.

3) You must be able to select or make and fit shoes to the trimmed and dressed hoof. Shoe fitting skill is often lacking in practicing farriers. You must see the hoof shape first before you can accurately fit to it. Visualize and shape starting with the toe and move toward the heels. Shaping shoes accurately is aided by the forge. You must learn where on the anvil to hold the shoe to make precise adjustments. Even well made machine made shoes must be altered to fit individual feet. A well fit shoe is easy to nail accurately.

4) You must know the anatomy and physiology of the horse’s foot. You must know the foot and what’s in it. You must know how it works, what can go wrong, and what may be done to fix it. You must learn the vocabulary, the form and the position of the structures. You should know the foot as well or even better than the vet. You must become a respected foot specialist.

5) You must be aware of foot abnormalities and be able to accommodate them by forging alterations in shoes. You should be able to recognize abnormal conformation of the foot and limb. You should know the common foot diseases and what the vet can do to treat them medically and how you can treat them mechanically with various therapeutic shoes. You must be efficient in your use of the forge to make and alter shoes.

6) You must be able to explain what is needed to the horse owner and veterinarian and convince them of its value. You must know anatomy and a specialized industry vocabulary so that you can adequately explain a problem and present options for them to choose. After they have chosen and committed to the agreed-upon course of action, you must continually remind and convince them of the value of such a course.

7) You must be able to run a sustainable business. To do this you must exercise self-discipline. Don’t waste your resources. Keep accurate and honest records. Live by a schedule. Plan ahead so you can be on time for appointments. Communicate your expectations. Guard your health. Thank people for their business. Be an information resource. Do those things that will keep your clients happy.

This is what I think a competent farrier should be able to do. I believe a number of the problems in our industry are ones that poorly prepared farriers have brought upon themselves. They are not doing any or all of these things to a high standard. As a result, farriers have an image of ignorance. I hope you will commit to changing that image by resolving to be a professional farrier and master your craft!