Home / Publications / American Farriers Journal

American Farriers Journal

Cover-Gatefold_AFJ_0518_pub.jpg

View Archived Issues

May/June 2018

Volume: 44
Edition: 4

American Farriers Journal is the “hands-on” magazine for professional farriers, equine veterinarians and horse care product and service buyers.

  • Table Of Contents

    Table Of Contents

    Reader Commentary: May/June 2018

    May 12, 2018 | Posted in Business Practices, Equipment
    The AVMA Should Reconsider Farrier Exemption Exclusion It is my belief that horsemanship is an art, not a science. This point of view shapes my concern about the proposed modifications to the American Veterinary Medical Association’s (AVMA) Model Veterinary Practice Act (MVPA), especially regarding the farrier exemption elimination.
    Read More
    Fig1.jpg

    “Miracle” Horse Competitively Jumps Despite Missing Part Of Coffin Bone

    New Jersey farrier creates shoeing package that keeps warmblood in the show ring
    By Jeff Cota posted on May 12, 2018 | Posted in Disciplines & Breeds, Diseases, Lamenesses, Therapeutic Shoeing
    Czantis appears to be like any other equine athlete. Make no mistake, though, this 11-year-old gray gelding is rare. While Czantis has found modest success competing as an amateur hunter-jumper, the warmblood’s greatest achievement is that he’s in the ring at all.
    Read More
    142_SFL_Mike_Chance_JM_0318.jpg
    Shoeing For A Living

    Staying Out of the Horse’s Way

    Texas farrier Mike Chance finds successfully shoeing the Western Pleasure horse comes from treating it like an individual.
    By Jeremy McGovern posted on May 12, 2018
    Looking back, Mike Chance believes he didn’t have the typical make-up to be a successful farrier. And maybe he wouldn’t have become a horseshoer had he acknowledged that. “It never occurred to me that I couldn’t be successful in this trade,” he says. “Maybe I was lacking in some areas, but I was determined to be a farrier.”
    Read More
    597_Wisconsin-Equine_JC_0218.jpg

    No Bells And Whistles, Just Keep It Simple

    Kentucky farrier eases heel problems and keeps performance horses in the show ring
    By Jeff Cota posted on May 12, 2018 | Posted in Disciplines & Breeds, Therapeutic Shoeing
    Shoeing performance horses don’t require bells and whistles. Quite the contrary, says Lexington, Ky., farrier Bobby Menker. “Just keep it simple,” he told attendees at the Wisconsin Equine Clinic & Hospital in Ocon­omowoc, Wis. “We start at the coronary band and then try to build a base all the way down. This is what I like to build for.”
    Read More
    Fig1.jpg

    Looking For Lameness During A Pre-Purchase Exam

    Ohio vet and farrier corrects asymmetrical gaits with wireless sensors
    By Audrey Pavia posted on May 12, 2018 | Posted in Anatomy, Clients, Education, Lamenesses, Therapeutic Shoeing, Trimming
    Prospective horse owners depend on pre-purchase exams to uncover issues that could potentially affect a horse’s performance — particularly hidden lameness. Adam Pendleton, an equine veterinarian and farrier, discussed a pre-purchase exam he conducted on a 10-year-old Quarter Horse mare during which he utilized an interesting method to determine the mare’s soundness: the Equinosis Q with Lameness Locator.
    Read More
    Fig1.jpg

    Are You Proactive Or Reactive With Performance Horses?

    The key to successfully providing hoof care for the performance horse rests with your ability to be proactive for the horse’s individual needs
    By Jeremy McGovern posted on May 12, 2018
    When looking at the general horse population, Grant Moon views what he calls the “big middle.” Many of the horses in this populace have been assigned jobs that they just aren’t suitable for to achieve at high levels. But in reality, when the farrier arrives to shoe that horse, his or her opinion on the suitability of the horse to its newly assigned job is irrelevant.
    Read More
    IMG_2232-162.jpg

    Helping Sport Horses Compete Through Suspensory Injuries

    Knowing how to do these modifications has become more necessary as suspensory issues have become more prevalent with sport horses
    By Jeremy McGovern posted on May 12, 2018 | Posted in Business Practices, Disciplines & Breeds
    In the sport horse world, certainly at higher levels, problems with the suspensory apparatus have grown. Through his conversations with equine veterinarians, farrier Dave Farley says that they estimate about 80% of the sport horse lameness issues they encounter are somehow related to the suspensory.
    Read More
    Fig1.jpg

    An Overview Of Equine Canker

    This article provides a summary view of the diagnosis and treatment of this foot disease
    By Stephen O’Grady posted on May 12, 2018 | Posted in Diseases, Therapeutic Shoeing
    Equine canker is a disease in search of a definition since the cause has not been determined. It could be described as a pathological response to an insult to the foot’s horn-producing tissues. Equine canker has been defined as an infectious process that results in the development of a chronic, hypertrophic, moist pododermatitis of the horn-producing tissues, generally in the palmar / plantar sections of the foot.
    Read More
    Open.jpg

    From the AFJ Archives: May/June 2018

    September/October 1996
    By Phil Fisher posted on May 12, 2018 | Posted in Disciplines & Breeds, Education, Shoeing
    1996 Article Overview Phil Fisher of Hastings, Neb., approached this article with a straightforward purpose: inform readers about how to shoe reining horses. At the time Fisher wrote this article, he was shoeing a few successful top reiners. This motivated him to share his own methods to farriers who might not be as familiar with reiners.
    Read More
    Club_foot_radiograph2.jpg

    Club Foot or Upright Foot? It’s All About the Angles

    Proper diagnosis is important to determine a maintenance plan
    By Katie Navarra posted on May 12, 2018 | Posted in Anatomy, Diseases, Lamenesses, Therapeutic Shoeing, Trimming
    It’s not uncommon to observe minor asymmetries in any horse’s feet. But when there is a significant difference between a pair of hooves, typically the front, the unevenness may be attributable to club foot. Club feet are estimated to be present in 5% to 20% of the equine population.
    Read More
    D_Ward_Cooper_Tools_Ad.jpg

    Remembering Danny Ward

    Danny Ward Remembering Hoof-care industry memorializes the Hall Of Fame farrier’s profound influence
    May 12, 2018 | Posted in Business Practices, Education, Lamenesses, Safety & Healthcare
    The highly respected and beloved farrier Danny Ward passed away March 22, 2018, at the age of 73. Owner and operator of Danny Ward Horseshoeing School and a third-generation farrier, Ward was known for his superb farrier abilities and his commitment to education.
    Read More
    IMG_2323-6.jpg

    Fullering to Perfection

    A few recommendations can help you efficiently crease handmade shoes
    By Ron Perszewski posted on May 12, 2018 | Posted in Equipment, Forging, Shoeing, Therapeutic Shoeing
    Keg shoes typically come with a crease in the ground surface, but are they worth the effort to craft into your handmade shoes? And if so, what are the keys to proper fullering? Chad Chance, a veteran farrier in Pilot Point, Texas, 30 minutes north of Dallas, creases 95% of his shoes and says, “I’m fullering every day.”
    Read More
    HOTA_0518.png

    Shop Talk: May/June 2018

    May 12, 2018 | Posted in Business Practices, Education, Lamenesses, Safety & Healthcare
    Legendary Farriers Start Pink Apron Charity Billy Crothers and Myron McLane have started the Pink Apron Charity to raise awareness and funds for breast cancer research. Both farriers solidified the plans for the Pink Apron Charity at this year’s American Farrier’s Association (AFA) convention, which met in Reno, Nev.
    Read More

    Research Journal: May/June 2018

    The information, ideas and opinions expressed are those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of the United States Department of Agriculture.
    By Albert Kane posted on May 12, 2018 | Posted in Business Practices, Disciplines & Breeds, Lamenesses
    Follow-Up On Walking Horse Study Publication of a study reviewed in the March 2018 “Research Journal” sparked a letter to the American Journal of Veterinary Research, as well as a response from the authors.
    Read More
  • Featured Articles

    Featured Articles

    Fig1.jpg

    “Miracle” Horse Competitively Jumps Despite Missing Part Of Coffin Bone

    New Jersey farrier creates shoeing package that keeps warmblood in the show ring
    By Jeff Cota posted on May 12, 2018 | Posted in Disciplines & Breeds, Diseases, Lamenesses, Therapeutic Shoeing
    Czantis appears to be like any other equine athlete. Make no mistake, though, this 11-year-old gray gelding is rare. While Czantis has found modest success competing as an amateur hunter-jumper, the warmblood’s greatest achievement is that he’s in the ring at all.
    Read More
    142_SFL_Mike_Chance_JM_0318.jpg
    Shoeing For A Living

    Staying Out of the Horse’s Way

    Texas farrier Mike Chance finds successfully shoeing the Western Pleasure horse comes from treating it like an individual.
    By Jeremy McGovern posted on May 12, 2018
    Looking back, Mike Chance believes he didn’t have the typical make-up to be a successful farrier. And maybe he wouldn’t have become a horseshoer had he acknowledged that. “It never occurred to me that I couldn’t be successful in this trade,” he says. “Maybe I was lacking in some areas, but I was determined to be a farrier.”
    Read More
    Fig1.jpg

    Are You Proactive Or Reactive With Performance Horses?

    The key to successfully providing hoof care for the performance horse rests with your ability to be proactive for the horse’s individual needs
    By Jeremy McGovern posted on May 12, 2018
    When looking at the general horse population, Grant Moon views what he calls the “big middle.” Many of the horses in this populace have been assigned jobs that they just aren’t suitable for to achieve at high levels. But in reality, when the farrier arrives to shoe that horse, his or her opinion on the suitability of the horse to its newly assigned job is irrelevant.
    Read More
  • Digital Edition

    Digital Edition

  • Online Extras

    Online Extras

    Online Extras: May/June 2018

    May 12, 2018

    Web-exclusive content for this issue includes:

    • Watch Stuart Muir of Rood & Riddle Equine Hospital give a presentation on when and how to use adhesives.
    • Read more about how California farrier Wes Champagne kept American Pharoah on track for the Triple Crown.
    • Watch videos from our Shoeing For A Living Day with Texas farrier Mike Chance.
    • Watch Bobby Menker talk about achieving traction with different cases.

    Read More

THIS MONTH'S DIGITAL SPONSORS:

Top Articles

Current Issue

View More

Current Issue

View More

Must Read Free Eguides

Download these helpful knowledge building tools

View More

Videos

Farrier Education: Heartland Horseshoeing School

Farrier Education: Heartland Horseshoeing School

Farriery requires knowledge and skills to provide proper equine hoof care. In this series, sponsored by VICTORY, American Farriers Journal visits Heartland Horseshoeing School in Lamar, Mo. In this edition, Chris Gregory discussed his journey to becoming an educator, his focus in teaching farrier students and the state of farrier education.

View More

Events

More Events
Top Directory Listings
Life Data Labs

Life Data Labs Inc

Life Data Labs Inc. is a dedicated product manufacturer committed to producing premium quality animal nutrition and health products through continuous product improvement and new product development. First-class ingredients, fresh products, consistent high quality and scientifically proven effectiveness are the principal features of Life Data Labs animal health products. And that's why they've produced the #1 recommended hoof supplement by farriers for 12 consecutive years.
KAWELL 2023.jpg

Kawell USA

Kawell develops and produces copper alloy horseshoes and inserts, giving horses the care that they need to fight issues associated with white line disease, seedy toe and thrush.
Smart Pak

SmartPak

From the feed room to the tack room, SmartPak offers innovative solutions to help riders take great care of their horses. SmartPak was founded in 1999 with the introduction of the patented SmartPak™ supplement feeding system. The revolutionary, daily dose SmartPaks are custom-made for your horse, individually labeled and sealed for freshness.
View More