To say that shoeing show hunters and jumpers is a challenging job is an understatement. The competition is intense. Owners, trainers and riders are constantly vigilant to ensure that horses are presented at their very best.

The farrier is just one member of a team that includes the trainer, rider, veterinarian, groom, chiropractor, masseuse and an occasional horse psychic. We each have a job to do.

The farrier’s job, obviously, is to shoe the horse, but it is also to use our experience to recommend shoeing changes to maintain performance. Very often I am given carte blanche in how a horse should be set up and my advice is, “Shoe every one like it was your wife’s horse.”

It is not uncommon for a client to present a new horse for shoeing and tell you he or she knew the horse had some problems when they bought it, but were sure you could fix them. What is important is to understand which problems you can fix — and which ones you can’t.

Hunters Vs. Jumpers

The show jumping world is divided into two different segments, show hunters and show jumpers. Show hunters are subjectively judged for conformation and type, their way of going (how pretty they trot and canter) and their form when jumping…