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American Farriers Journal

AFJ Jan/Feb 2016

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January/February 2016

Volume: 42
Edition: 1

American Farriers Journal is the “hands-on” magazine for professional farriers, equine veterinarians and horse care product and service buyers.

  • Table Of Contents

    Table Of Contents

    The Black, White and Gray of Ethics

    By Jeremy McGovern posted on January 4, 2016 | Posted in Business Practices
    There are situations that are so clearly split between right and wrong that there is no question as to what the ethical decision should be. A classic example is finding a lost wallet containing identification and money. The ethical person returns it to the owner; the unethical person does not.
    Read More

    Letterbox

    January 4, 2016 | Posted in Business Practices, Education
    A Friend To Everyone In early November, I attended the 38th annual clinic at Danny Ward’s shop (“It All Started Because Someone Wanted To Show Off A Shoeing Truck,” Dec. 2015). Like every year, it was well-attended and featured excellent clinicians.
    Read More

    Briefings

    January 4, 2016 | Posted in Lamenesses, Shoeing, Therapeutic Shoeing
    Preparation Is Everything When Casting A Foot Stephensville, Texas, equine veterinarian John Janicek told attendees of the American Association of Equine Professionals (AAEP) annual convention that it is imperative to have all your materials organized and ready when casting a foot or limb. Be aware of water temperature that you will soak the casting material in, as the warmer the water, the quicker the material will set. He’ll typically soak the casting material for about 10 seconds prior to application.
    Read More

    Plenty Of Arguments For And Against Licensing

    As some push for regulation, the courts and the White House eye limits
    By Jeff Cota posted on January 4, 2016 | Posted in Business Practices, Clients

    Although there’s a considerable debate being waged over farrier licensing, it’s not an argument that’s unique to this industry.

    A number of industries, courts, lawmakers and bureaucrats have been busy sorting through the profusion of perspectives and disputes — and dispensing a few of their own along the way. Much of the information gleaned from these cases and research directly apply to farriery.


    Read More
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    What It Took to Make American Pharoah Go

    Customizing a half plate shoe to protect a bruise paid off for the Triple Crown winner
    By Tracy Gantz posted on January 4, 2016 | Posted in Education, Lamenesses, Therapeutic Shoeing
    Wes Champagne did such a good job of shoeing American Pharoah that the colt’s feet rarely made the news. As American Pharoah raced into immortality by becoming the first Thoroughbred Triple Crown winner in 37 years and then adding the Breeders’ Cup Classic win, no one outside of trainer Bob Baffert’s barn probably even thought about his horseshoes.
    Read More
    LEAD_392_SFL_Chad_Lunderville_JM_1015.jpg
    Shoeing for a Living

    Farrier’s Success Comes Through Diversity

    By not focusing on particular disciplines, Arizona farrier Chad Lunderville has been able to grow his footcare practice over the past 20 years
    By Jeremy McGovern posted on January 4, 2016 | Posted in Business Practices, Forging, Shoeing
    During the 10 years of his childhood living on a Wisconsin dairy farm, Chad Lunderville had a clearer path for working with cows than horses. Tired of the brutal winters that hampered the dairy operation, his family moved back to Arizona, where horses gained the younger Lunderville’s attention.
    Read More
    Eddy_Strommen_JC_LP3_8869.jpg
    Q&A

    What are you looking for when you watch a horse walk/trot prior to shoeing? How does the horse’s job factor into your gait analysis?

    January 4, 2016 | Posted in Anatomy, Clients, Education, Shoeing
    A: On routine visits where I have a prior history with the horse, the first thing I ask the client is how has the horse been traveling/going? Has there been anything different? Is there something that should be discussed that would require jogging the horse? If everything is normal, then I do not jog the horse.
    Read More

    Booknotes: A Super Reference For Every Farrier’s Bookshelf

    Scientific Horseshoeing (A reprint of the extremely rare 1906 ninth edition) By Professor William Russell
    By Randy S Luikart posted on January 4, 2016 | Posted in Education
    This 384-page work by Professor Russell has been a source of valid information for farriers for nearly 140 years. Hardly an article or research paper is written today without containing some reference to his work. That in itself speaks to the necessity of every farrier having this book on his or her bookshelf.
    Read More

    Considerations For Successful Management Of Underrun Heels

    Two veterinarians and a farrier survey considerations for addressing this foot condition
    By Jeremy McGovern posted on January 4, 2016 | Posted in Lamenesses, Therapeutic Shoeing, Trimming
    The principle that a veterinarian-farrier team is required to help horses maintain soundness, maximize performance and overcome lamenesses is undeniable. It is a balance of knowledge, skill and an understanding of the other member’s responsibilities, as well as your own. At the early December American Association of Equine Practitioners Annual Convention, the coordination of these efforts was showcased in a podiatry workshop that called on veterinarians and farriers to discuss the management of a variety of equine foot conditions that hoof-care professionals commonly face. Among these subjects were presentations on the veterinary and farriery roles in addressing underrun heels.
    Read More

    Give the Frog Proper Attention

    Illinois farrier spends a lot of time examining and trimming the frog, and for good reason
    By Jeff Cota posted on January 4, 2016 | Posted in Anatomy, Education, Diseases, Lamenesses, Shoeing, Trimming
    What consideration do you give to trimming the frog? “I think we overlook it,” Danville, Ill., farrier Steve Sermersheim told attendees at the D.L. Schwartz Farrier Supply clinic in October. “I used to overlook it. I would just trim the frog and go on.”
    Read More

    Shoptalk: AAPF Awards Inaugural Roy Bloom Scholarships

    By Jeff Cota posted on January 4, 2016 | Posted in Business Practices

    A pair of farriers earned a trip to the 2016 International Hoof-Care Summit after the American Association of Professional Farriers (AAPF) awarded them Roy Bloom Scholarships.

    Ashley Gasky of Ballston Lake, N.Y., and Deanna Stoppler of Fairfax, Vt., were recognized as the inaugural scholarship winners in mid-December after fulfilling several application requirements:


    Read More

    Local Spotlight: Horseshoe Barn Clinic Dissects Anatomy

    Functional anatomy discussion focused on increasing farrier understanding of the inside of the foot for more informed trimming and shoeing decisions
    By Jaime Elftman posted on January 4, 2016 | Posted in Education

    The theme of the 2015 annual fall clinic at the Horseshoe Barn in Sacramento, Calif., focused on looking beyond the surface of the hoof and considering the anatomical structures and systems that affect and are affected by the way farriers trim and shoe horses’ hooves.


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    Research Journal: January/Febreuary 2016

    The information, ideas and opinions expressed are those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of the United States Department of Agriculture.
    By Albert Kane posted on January 4, 2016 | Posted in Disciplines & Breeds, Lamenesses, Therapeutic Shoeing

    Hoof Balance Of Toed-In Horses

    Veterinarians in Belgium examined the dorsopalmar and mediolateral hoof balance of five toed-in warmbloods that weren’t lame at the time of the study. They used a pressure plate to assess the symmetry of vertical ground reaction forces as a measure of hoof balance and limb loading symmetry at a walk. Their hypothesis was that toed-in conformation primarily affects mediolateral balance.


    Read More
  • Featured Articles

    Featured Articles

    The Black, White and Gray of Ethics

    By Jeremy McGovern posted on January 4, 2016 | Posted in Business Practices
    There are situations that are so clearly split between right and wrong that there is no question as to what the ethical decision should be. A classic example is finding a lost wallet containing identification and money. The ethical person returns it to the owner; the unethical person does not.
    Read More
    Lead_Champagne_AFJ_0116.jpg

    What It Took to Make American Pharoah Go

    Customizing a half plate shoe to protect a bruise paid off for the Triple Crown winner
    By Tracy Gantz posted on January 4, 2016 | Posted in Education, Lamenesses, Therapeutic Shoeing
    Wes Champagne did such a good job of shoeing American Pharoah that the colt’s feet rarely made the news. As American Pharoah raced into immortality by becoming the first Thoroughbred Triple Crown winner in 37 years and then adding the Breeders’ Cup Classic win, no one outside of trainer Bob Baffert’s barn probably even thought about his horseshoes.
    Read More
    LEAD_392_SFL_Chad_Lunderville_JM_1015.jpg
    Shoeing for a Living

    Farrier’s Success Comes Through Diversity

    By not focusing on particular disciplines, Arizona farrier Chad Lunderville has been able to grow his footcare practice over the past 20 years
    By Jeremy McGovern posted on January 4, 2016 | Posted in Business Practices, Forging, Shoeing
    During the 10 years of his childhood living on a Wisconsin dairy farm, Chad Lunderville had a clearer path for working with cows than horses. Tired of the brutal winters that hampered the dairy operation, his family moved back to Arizona, where horses gained the younger Lunderville’s attention.
    Read More
  • Digital Edition

    Digital Edition

  • Online Extras

    Online Extras

    Online Extras: January/February 2016 Issue

    January 4, 2016

    Web-exclusive content for this issue includes:

    • A historical look at farrier licensing.
    • Improving your success at shoeing with farrier Wes Champagne.
    • Videos with Chad Lunderville discussing cold shaping horseshoes and thrushy feet.
    • Advice from farriers and equine vets on gait analysis.
    • Insight on club feet, sheared heels and mismatched feet that you can use in your everyday practice.
    • Quick tips on farrier basics.
    • 200 best-of-the-best "Farrier Takeaways."
    • Equine nutrition advice from Darren Owen and Jessica Normand.
    • Online Hoof-Care Classroom: Shoeing The Club-Footed Horse.

    Read More
    Farrier Quick Takes

    [Video] Thrushy Feet in Arizona

    December 31, 2015 | Posted in Diseases
    Rio Rico, Ariz., farrier Chad Lunderville discusses the misconceptions some people have about thrush in the American Southwest, and how he deals with tough cases.
    Read More

    Q&A: Gait Analysis

    Q: What are you looking for when you watch a horse walk/trot prior to shoeing? How does the horse’s job factor into your gait analysis?
    January 4, 2016 | Posted in Anatomy
    What are you looking for when you watch a horse walk/trot prior to shoeing? How does the horse’s job factor into your gait analysis?
    Read More
    23_Blake-Brown-IHCSPartner_PT_0511.jpg

    50 Best Farrier Takeaways of 2012

    A look back at some of the top tips that hoof-care professionals shared in the pages of AFJ during the past year
    January 1, 2013 | Posted in Education
    Farriers need to market their knowledge of horses and horsemanship. A few years ago, we began adding a boxed list of important points to many of the feature stories that appear in American Farriers Journal.
    Read More

    50 Best Farrier Takeaways of 2013

    January 1, 2014 | Posted in Education
    For several years, we’ve been adding a boxed list of important points to many of the feature articles that appear in American Farriers Journal. We call these points, “Farrier Takeaways.
    Read More

    50 Best Of 2014 FARRIER TAKEAWAYS

    Here’s a look back at the top ideas that hoof-care professionals shared in the pages of American Farriers Journal during the past year
    January 1, 2015 | Posted in Education
    Farrier Quick Takes

    [Video] Equine Hoof Nutrition

    December 7, 2015 | Posted in Nutrition
    Suffolk, Va., farrier Darren Owen offers strategies that have worked for him in educating novice horse owners about "feeding the hoof."
    Read More
    Online Hoof-Care Classrooms

    Shoeing the Club-Footed Horse

    February 21, 2013 | Posted in Education, Therapeutic Shoeing
    Bob Smith, the head instructor of the Pacific Coast Horseshoeing School, discusses the grades of club feet and the strategy needed to address each level. This is a lecture from the 2013 International Hoof-Care Summit.
    Read More

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Videos

Farrier Education: Heartland Horseshoeing School

Farrier Education: Heartland Horseshoeing School

Farriery requires knowledge and skills to provide proper equine hoof care. In this series, sponsored by VICTORY, American Farriers Journal visits Heartland Horseshoeing School in Lamar, Mo. In this edition, Chris Gregory discussed his journey to becoming an educator, his focus in teaching farrier students and the state of farrier education.

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Life Data Labs

Life Data Labs Inc

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.
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Kawell USA

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.
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SmartPak

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.
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