With the Sandia Mountains looming overhead, members of the American Farrier’s Association gathered along the banks of the Rio Grande River in Albuquerque, N.M., for their annual convention from Feb. 27 to March 3.

There are a lot of tools and devices found in shoeing rigs and boxes that have one factor in common.

Farriers have long tried — with varying degrees of success — to convince horse owners that regularly scheduled appointments for trimming and shoeing are important for equine health.

Farriers generally agree that there’s at least one nice thing about shoeing horses in winter. No bugs.