Each year at the International Hoof-Care Summit, we ask farriers and vets to share some of their most valuable take-home learning experiences. Here are a few of the many “Wow Factors” attendees shared with us this year:

• “Dorsal hoof angle is not as important as the heel and solar hoof angle.”
• “The session on the impact of a split shoe was an eye opener for me.”
• “I love how so many different hoof-care communities come together to talk, network and learn from one another at the Summit.”
• “Learned a great deal from other young farriers at the apprentice Roundtable.”
• “As a farrier supplier, the hands-educational partner clinics give me many valuable ideas to share with  farriers in my area.”
• “The Hoof-Care Roundtables are a great way for farriers and vets to discuss one specific topic.”

U.S. Tariffs Making It Tough for Canadian Farriers

With President Trump slapping costly tariffs last year on products moving between the U.S. and Canada, the move has had a serious impact on Canadian farriers and hoof-care suppliers.

During the Summit, Glencoe, Ontario, farrier Doug Clark told me how he lost the shoeing work in a 50-head Thoroughbred barn when they moved their sales prospects to Kentucky and Pennsylvania several months ahead of schedule last summer due to the uncertainty of U.S. regulations and tariffs. Doug got the shoeing work back when the 50-head client returned to Canada, but there was a significant loss of income.

Doug also indicated the tariffs have had an impact on the shoes he and other Canadian farriers use. Because the highly popular St. Croix shoes are imported from the States, their prices went up due to the tariffs and other restrictions put in place by the Trump administration. As a result, Doug and other farriers switched to Kerckhaert shoes imported from Europe, thus avoiding the costly tariffs.

As one example of how tariffs are impacting Americans, check out this data from North Dakota farm purchases in 2025.

North Dakota State University ag economists determined the tariffs imposed by the Trump administration increased costs to the state’s farmers by $958 million on imported ag chemicals, farm machinery, fertilizer and seed. And North Dakota isn’t even a major ag production state!

When Not to Use Glue-On Shoes

Garrett Ford of EasyCare Protective Hoofware didn’t hold back during a Summit clinic on glue-on shoes: “If you are not willing to keep your acrylics at the proper winter and summer temperatures, forget about doing glue-on shoes.” 

He told attendees most failures with glue-on shoes come from not handling acrylics properly.

14 Years Later, Checking in with Irish Farrier Paul Duddy

At the annual dinner that American Farriers Journal hosts for International Horseshoeing Hall of Fame and International Equine Veterinarian Hall of Fame attendees during the Summit, I talked with Paul Duddy of Strabane in Northern Ireland.

Back in 2011, my wife, Pam, and I spent a great “Shoeing for a Living” day with him at the 400-year-old Necarne Castle in Irvinestown. Here is a link to this amazing day we spent with Paul.  

It was great to catch up with Paul 14 years after our extraordinary shoeing and Irish castle visit.

Coming Soon … Utah’s First Horseshoeing School

Jacob Manning of Roosevelt, Utah, the son of International Horseshoeing Hall of Fame member Dennis Manning, is opening a horseshoeing school later this year. Jacob and his son will serve as school instructors, along with occasional visits from father Dennis. The goal is to have 6-8 students in each class.

“Since You Went to the Summit, Don’t Shoe My Horses for 10 Days”

This is a comment I’ve jokingly made to many IHCS attendees over the years if I were one of their horse-owning clients.

I’d want them to try what they learned at the Summit on someone else’s horses when they first got back home rather than experimenting on my horses.

Most Vet Schools Need On-Staff Farriers

Pat Reily, now an assistant professor at the new Shreiber School of Veterinary Medicine at Rowan University in New Jersey, says there are around 40 veterinary schools in the U.S. Yet only seven employ a full-time farrier. 

Sadly, students who want to enter large animal practices get little education about footcare, with some schools offering as few as 3 hours of hoof-care learning.

This is why the American Farrier’s Association, in conjunction with the American Association of Equine Practitioners, hosts vet student weekend-hoof-care clinics across the country each year.

Regenerative is the “Magic” Word These Days, But Be Careful

Dr. Holly Helbig of Zoetis told farriers attending one of 20 Hoof-Care Classrooms that many of today’s equine regenerative products are not federally licensed. She warned farriers to be careful in using or recommending many of these products due to liability concerns since there are no federal rules regulating many of these products.

Three International Hoof-Care Summit non-interrupted Trade Show sessions allowed attendees to evaluate the latest footcare products and innovations while talking one-on-one with 108 suppliers.

2 Million Miles Flown With Delta Airlines

During our annual International Horseshoeing and Equine Vet Hall of Fame dinner, Tom Curl of Vero Beach, Fla., told me that a couple of years ago staffers from Delta Airlines met him at a boarding gate in Atlanta. Unknown to Tom, it was the day he flew his two millionth mile with Delta. Even in semi-retirement, Curl continues to fly around the country tackling quarter crack concerns. Can any other farrier or equine vet beat Tom’s mark of 2 million miles flown on one airline?

Educating 31 British Apprentices 

Newmarket, England farrier Simon Curtis told me he has worked with 31 apprentices over his horseshoeing career. Under British regulations, a farrier must complete a 4-year Level 3 Advanced Apprenticeship in Farriery with an approved training farrier before becoming fully qualified as a licensed British farrier. 

Unlike farriers in the U.S. and most other areas around the world, you can’t handle footcare work in England and Scotland unless you are licensed. While Curtis often trained several apprentices at the same time, his dedication to farrier education adds up to an amazing 124 years of on-the-job training.

Looking Back to the First International Hoof-Care Summit 23 Years Ago

I remember a conversation at the first Summit in 2003 between now deceased Virginia farrier Eddie Watson and a Midwestern farrier. That year, there was an unorthodox spiral shoeing product displayed in one of the Trade Show exhibits. I heard the farrier ask Eddie what he thought of that wild and crazy product.

Eddie replied, “I don’t know whether it’s a good or bad idea, but I bought one to try on a horse next week.” 

While Eddie was a veteran farrier who had shod horses for years, he was always open-minded about new shoeing ideas.

By the way, I don’t think I ever saw that product displayed at another Summit, so maybe that says something about the value of the product.

5 Nippers Travel 7.700 Miles Across the Atlantic

British farrier Mark Aitkens has been a Summit attendee for many years. After this year’s Summit, the Norwich, England, farrier posted an interesting tale on Facebook. It turns out that Mark and his crew not only shoe horses in Great Britain but also rebuild farrier tools.

An American farrier who attended the British Farriers and Blacksmiths Association “Farrier Focus” conference last fall in Stoneleigh packed his bags with 5 pairs of nippers to be rebuilt. Four months later, Mark delivered the nippers to the American farrier who was attending the Summit. How’s that for a way to avoid shipping costs?

Forty-eight International Hoof-Care Summit speakers delivered the latest footcare and business management ideas to attendees.

Novel Way to Get Younger Farriers to the Summit

Several Summit attendees told me they wished more young farriers would attend the Summit to soak in all the great footcare education. These conversations reminded me of an American Farriers Journal article we did in the 1990s on Ted Shanks who shoes in Hawaii.

Years ago, Ted wanted to go to the American Farrier’s Association convention but didn’t have the dollars to make the trip. Instead of giving up and  staying home, he asked a few of his best clients for help.

Ted told them that if each would contribute some dollars so he could go to that year’s AFA convention, he would guarantee that he would learn enough to dramatically improve the footcare he was providing to their horses. They agreed and financed his trip. As Ted’s hoof-care work got better after attending, it was a good investment for both Shanks and his clients’ horses.

This could be a good idea for young farriers to try to get then a valuable Summit education.

IHCS Heading Back to Covington in 2027

Both attendees and exhibitors seemed extremely pleased with the northern Kentucky location for this year’s Summit. Many attendees personally told me they loved the compact layout, easy accessibility from the nearby hotels and the chance to try out new networking opportunities at restaurants and bars in Covington.

 Here’s a comment from one supplier, Ed Szymanski of Farrier Product Distribution: “Everything went very well. and Summit attendance appeared to be strong this year. I was especially impressed with the Northern Kentucky Convention Center event, especially as a Trade Show exhibitor. The proximity of the nearby hotels and the restaurants made for a great week.”