It was a busy year at American Farriers Journal, as we highlighted industry updates, sound business advice, valuable hoof-care insights, as well as the global future of the equine industry. As we enter the new year, we wanted to share the most popular content from 2023.

With all of the news gathered, responses and interviews collected, and countless hours of writing and video production, American Farriers Journal made this year one to remember. More importantly, we made all of this year’s content for you. The following aren’t items we thought were the best of this year. These are the best of the year according to our audience. The Digital Media Department hunkered down in a caffeine-induced frenzy and compiled the “can’t miss” content from 2023.

Most Read Blogs:

• Wyoming Farrier Demonstrates True Grit in the Face of Adversity By: Jeff Cota
• American Farriers Journal readers and International Hoof-Care Summit attendees might recall the Shelhamers’ story. The daily rigors of shoeing horses for more than 30 years seemingly had caught up with Mitch. He was facing double knee-replacement and hip-replacement surgeries, as well as a doctor-advised change in professions. The third-generation farrier wasn’t quite ready to hang up his shoeing apron. Suzi introduced him to yoga. Ten years later, Mitch continues to shoe horses without surgical intervention. Now, Mitch is recovering from a much more serious health threat.
• Ode to the Horse
• "I owe an apology to the horse that is long since overdue. In the years since beginning my farrier career, I have made many mistakes — some bred of ego, but most of ignorance. To the horse, I vow I will do better." Check out this thoughtful article written for the horses that Mike Wharton has worked on over the years.
• Shoeing at the Gate
• David Hazlett was at the stage of his career when he considered large hoof-care accounts positive. Hazlett had shod Dick’s personal horses, so he knew Hazlett’s work. While Hazlett’s views about large accounts have changed over the years, he counted it a compliment to receive the offer at the time.
• The Toughest Mentors Shape the Course of Your Farrier Career By: Jeff Cota
• Each farrier has someone who has influenced their life and business in some way or another. Some are fortunate enough to have strong bonds with their mentors and mentees. Others have more complicated, and sometimes, contentious relationships. While many might not appreciate these difficult connections, the value shouldn’t be dismissed.
• Sound Farriery Builds a Sound Reputation By: Jeff Cota
• Many farriers evangelize about the importance of leaving enough foot for the horse to stand on. Oh, but it’s easy to succumb to the temptation that the hoof knife promises. Trimmings on the floor validate your work and worth with clients. Transforming a trashy foot into a sculpted piece of art earns accolades from your colleagues on social media.

Most Read Print Articles:

• How to Make and Use Sugardine for Horse Wound Treatment By: Shane Westman
• Dr. Richard A. Knutson, a Greenville, Miss., orthopedic surgeon, reinvestigated wound management by mixing granulated sugar and povidone-iodine into a slurry treatment in the 1980s. The mix he created was not only non-toxic, but effective and simple to make.
• The Pros and Cons of Hoof Pads By: Jessica Lash
• The use of pads in various shoeing applications can quickly become a controversial topic. While many people recognize the potential benefits of using pads, others have had off-putting experiences that left them opposed to their use.
• How Farriers Affect a Horse’s Hoof Landing By: Jenny Hagen
• This article focuses on the evaluation of the equine gait pattern as the basis of everyday trimming and shoeing. While the horse is guided in a straight line on level, firm ground, the motion of the limb during the swing and stance phase is observed, along with the sideway motion and flight arc of the limb during the swing phase.
• How to Evaluate Medial-Lateral Balance of a Horse’s Hoof By: Randy S. Luikart
• We all have been taught and demonstrated that moving the leg in any manner can skew the observation of this relationship. Unfortunately, if you have 100 people evaluating this relationship, it’s possible to get 100 different perspectives of that evaluation.
• How Equine Body Language Keeps Farriers Safe and Productive By: Katie Navarra
• Despite the lack of experience, the industry relies on people without this first-hand knowledge to join the ranks so that it can survive. Putting yourself in a compromising situation because you feel pressured for time or money, or because a horse is misbehaving, can quickly become a situation that jeopardizes your career. And you can’t rely on the handler to anticipate and respond to a horse’s reaction that could hurt you.

Most Read Web Articles:

• Identifying Insulin Resistance in Horses By: Jessica Lash
• Although grossly underdiagnosed, insulin-resistant (IR) horses often share physical characteristics that make them readily identifiable. “Most, but not all, insulin-resistant horses are going to be overweight or obese, with a body condition score greater than six,” Mike Barker of Life Data Labs told attendees during a How-To Hoof-Care Clinic at the 20th annual International Hoof-Care Summit in Cincinnati, Ohio.
• Rich Strike’s Owner Sues Hot Rod Charlie for Damages after Allegedly Wearing Toe Grabs By: Jeff Cota
• Rick Dawson, the owner of Rich Strike, claims that Hot Rod Charlie was wearing illegal toe grabs when it won the Oct. 1, 2022, Grade 2 Lukas Classic by a head over Rich Strike. Subsequent investigations by the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission and Sturgill, Turner, Barker & Moloney — on behalf of the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority — determined that Hot Rod Charlie was shod legally.
• Backyard Horses Deserve Farriers’ Respect
• Retired shoer David Hazlett owes his 50-year career to backyard horses. The farrier business provides a broader range of working situations and income possibilities than just about any trade or business.
• Weigh the Positives and Negatives Before Applying Pads By: Jessica Lash
• While pads provide benefits in many cases, not every pad application is well received by the horse.“Unfortunately, everything comes with a plus and a minus,” says Travis Burns, CJF (TE, EE), FWCF. “You have to monitor the horse for its feedback and see how it goes.”
• Researchers Study a New Laminitis Drug By: Albert Kane
• High insulin levels in the blood, called hyperinsulinemia, are commonly associated with endocrine-related laminitis. Australian researchers recently published a case series describing the use of a new drug, ertugliflozin, to treat hyperinsulinemia and the laminitis that often accompanies it.

Webinars in 2023:

• How CBD Can Help Your Customers, Their Horses and You
• During this digital demonstration, Renee Vandenberg and Harry Serio discuss how you can use CBD in your hoof-care practice. It may be able to help horses with inflammation issues, as well as calming them. This digital demonstration will offer guidance on how to find the right amount for each horse and your customers’ responsibilities. Brought to you by Hemp for Horses.

Most Viewed Videos:

• 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. Chris Gregory discusses his journey to becoming an educator, his focus on teaching farrier students and the state of farrier education.
• Farrier Education: Visiting Kentucky Horseshoeing School
• How can you become a horseshoer or farrier? In this series, sponsored by VICTORY, American Farriers Journal visits Mitch Taylor and the Kentucky Horseshoeing School. Mitch talks about how he became an educator, the importance of unlocking the right side of the brain and builds a bar shoe.
• Farrier Trailer Has Gone 1 Million Miles
• Pennsylvania horseshoer Will Aichele shows his converted trailer used for nearly 20 years for when he shoes horses. Covering multiple accounts throughout the US, he is close to 1 million miles driven hauling this trailer.
• Forging Extended Heels on a Keg Shoe
• Social Circle, Ga., farrier Lucas Gilleland, CJF, and Blacksburg, Va., farrier Paul Papadatos, CJF (TE), ASF, DipWCF, demonstrate how to forge extended heels on a keg shoe to American Farrier’s Association certification standards.
• Two Farrier Efficiency Tips from Horseshoer Martin Kenny
• North Carolina farrier Martin Kenny shows a couple of efficiency tips with his hoof knives and shoeing truck.