Articles by Kristen Kubisiak

Pujavante-1.jpg

What’s a Pujavante?

Fourth-generation Mexican farrier uses an 80-year-old tool to keep horses sound
A quality hoof knife isn’t a hard-to-find commodity for most farriers. In fact, an impressive number of knives made by a variety of manufacturers are available for purchase in supply shops and from online retailers — making them more accessible than ever.
Read More
Lizzie-arrived-at-Peeps-Foundation-with-foot-problems-and-deformed-and-infected-ears.jpg

Helping Miniature Horses and Dwarfs with Limb Deformities

An aggressive trim, disc and plate system, aid in management
A new client calls and asks you to come out and look at a “pony” on the farm that has some problems. The day of the appointment comes and when you get to the farm, you find the animal in front of you is a miniature horse — and a dwarf, at that.
Read More
164_Shaun_Woodsun_AZ_KK_0121.jpg
Shoeing For A Living

Arizona Farrier Rises to Dry-Heat Hoof-Care Challenges

A sharp knife and a sharper mind are among the tools used by Shaun Woodsum in his farriers business

When Chino Valley, Ariz., farrier Shaun Woodsum started shoeing horses more than 30 years ago, it seemed like a good way to pay for his college education. His father Bob James was a horseshoer and the aspiring heavy equipment operator was acquainted with the profession — he knew it would offer a flexible schedule to earn a living and pursue a degree. Once he got a taste of the industry, however, Woodsum quickly changed course.


Read More

How to be Successful When Using Hoof Boots

Knowledge of alternative footgear options will expand a hoof-care professional’s toolbox

Farriers and veterinarians agree that one of the most common mistakes that is made when purchasing hoof boots is sizing.

Hoof boot manufacturers like Texas-based Soft-Ride, offer tools and advice to help take the guesswork out of choosing the correct size for hoof care applications.


Read More
Open_BA-Rig-Billingsley.jpg
Badass Rigs & Trailers

Farrier Rig Stands the Test of Time

Everything is within reach in the 20-year-old set up designed by a Phoenix-based shoer

If you take pride in your trailer, you tell the world you take pride in your work. That’s a lesson Eric Billingsley has learned over his nearly 30-year shoeing career.


Read More
AFT MAIN
News and Notes

Competing During COVID-19

American Farriers Team focuses on practice and education during unprecedented year
For more than 3 decades, the American Farrier’s Association (AFA) has been sending a group of the country’s top farriers to horseshoeing competitions across the continent and beyond. This year has been an unprecedented break from tradition, as COVID-19 concerns curtailed many public events including farrier clinics and contests.
Read More

You are the Future of Hoof-Care

The life of a farrier is not for everyone, and the knowledgeable hoof-care practitioners who appear on the pages of this 12th edition of the American Farriers Journal’s “Getting Stared in Hoof Care” don’t sugarcoat the challenges that someone who chooses this profession is likely to face.
Read More
037_Centaur-Farley_AFJ_0420-1.jpg

Hall of Fame Farrier Dave Farley Shares 12 Points of Reference to Use When Trimming

Using a multidimensional approach can increase the likelihood of achieving a balanced foot
Hall of Fame farrier Dave Farley was working for the large animal hospital at Ohio State University when he first realized the profound impact that point of view can have on evaluating the equine limb. “One of the tools we had was a fluoroscope,” he says, noting that it had a fluorescent screen and was used for viewing X-ray images without taking or developing X-ray photographs.
Read More

6 Steps to Cure a Microbial Infection

Treating thrush, white line and other infections require an approach that is effective without causing harm to a horse’s foot
Many farriers have a tried-and-tested method of working with microbial issues on a horse’s feet. But from time to time, a case might come along that is particularly stubborn — when nothing seems to work or it just keeps recurring, despite a hoof-care professional’s best efforts.
Read More
Picture2.jpg

Abscesses Lead List of Common Hoof Infections

Dr. Raul Bras discusses foot infections at Midwest Equine Podiatry Conference
Foot infections are a common source of lameness in the horse. Understanding the causes of these infections and identifying their clinical signs are key to getting a horse back on the path toward health. Raul Bras, certified journeyman farrier and a veterinarian at Rood & Riddle in Lexington, Ky. discussed some of the different foot infections a hoof-care professional is likely to encounter, the importance of early identification and types of veterinary interventions that may be necessary at the Midwest Equine Podiatry Conference in Arlington, Wis.
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