Ron Perszewski

Ron Perszewski

Ron Perszewski is a freelance writer and former associate editor of Ameri­can Farriers Journal.

ARTICLES

Tee It Up

A T-square is a low-tech tool that pays off for farriers in making an accurate assessment of the foot

Much like the hoof gauge, using the T-square is a basic tool that can go a long way toward accurately assessing medial-lateral balance.


Read More
Jim Keith

The Homemade Hoof

Hall Of Fame farrier Jim Keith offers his own take on hoof balance and how it can change with the conditions that the horse calls home

It's called horseshoeing, not footshoeing, says Jim Keith, explaining why he rejects the traditional approach of aligning the hoof-pastern axis as the starting point for bringing a hoof into balance.


Read More
Cover
Product Knowledge

Hooves Too Wet? Too Dry? Try These Techniques

These farriers have plenty of experience with moisture problems, too much or too little, and they offer their solutions
David Nicholls wants to avoid the problems caused by nailing shoes to rotting hooves. “The enemy is water,” says Nicholls, a farrier in rainy West Suffolk, England, “where you should wear waterproof clothing every day.”
Read More
Eric Cox
Tool Use

Keep Your Forge Efficient By Replacing The Liner

Time is money, so waiting for an inefficient forge to heat horseshoes adequately can hit you right in the wallet. Prevent that from happening with this step-by-step process

Unless you’re into keg shoes and cold shoeing exclusively, you’ll need to replace your forge liner sooner or later. For the inexperienced, the job might seem more challenging than a draft horse with an attitude problem.


Read More
Product Knowledge

Unsticking the Doubts About Hoof Adhesives

Knowing the properties of the available glues can help farriers make the right choices for effective, lasting glue-on shoes and hoof repairs

The arrival of horseshoe glues and hoof-repair materials more than 30 years ago revolutionized the centuries-old practice of farriery for shoers who dared take a chance on the materials. Adhesives replaced nails on many thin-walled or diseased hooves, and epoxy putties, as they were sometimes called, made rebuilding a foot possible in ways never before imagined.


Read More
Measure
Tool Use

Underused Hoof Gauge Can Boost A Farrier’s Success

This low-tech tool offers an edge when it’s time to assess a hoof and determine the work to be done
Hoof gauges might rank among the most overlooked, underused tools in farriery. Yet high-quality hoof care starts with an accurate assessment of the foot, and these tools can assist even the keenest eyes of the most skilled and experienced farriers.
Read More
Attendees

International Hoof-Care Summit Delivers On Its Promise Of Ideas

Presenters and attendees from around the globe gather to share their thoughts on doing right by the horse in ways old and new

The 2008 International Hoof-Care Summit again lived up to its name. The event’s emphasis on high-quality education drew nearly 800 dedicated hoof-care professionals. They came from almost every state in the U.S. and 15 foreign countries, including such faraway spots as Japan, South Africa, Australia, China and numerous European nations.


Read More

Flies are the Worst -- Deal With it!

Commercial sprays have their place, but also limitations, so farriers have found ways to provide relief from biting insects for themselves and their horses
The votes are in, and the flies have it! By a nearly 4-to-1 margin, flies were chosen as the worst insect pest by the nearly 200 farriers who responded to an informal survey by American Farriers Journal.
Read More
Horse Hoof

Apply Two Basic Principles to the Long-Toe, Low-Heel Hoof

Trim away the bent horn tubules to get down to the straight ones, and deal with each foot on its own merits, says a noted farrier and teacher

You look at the foot and there it is: a weak heel that you suspect might lend itself to the development of a foot with long-toe, low-heel syndrome. The bad heel might have been caused by trimming the heel too low or by a naturally weak heel prone to collapse. Or it could be caused by excessive wear at the heel that, studies have shown, can be brought about by a shoe, especially one that’s too small, that exposes only the heel to wear.


Read More

Top Articles

Current Issue

View More

Current Issue

View More

Must Read Free Eguides

Download these helpful knowledge building tools

View More
Top Directory Listings