Matt Myers

I want to tell you why my farrier, Matt Myers in Canby, Ore., is the best in the business. Matt is always committed to the health of my mare, and no one knows hooves like Matt. He is extremely intuitive and creative — always thinking outside the box. I appreciate that like a teacher, he has long-range plans for my horse's hooves.

Here are a couple of examples...

A couple of years ago, my mare, Quest, had to have two surgeries on her hind right after a stubborn abscess began eating away at her coffin bone. The shoe job that had to be done post surgery was really complex. The hoof had to be kept sterile at all times (not easy at a barn), yet we couldn't just cover it over with a pour pad because I had to be able to access the wound to dress it daily. Matt Myers designed for me a solid shoe with a "trap door" so that I could unscrew it, clean the surgery site and then screw the cover back on to keep it clean. One time I dropped one of the screws and lost it. Matt saved the day, and hurried right out and gave me extra hardware in case it happened again.

He has been willing, twice, to meet with my vet and look at X-rays of her feet since then. I love that because I feel he is not just shoeing what he sees, but also shoeing what only an X-ray can see. He is truly willing to be a team player with my vet and that is what makes Matt an integral part of my horse's health.

Long-range plans mean that Matt is always telling me why he is shoeing at such-and-such an angle or in such-and-such a way. He is trying to guide her hoof to grow in a certain way, for my horse's best comfort and overall health. Even if he hasn't been out in 6 weeks, he remembers exactly which heel she is wearing down lower than the other heel and can explain what his plan is for building up that hoof.

On top of all of that, he is fun to talk to. He loves good old country music, and he is a gourmet cook to boot. If you ask nicely, he might show you pictures on his phone of the last time he made scallops over a campfire. Matt is a cool guy and a top-notch farrier.

We love you, Matt!

— Allyson Bourke and her mare, Quest
(Portland, Ore.)