From the category archives:

Horse Foot Care

Horse Owner and Farrier Expectations

February 5, 2010 0 comments

What should horse owners expect from their farrier?
You, the horse owner, have a right to expect a well-trained and experienced professional to care for your valuable horse(s). Unfortunately, some farriers short-change their education by not acquiring a firm foundation of basic knowledge about their craft. Even those who make the sacrifice to attend a school [...]

Read full article →

7 Farrier Fundamentals

January 29, 2010 0 comments

It’s important to have a memorized sequence of performing farrier skills so  nothing is left out.  This is the sequence we teach at Butler Professional Farrier School.  The image in the mind guides the craftsman’s hands.  This sequence must be practiced until it becomes a habit.
1. ASSESSMENT
Consider horse, shoe wear, and conditions
2. TRIMMING
Consider position of [...]

Read full article →

FAQ #13 Why does a horse get nail-quicked?

January 22, 2010 0 comments

Hoof wall thicknesses vary. There is a very small margin for error. The farrier must pay close attention to selecting and driving each nail.  Not all nails are manufactured perfectly, and misshapen nails might not drive straight.
However, nail quicking isn’t the only kind of quicking that can affect a horse – he can also be [...]

Read full article →

Trustworthy Farriers Horse Owners Can Depend Upon

January 15, 2010 2 comments

Farriers perform a valuable service for people who care about their horses. It’s important to be trustworthy and do the job right.
Let me share a true story. A stone mason was laying very large stones for the walls of a large church building. One of the stones had a crack on the [...]

Read full article →

5 Tips to Select a Sound Horse

December 9, 2009 2 comments

We all value our animals — both in terms of money and our emotional attachment to them. Although there are fewer horses today than a hundred years ago, there are more people who own horses, and individual animals have a much higher value.
Many well-meaning people buy a horse just because they become emotionally attached [...]

Read full article →

FAQ #9 What’s normal hoof size?

December 7, 2009 0 comments

Answer: A hoof that is proportional to the horse’s body size allows for ideal distribution of body weight over the foot’s laminar surface. (Laminar surface refers to the area where the sensitive laminae, attached to the coffin bone, interlocks with the horny laminae at the hoof wall.) When the foot is proportional [...]

Read full article →

Basic Farrier Skill Training Is Necessary

December 3, 2009 0 comments

To be successful, you have to do the right things.  Education is required to learn the right things.  When you are a teacher, the greatest pay you can receive is to see your students succeed.
Basic farrier skill training is still in great demand.  It appears that many today have gotten away from perfecting basic skills and [...]

Read full article →

FAQ #8: At what age should we shoe a horse?

November 24, 2009 0 comments

A young horse does not usually have to be shod unless it’s necessary to maintain the foot in a healthy, balanced state. Soundness is the key.  If the wear of the hoof capsule is greater than its growth,  it should be shod.
The average hoof growth rate is three-eighths of an inch (about one centimeter) per [...]

Read full article →

FAQ 6: Foot Care for Older Horses with Arthritis

November 16, 2009

Question: My mare is Twelve going on Thirteen. I have had her for two years and have always had problems with holding and trimming her rear feet. In an article I read recently on restraint training it is stated that if a horse is old or has problems with arthritis they should not have their legs [...]

Read full article →

Providing Traction for Winter Equine Foot Care

November 13, 2009 1 comment

There are several ways of providing traction in the winter time. Traditionally horses were shod with sharp shoes. Shoes were calked (toes and heels) and these were sharpened periodically by the blacksmith. This was a difficult job as the shoes had to be removed and it had to be done more often than [...]

Read full article →

← Previous Entries

Next Entries →