Farrier info, advice and insights
Q: My horse doesn’t actually lose his shoes often, but he frequently twists them so they are partially away from his feet. When this happens, should I try and remove the whole shoe or wait for the farrier to come? I am worried he might damage his foot from the poking-out nails. And if I …
Continue reading "What tools do I need to remove a horseshoe?"
Q: Hi David. I have noticed that my horse is standing under himself with his front legs, very noticeably since I changed farrier about eight months ago. He also seems to stumble more. The main difference that I can see in the way he is being shod/trimmed is that the feet are being set back …
Q: My horse has white hooves and (I think) due to his annoying habit of constantly kicking his stable wall, the side of his hoof is discoloured as if it is bruised. It doesn’t seem to be causing lameness though. Should I just ignore it? RT, Te Awamutu A: You’re correct, this discolouration is likely …
Q: My new farrier charges me to replace a cast shoe, but my old one never used to. I feel a bit resentful, as why should I pay if he hasn’t nailed the shoe on properly in the first place and it falls off or gets sucked off by the mud? What do you think? …
Q: I do a lot of road riding and 10 to 20km forest rides, and my horse has developed corns on his heel. Can you tell me what corns are (are they anything like the corns that humans get) and how can they be treated? Is it caused at all by the surfaces he is …
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 …
Q: I have my horse shod regularly - usually every five weeks - and his feet look perfectly normal to me. But he trips a lot, especially when being ridden in a paddock. Is this a physical/foot problem, or to do with the way he is being ridden? Is there anything my farrier can do? …
Q Hi David. We are trying find a big, safe, suitable horse for my husband to learn to ride on - he is keen on taking up hunting. We have found a horse who seems great in all respects - except his feet! I have included a shot that we took when we tried him …
Q. Can you tell me what happens at a farrier competition? Is it the fastest person to shoe a horse who wins? My own farrier (he’s about 80 years old) takes a long time to put front shoes on my Clydesdale mare. Do you think that’s why he always says he’s too busy to enter …
Q: My horse’s feet seem to splay outwards at the bottom, then chip. What’s going on and what can the farrier do about it? He is a barefoot horse now and mostly gets ridden over the farm and a bit at the beach. Kim, Henderson A: Hi Kim. What you’re describing may be what we …
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