“There’s nothing intuitive about nailing a shoe on a horse. It’s a skill we develop to the point that most farriers drive in a nail and wring off the end without even thinking about what they’re doing.

Not all hooves are created equal. If they were, shoeing would be an easy skill to master, everyone would do it and it would not pay nearly what it does. Luckily, every hoof has a story to tell and — as farriers — we need to learn how to read that story and write a happy ending to it.

While the farrier is not responsible for the training of a horse, he or she can certainly pass along some valuable techniques to the horse owner.

The biggest problem confronting a farrier who’s asked to shoe a mule for the first time may very well be fear of the unknown.

The air is cool in the Appalachian Mountains on this late May Virginia morning, but the weather has been dry and there’s a promise of higher temperatures later in the day. Farrier J.C. Maloyed and his partner, Travis Thompson, are eager to get their day of “Shoeing For A Living” started — hoping to get the majority of their horses done before the day gets too uncomfortable.

If you’re ready to move your career beyond basic trimming and shoeing, the next step might be using acrylic glues to repair damaged or low-quality hooves. “Being able to perform acrylic repairs makes a farrier appear more professional in the eyes of clients

It’s easy to overlook punches and fullers, tools that are beat on every day, often abused and replaced relatively often. But remember, Chip Hunt says, “The main thing holding a horseshoe on is a nail head that fits the shoe. It’s the nail head fitting tight and contacting with the shoe on all four sides of the nail.”