Thanks to David Bartley for this guest post: One way to fabricate nearly any special shoe For any farrier that does an amount of work of the “one off” type, (experimental shoe types in an effort to save a horses life for example), I think the bandsaw is probably one of the most under rated …
Sheared heels
Q: I am riding a 16-year-old mare and my farrier says she has sheared heels and needs bar shoes. Please tell me more about this condition, and what the shoes will do to improve it. Mandy, Auckland A: Mandy, sheared heels are reasonably common but in extreme cases can cause the horse a lot of …
Break-over and concussion
Q: My question is about break-over and concussion. Where I live, we have had a long and very dry spring, summer and early autumn, so the ground has been rock hard for months and lots of horses (including mine) have jarred up and become sore. A friend of mine has a new farrier, though, and …
Repairing hooves
Q. My four year old OTTB has got a huge chunk missing out of the side of her hoof and my farrier says he might not be able to get a shoe on that foot next time. Can I bog it up and is there one that will stay in longer than others? Sally, Taumarunui …
What tools are need to remove a horseshoe?
What tools are need to remove a horseshoe? To remove a horseshoe safely you'll need most importantly, the knowledge and some skill. It's probably best to have a farrier to do any work on the feet but in an emergency, having some tools at hand can be useful: Buffer (also called a clinch/clench cutter). Raises …
Continue reading "What tools are need to remove a horseshoe?"
Surface Dressing (Guest Post)
We welcome guest posts. Thanks to David Bartley from Tasmania for this guest post. SURFACE DRESSING / FITTING AND OUTLINE FITTING HORSESHOES The art of farriery is not the preparation of the foot to take a steel wear plate. And it is most definitely not trimming the foot in a particular manner so one can apply a …
Thoroughbred feet
Q: Hi, I have a 4YO TB who has what my farrier calls “ski jump” front feet. He gets shod every 4-5 weeks and recently I asked him to take more toe off as they really just did not look right and he was always tripping over his own toes! This has lead to a …
Two clips on the front of the horseshoes
Q: I have noticed that my friend's horse has one toe clip on his front shoes, but my farrier puts two clips on the front shoes of my horse. Is there a reason for the difference or is it just personal preference by the farrier? Rebekah, Bay of Plenty A: Hi Rebekah. It might be …
Will the feet on a rescue horse ever recover?
Q: I have recently adopted a rescue horse that had been neglected quite badly. His feet and teeth were in a very bad way, and he is very underweight. I have wormed him and had my farrier and dentist out to him, but I am wondering about his long-term recovery. Will feet that have been …
Continue reading "Will the feet on a rescue horse ever recover?"
Over-reaching
Q: My horse is a chronic over-reacher, and he quite often injures himself. I turn him out in bell boots, but these tend to rub. What can you suggest? Barbara, Rotorua A: Hi Barbara. Over-reaching can be a problem and if he’s doing it in the paddock then that’s frustrating too. Hopefully, there’s a solution …
Farrier Blog 