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 …
Frank Ringel knives
Here's a handful of photos of some of the Frank Ringel knives that just arrived in stock. We're proud to be the exclusive NZ distributor for Frank Ringel knives
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 …
NAF in NZ
I'm really stoked to have been appointed the New Zealand distributor for the NAF range of horse care products. We're going to initially import a handful of the most popular products in the range and build up over the coming years At the moment, I'd be keen to hear from anybody who has used any …
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?"
Barefoot trimming
Here's a reproduction from Absolute Horse magazine posted by Trelawne Equine in the UK. Simon Curtis' angle on barefoot trimming:
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 …
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 …
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
Farrier Blog 