Pads and pour-ins offer farriers a variety of options when servicing hoof-care clients. Nick Denson, a farrier in Sagamore, Mass., works on many therapeutic cases and relies on these products regularly. During the 2020 International Hoof-Care Summit, Denson presented “Shoeing Tips with Castle Pads and Pour-in Urethanes” during a How-to Hoof-Care Product Knowledge Clinic, sponsored by Castle Plastics.

Veteran farrier and founder of the Crawford, Neb., Butler Professional Farrier School, Dr. Doug Butler is credited with saying, “Hoof quality may relate more to the hoof’s ability to regulate moisture content than anything else.” Although Lafayette, Ind., farrier Danvers Child jokes that he and Butler, both members of the International Horseshoeing Hall of Fame, sometimes have disagreements, they see eye-to-eye on this point; the key topic of client discussion should center around regulating the moisture content in hooves.

One Friday a month, 30 farriers in western Pennsylvania gather at Allegheny Equine Practice. At least one, often two, lame horses are awaiting them. A veterinarian performs a lameness exam and explains the steps involved. The horses are blocked and radiographs are taken.

The 17th annual International Hoof-Care Summit drew farriers and equine veterinarians to Cincinnati, Ohio, for 4 days of footcare education. With a theme of "Focus on Hoof Care for a Healthier Horse," the Summit demonstrated why it’s truly international with attendees and exhibitors representing 21 countries.

One of the best things horse owners and farriers can do for horses is hydrate their hooves consistently, says Tab Pigg, an Azle, Texas, certified journeyman farrier and Vettec technical specialist.

A multi-farrier practice was not on Jason Critton’s radar 10 years ago when he was thumbing through the pages of the May/June issue of American Farriers Journal. In fact, it was a foreign concept.

The hoof capsule has been repeatedly documented as a smart structure; a structure that has the capability of adapting to the loading events it experiences repeatedly.