As in the past, our November issue provides several articles to help our readers improve their business practices. One of these articles shows how the onset of COVID-19 eventually gave way to increased business for most farriers.
In October 2021, we conducted a survey of American Farriers Journal readers asking them how their businesses fared during COVID-19. The results overwhelmingly show that business has grown for farriers.
Expectations are part of life and are inescapable. We have expectations for ourselves, as well as for those we share personal and working relationships.
Demand for equine hoof-care services across the United States are at its highest levels in recent memory, stretching farriers thin. Yet, proposed changes to federal labor law could force multi-farrier practices into tough decisions that could make it increasingly difficult to service clients.
Achievement? Success? Goals? If you are falling short on these in your farrier practice, are you willing to be realistic and accept why you are falling short?
For the 2022 Summit Mail-In Forging Exercise, I wanted to try something we haven’t used in this contest before. It is a practical shoe that uses a jump weld.
Being successful will mean different things to each person and the pictures of success will change as you go through life. Just as life has different stages, every small business will go through different stages of growth.
After the axle broke on his shoeing trailer in February 2021, Sergio Ponce wasn’t in the market to buy a new one. He would simply replace the axle and get back to work.
Starting in July, all Adrenocorti-co-tropic Hormone (ACTH) levels rise in horses to prepare their bodies for winter. What is ACTH? It is produced by the pituitary gland. Hormone levels continue to rise into December. Changes in hormone levels trigger the body to grow the winter coat. ACTH levels are measured in picograms per milliliter (pg/ml). A common upper level for normal horses is 35 pg/ml. Horses with uncontrolled or poorly managed Cushing’s disease, also known as pituitary pars intermedia dysfunction (PPID), can reach 1,000 pg/ml. Levels can be checked with a simple blood test.
Finksburg, Md., farrier Harry Serio resisted upgrading from a flip phone to a smartphone until 2016. While Serio doesn’t consider himself a tech-savvy person, he’s learned his way around the phone, although he says it has more functions than he knows (or cares to know) how to use. Purchased mainly for GPS capabilities, Serio soon discovered several Facebook groups for farriers and joined the conversation.
If you work with a veterinary practice, you may find cases in which the veterinarian wishes for higher hoof angles for the horses. If collaborating, the team may deal with caudal heel pain, navicular syndrome on a low-heeled horse or an injury to the deep digital flexor tendon, so raising the hoof angle can become an absolute necessity.
For the 2022 Summit Mail-In Forging Exercise, I wanted to try something we haven’t used in this contest before. It is a practical shoe that uses a jump weld.
Achievement? Success? Goals? If you are falling short on these in your farrier practice, are you willing to be realistic and accept why you are falling short?
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On Your Toes – Watch Craig Trnka make the gaited toe weight shoe for the International Hoof-Care Summit Mail-In Forging Exercise, sponsored by VICTORY.
Educating Clients – Rosevine, Texas, farrier Ralph Hampton shares how he uses Facebook to engage current and potential clients.
Oleo Acres Farrier and Blacksmith Supply owner Rob Michel walks viewers through the Littleton, Colo., warehouse. Inventory is organized with the customer in mind. If the product is in stock and easy to find, farriers can spend more time under a horse, which Michel says is more money in your pocket.
At Doc Foal's, we manufacture The Black Pads and The Black Pads PLUS (featuring embedded magnets and copper). Our hybrid pads work seamlessly with your choice of conventional horseshoe, combining metal for structure with polyurethane for exceptional comfort and shock absorption.
Designed as a...
We stock a wide range of high-quality products from trusted brands to ensure durability, performance, and reliability in every job you undertake. Our extensive inventory of horseshoe products and farrier tools means you can find everything you need in one place, saving you time and effort. Your satisfaction is our top priority. We are committed to providing excellent customer service, prompt shipping, and hassle-free returns.
Equilox International Inc. specializes in equine horse hoof adhesives. Developed in 1988 after many trials and extensive research at leading universities and equine centers throughout the U.S., the Equilox Adhesive Hoof Repair System was originally used to treat competitive horses. Now, Equilox Adhesive is used by farriers, equine centers, and horse owners — as well as various zoo and wildlife centers — throughout the world.