As summer gives way to fall, the diets of your clients’ horses change with the seasons. Hoof quality often transitions with it. Once winter arrives in cold climates, protecting the foot becomes increasingly challenging. Horses are often turned out in snow and mud where their hooves absorb moisture. Those with poor hoof quality become a playground for opportunistic bacteria. Improving the nutrition of a horse with compromised horn can play a part in preventing problems heading into the winter months.

Attracting clients can be difficult for any service-oriented business. Plying your trade in a relatively small niche market, such as equine hoof care, can make those challenges even greater — especially when you’re launching a new practice or starting over in a new area.

Traction devices can be a slippery slope, not only for the horse, but the farrier too.