Nearly 45 years ago, a farrier in Arcadia, Fla., saw an opportunity to improve farrier communication. He would catch the rising tide that had emerged during the previous 5 to 10 years with the creation of several strong regional associations and the American Farrier’s Association. This movement was about bringing farriers together and eliminating the isolationism that was crippling the industry.

“The lack of camaraderie that we were experiencing in horseshoeing at the time in the United States was part of the impetus for me starting American Farriers Journal,” Henry Heymering tells us. “In those days, there was no camaraderie between farriers. Everything was closely held. I think the magazine did help that way in that people weren’t afraid to share with others, hundreds of miles away, what they wouldn’t share with their local competition.”

Much has changed since Heymering mailed out that first 8-page issue of American Farriers Journal. Although we still publish a magazine, internet communication — especially social media — has changed the industry. Camaraderie and shared education have expanded, but isolationism continues to be a challenge.

Each Issue This Year

Throughout the remainder of 2020, we will revisit some of the noteworthy articles and moments documented in American Farriers Journal. We’ll talk to the authors of these articles about their ideas and with farriers influenced by these influential pieces. Pulling from 45 years will be no easy feat. For example, some of the articles by the late New Jersey farrier Bruce Daniels that ran…