Farrier info, advice and insights
Working as a farrier is one of the most hands-on, physically demanding, and rewarding professions in the equine world. Farriers play a critical role in maintaining the health and soundness of horses by trimming hooves and applying horseshoes. If you’ve ever wondered what a typical day looks like for a farrier, this blog post will …
Continue reading "Day in the Life of a Farrier: What It’s Really Like to Work with Horses’ Hooves"
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 …
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? …
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. 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 …
Photo by Antonia Steeg
I'd like to make a list of the reasons why horses go lame after shoeing I would appreciated if you can think of any (the obvious or even the more obscure ones are all needed) please post in the comments section. Thanks 🙂
I've blogged before about the importance of farriers maintaining (and raising) the standard of work when things are financially tight. It doesn't always seem the most obvious approach but increasing the overall quality rather than cutting corners and defaulting to inferior shoes and tools will often pay dividends in the long run. But there are …
When I first started my own shoeing round in the mid-90's back in Blighty, every one of my clients were obviously, new to me. I picked up quite a few clients who had been using farriers previously who they had labelled as "unreliable". Some of the farriers who had been grouped into the "he doesn't …
Clenching up the chestnut mare I was using Diamond pull-offs, Gibbins chaps and a T-shirt from The Warehouse
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