It's not unusual for a farrier or veterinarian to be trapped between the welfare of the horse and the welfare of the rider. Kent Carter, a member of the International Equine Veterinarian Hall of Fame who is on the staff at Texas A&M University in College Station, Texas, says the dilemma can arise when what's best for the horse conflicts with the rider's needs to have the animal ready to work - whether on the racetrack, in the show ring or on a cattle ranch.

Last issue, we shared some of the responses we received to an e-mail we sent out asking our readers to let us know what landmarks they use to guide their trimming. Responses continue coming in and we thought we’d share some more of them with you.

Farrier licensing adopted in the United Kingdom 30 years ago boosted the careers of shoers there, according to Simon Curtis, a prominent U.K. farrier who often speaks at conferences and clinics in the United States.