Mark your calendars now! The 33rd annual American Farrier’s Association Convention in Rochester, N.Y., is drawing closer! The convention will officially start at at 4 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 25, with the opening of the AFA-Farrier Industry Association Marketplace.

The Marketplace, with more than 150 booths, will enable you to meet and talk with the people who are developing and manufacturing the products you use. There will be inventors, designers, manufacturers, wholesalers and retailers all in the same building. These are the people you need to give your ideas and suggestions to for new products. These are the people who are willing to share their knowledge and expertise on the shoes and tools and all the other supplies you have ever wondered about.

The FIA, which organizes the marketplace, will offer more than $1,000 in drawings. Many of the vendors provide free samples of new products, and you can get even more gifts when you pay your registration fee. There will even be free room nights given away at the tradeshow.

Show A Shoe-In

The AFA forging and live shoeing competition will begin at 8 a.m. Thursday, Feb. 26. You will get to see some of the best in the world compete in several forging classes, with some of them moving on to compete in a live shoeing contest.This is a great learning opportunity; if you watch just a few of these competitors you will pick up numerous ideas to use in your own daily work.

Following the competition, there will…