Guest Post by David J. Barron, CF, APF David Barron is an working farrier certified through the American Farriers Association and the American Association of Professional Farriers in the State of Washington, USA. David grew up on a large coffee farm in Zimbabwe, where he trained horses and competed in national polo and polocrosse. He …
Seedy toe case study
Originally printed in hoofbeats magazine in Australia, this seedy toe case was successfully treated by improving the hoof balance, corrective shoeing and some useful gear in the particular farriers toolbox. Click on the image above to read the full article or click the link here The article is reproduced courtesy of hoofbeats magazine and this …
How to make the farrier happy (top ten)
My top ten ways to make your farrier happy (ier) are: 10. Present them with a clean and dry horse 9. Pay promptly on the day or as requested 8. Give them refreshments (tea, cake, biscuits etc) 7. Get the horses done regularly 6. Discipline the horses being worked on if needed - it's not …
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?"
Stud hole tapping machine
Stud hole tapping machine These are great for farriers who do lots of stud holes. I know how much time and energy tapping stud holes can take at "that time of year" when it seems all your clients want double stud holes in every shoe! The HMS stud hole tapping machine makes tapping the holes …
Olympic farriers
Here's an interesting read by Claire Brown from Forge & Farrier about the 2012 Olympic farriers for the GB team in the UK: Olympic Farriers
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 …
Naughty for the farrier
Q. My young mare is naughty with her back feet. I’ve had a number of farriers who all seem to come once then disappear into thin air when I call them for the second time. I’d like to find a farrier who is willing to teach her how to stand still so the shoeing is …
Presenting the horse to the farrier
I expect all farriers have some clients who are more conscientious than others when it comes to presenting their horses for shoeing. It's usually quite easy for the client to turn up early to get the horse ready. Here in NZ, most horses live out all year around so the state of the paddocks depend on …
Sticking to the shoeing process
I wouldn't claim to have worked with heaps of different farriers over the years. In fact, I consider myself a bit of an under-achiever in that respect. I have little doubt working alongside other farriers is probably the best way to improve our skills, learn new stuff and for farriers who usually work alone, realise …
Farrier Blog 