How short is too short- and how long is too long? Explore how ground reaction forces, soft footing, and internal strain impact the horse's foot, giving farriers an objective framework to measure ideal toe length. Yogi Sharp will be a speaker at the 2027 International Hoof-Care Summit. To learn more and register for the event, visit IHCS2027.com.

Horses have been a staple in Kirk Smith’s life long before he started shoeing horses in Freeville, N.Y.

He always had horses while growing up in the small farming town of Clark in northeastern South Dakota. He cut his teeth working cattle part-time as a high school student and later during his summer breaks while attending Cornell University in Ithaca, N.Y. Along the way, he broke and trained horses.