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Articles by Christy West

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Shoeing for a Living

'I'm Living My Dream'

North Carolina shoer living the life he's wanted since the fourth grade
By Christy West posted on July 1, 2007 | Posted in Education, Shoeing
How many of us are lucky enough to be doing exactly what we’ve wanted to do since we were kids?
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UNDER-RUN HEELS

A Pain in the Back End

Four veterinarians discuss the all-too-common problem of palmar foot pain
By Christy West posted on May 1, 2007 | Posted in Therapeutic Shoeing

How many horses in your practice battle palmar foot pain, riding that razor edge between working soundness and days off? Pain originating in the palmar or rearward section of the foot isn’t a very specific diagnosis, but it certainly affects a lot of horses — and thereby a lot of farriers.


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Vet's Corner

What’s Wrong with This Picture?

The owners thought they were seeing double when this five-footed foal was born
By Christy West posted on December 1, 2000 | Posted in Anatomy
When a foal arrives, it’s usually in the middle of the night when owners and trainers are least ready to deal with surprises. This Quarter Horse’s birth gave owners Rick and Joyce Osborne of Cambridge, Minn., a surprise very few people in the world have ever seen.
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X-Ray Farrier

This farrier expanded business income by adding an X-ray processor to his shoeing rig
By Christy West posted on December 1, 2000 | Posted in Equipment
Most farriers agree that radiographs of the hoof and lower leg are valuable tools when shoeing a lame horse. But some clients opt out when they realize the vet has to come out, take the pictures, go back to the clinic and develop them, then come out to the barn a second time to diagnose the problem. Or that they might even have to take the horse to the vet clinic for a lameness workup.
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Save Money With Insurance

Marry someone with lots of money and employment benefits! Or read on...
By Christy West posted on November 1, 2000 | Posted in Safety & Healthcare
Like a lot of people, I’ve avoided the insurance system whenever possible, usually only dealing with it when I have to renew my auto coverage and shop for the lowest premiums. I know there’s a lot of legislation on the running and taxing of the insurance industry that I just don’t care to untangle.
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Your Business Is Worth It

Use these smart business management tips to decide whether you want to be a Mercedes or Yugo type of farrier
By Christy West posted on November 1, 2000 | Posted in Business Practices
Do you want to make more money by shoeing fewer horses for more desirable clients? Of course you do!
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Shoeing for a Living

Shoeing for Speed

Shoeing a few hundred Standardbreds every 3 weeks requires fast, precise work
By Christy West posted on September 1, 2000 | Posted in Shoeing
Harness horseshoer Chuck Bright leads a double life. On weekends, he’s a fairly typical guy, working on his small farm near Beloit, Wis., mending fences, caring for horses and other pets and doing other odd jobs around the house.
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The Best Of The Best

Meet the first International Horseshoeing Hall of Fame class of the new millenium
By Christy West posted on December 1, 1999 | Posted in Education
WE ASKED YOU to nominate the very best and you didn’t let us down. This year, we induct six top-notch, world-renowned farriers into the International Horseshoeing Hall of Fame Class of 2000.
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Beat the Freeze

Beat The Freeze

Get shoers’ 53 best tips on every aspect of shoeing in cold, cold weather
By Christy West posted on December 1, 1999 | Posted in Education
EVERYONE KNOWS all the usual advice about cold weather shoeing work, right? You just add more clothes, drink tons of coffee and don’t put nails in your mouth.
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Farrier Education: Heartland Horseshoeing School

Farrier Education: Heartland Horseshoeing School

Farriery requires knowledge and skills to provide proper equine hoof care. In this series, sponsored by VICTORY, American Farriers Journal visits Heartland Horseshoeing School in Lamar, Mo. In this edition, Chris Gregory discussed his journey to becoming an educator, his focus in teaching farrier students and the state of farrier education.

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Life Data Labs

Life Data Labs Inc

Life Data Labs Inc. is a dedicated product manufacturer committed to producing premium quality animal nutrition and health products through continuous product improvement and new product development. First-class ingredients, fresh products, consistent high quality and scientifically proven effectiveness are the principal features of Life Data Labs animal health products. And that's why they've produced the #1 recommended hoof supplement by farriers for 12 consecutive years.
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Kawell USA

Kawell develops and produces copper alloy horseshoes and inserts, giving horses the care that they need to fight issues associated with white line disease, seedy toe and thrush.
Smart Pak

SmartPak

From the feed room to the tack room, SmartPak offers innovative solutions to help riders take great care of their horses. SmartPak was founded in 1999 with the introduction of the patented SmartPak™ supplement feeding system. The revolutionary, daily dose SmartPaks are custom-made for your horse, individually labeled and sealed for freshness.
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