Trimming

Farrier Research

Measuring the Effects of Shoe Placement

Refusing to perform an extreme application leads to a breakover research pilot study
Have you found yourself so frustrated with this job that throwing in the towel becomes a serious consideration? The story I’m about to share sparked a 7-plus-year return to academics, two postgraduate degrees, a U.S. patent for a novel horseshoe and a research study examining breakover.
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A Year in the Life of a Horse

An intimate chronicle of hoof care, training & partnership through a farrier’s eye
What does it truly take to support the health, soundness and performance of a horse over a full year? What happens to a hoof — and the horse it supports — across the changing seasons? This installment of the 1 Horse, 1 Farrier, 1 Year project was made possible by Triple Crown Nutrition.
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Trimming & Shoeing

“Misguided Practices” are Damaging Horses’ Coffin Bones

Keeping P3 closer to the ground increases the likelihood of morphology
I wrote an article in the late 1980s on the development of the third phalanx (P3) from a neonate to an adult of 3 years of age. That article went into the stages of morphological development from the dorsal surface to the cup on the bottom and the palmar processes (wing tips). That developmental process is dependent on the animal having a somewhat normal weight-bearing posture. Excessive, abnormal, or focused compression features should not exceed osmotic cellular pressures, ensuring that the growth period occurs in a timely and correct manner. This excessive compression process is similar to a tourniquet, bed sores or other pressure necrosis.
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News Release

AFJ Presents Groundbreaking Hoof-Care Journey with Hall of Fame Farrier & Triple Crown

What does it truly take to support the health, soundness and performance of a horse over a full year? What happens to a hoof — and the horse it supports — across the changing seasons? Behind every graceful stride and quiet moment of trust lies a complex web of daily decisions, expert care and thoughtful management.
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Farrier Tips

Tips for Shoeing High-Low Feet

To balance the mismatch, we need to reduce resistance in the movement by using the shoe's breakover point. We’ve shod more than 100 horses this way the last 3 years. Our contribution is to look at the whole horse and not just the fronts.
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