About a week before the race, JT Bayes nailed Kerckhaert Tradition series shoes on all four feet, with the hind shoes having 2 mm toe grabs. As it turned out, toe grabs were of special value on the muddy Churchill Downs track on Derby day.
With higher prices being charged these days for most horse care needs, it’s no wonder U.S. horse owners are having difficulty deciding whether or not they can afford to keep horses.
A week ago, Mike Lessiter took his Mother and me to see the newly-released “Reagan” movie … the story of how former President Ronald Reagan had the goal of wiping out communism around the world.
After equestrian Laura Kraut made history as the oldest U.S. Olympic medalist in 72 years, editor Frank Lessiter recalls first meeting Kraut at the 1992 U.S. Olympic trials, Hall of Fame farrier Seamus Brady and the importance of charging clients what you're worth.
For an industry as great as farriery is, there’s a small but loud segment of the trade that encourages reckless rumor mill gossip and the “running down of their fellow farriers and vets.” Our industry is better than that, and frankly, you deserve better than that, too.
It was a busy year at American Farriers Journal, as we highlighted industry updates, sound business advice, valuable hoof-care insights, as well as the global future of the equine industry. As we enter the new year, we wanted to share the most popular content from 2023.
Fewer people entering the farrier industry have experience handling horses. Couple that with the lack of experience that so many horse owners have, and the chances of catastrophic wrecks occurring soar. It doesn’t have to, though.
For the farrier industry, the surge in equine activity was a business blessing to come out of COVID. While other business segments were negatively affected, the farrier industry largely has experienced a positive impact.
There have been significant changes to farriery over the past half-century. Advancements in products and technology have improved the farrier’s ability to work with horses and earn greater income. Among these innovations, freely sharing footcare knowledge ranks at the top.
International Horseshoeing Hall of Famer Steve Kraus explains the impact of American Farriers Journal on the trade. AFJ is celebrating its 50th anniversary in 2025.
Progressive Hoof Care Practitioners hosts a 3-day anatomy, trimming and hoof protection clinic May 24-26, 2025, in Erie, Colo. The clinician is Philip Himanka.
Life Data Labs Inc. is a dedicated product manufacturer committed to producing premium quality animal nutrition and health products through continuous product improvement and new product development. First-class ingredients, fresh products, consistent high quality and scientifically proven effectiveness are the principal features of Life Data Labs animal health products. And that's why they've produced the #1 recommended hoof supplement by farriers for 12 consecutive years.
Kawell develops and produces copper alloy horseshoes and inserts, giving horses the care that they need to fight issues associated with white line disease, seedy toe and thrush.
From the feed room to the tack room, SmartPak offers innovative solutions to help riders take great care of their horses. SmartPak was founded in 1999 with the introduction of the patented SmartPak™ supplement feeding system. The revolutionary, daily dose SmartPaks are custom-made for your horse, individually labeled and sealed for freshness.