When are apprentice farriers capable of having a business on their own? There are many variables at play from the experiences they've had to knowledge held to the types of horses and clients they want to work with and so on.

There are times in life when you can tell someone important advice that is for their benefit. Despite sincerity of your message and the level of detail you provide, it goes ignored. For it to settle in, they have to hear/read that information from someone else.

After California Chrome won the Kentucky Derby and Preakness, members of the general media jumped on the idea that the horse's white hooves might be a detriment to his racing career. For many decades, some folks in the equine industry have maintained unpigmented hooves are more prone to cracking, tender footedness and weakness.

I attended this past weekend's Hoofcare Essentials Clinic, presented by the American Association of Professional Farriers/Canadian Association of Professional Farriers. Among the presentations, Michigan farrier Jennifer Horn delivered a talk on how forging competitions have helped her continue her education and what judges look for from contestants' work.

Next week, California Chrome goes for the Triple Crown in the Belmont Stakes. Getting less attention in the press is the work of the horse's farrier, Judd Fisher. That's not unexpected. The joke has always been that a farrier never gets attention unless there is a "problem" with the foot.

The impact of the economic downturn and recovery has been a common discussion in the equine industry in recent years. Within farriery, some footcare practices have been devastated by the recession, while others witnessed little or no effect.

The AFJ editors asked 19 Hall Of Famers to reveal one piece of advice that they would want to share with other farriers. Calling on their many years of experience as hoof-care professionals, this was no easy task as each of these farriers could share valuable ideas that could fill hundreds of pages in a book.