Trimming

Hoof-Care Briefings: May 2026

Fri, 29 May 2026 00:00:00 -0400

In this edition:

Arthritis in Horses: Use of Intra-Articular Nanogels
Transient Hindlimb Asymmetry Following Intramuscular Vaccination in Horses
Late-Breaking News & Views
Homeschooled Scholar and Farrier Trainee Originally Turned Down For Pre-Vet Training
How to Treat Puncture Wounds to the Equine Foot

Equine Toe Mechanics

Wed, 29 Apr 2026 00:00:00 -0400

Taking away the toe hurts the horse more than it helps

In Pursuit of Center of Balance in Hoof Care

Wed, 29 Apr 2026 00:00:00 -0400

Understanding the horse’s mechanics is essential to proper horseshoeing

Hoof-Care Briefings: April 2026

Wed, 29 Apr 2026 00:00:00 -0400

In this edition:

Racetrack Surface Testing Makes Strides
Forget Concerns About Hoof Color!
Using Rocker Shoes for Managing Laminitis
Late-Breaking News & Views
Can New Technology Dealing with Hoof Concerns in Cattle Work With Horses?

Jackson Transitions to Barefoot

Wed, 15 Apr 2026 00:00:00 -0400

Increased hoof growth leads to late cycle discomfort & a new direction

Using Radiographs to Evaluate Horse Hoof Conformation

Wed, 15 Apr 2026 00:00:00 -0400

Researcher explores the use & limitations for trimming & shoeing

Should Horses go Barefoot or Shod?

Wed, 15 Apr 2026 00:00:00 -0400

Hoof care is too important for horse health to apply misinformation

Hoof-Care Briefings: March 2026

Mon, 30 Mar 2026 01:00:00 -0400

In this edition:

Horse Ownership Lifetime Costs Range From $300,000 to $924,000
8 Things I Learned from Burney Chapman
Late-Breaking News & Views
Proper Joint Care Can Do Wonders for Soundness

How the Trot & Pseudo-Trot Affect the Equine Hoof

Wed, 11 Mar 2026 00:00:00 -0400

The first take-home here for farriers is to realize that everything that goes “clip-clop” is not a trot.

Farrier Takeaways: March 2026

Mon, 09 Mar 2026 01:00:00 -0400

Read key farrier takeaways from several of the features found in the March 2026 issue of American Farriers Journal.

How Does Your Business Compare? Take the Farrier Business Practices Survey Today

Wed, 04 Mar 2026 15:43:34 -0500

American Farriers Journal needs your help in assessing the state of the farrier industry. Take the confidential Farrier Business Practices Survey today. Responses close March 15, 2026.

Hoof-Care Briefings: February 2026

Mon, 02 Mar 2026 00:00:00 -0500

In this edition:

What a Pre-Purchase Exam Can Reveal Before Clients Purchase a New Horse
Late-Breaking News & Views
How to Collect Money Clients Owe You

Hoof-Care Briefings: January 2026

Tue, 27 Jan 2026 00:00:00 -0500

In this edition:

Genetics May Offer Answers on Whether Horses Need Shoes
The Top 8 Things Keeping Farriers Awake at Night
No Need to Raise Racehorses like “Hothouse Flowers”
Late-Breaking News & Views
Q&A with Harness Racing Farrier Georgia Gaudet

Radiographs Lead to a Simplified Reset

Mon, 26 Jan 2026 00:00:00 -0500

Jackson’s joints no longer tolerate mechanical influence. Meaningful progress often doesn’t come from doing more, but from understanding when less is enough by respecting physiological limits and responding thoughtfully to feedback.

Farrier Takeaways: January/February 2026

Tue, 13 Jan 2026 00:00:00 -0500

Read key farrier takeaways from several of the features found in the January/February 2026 issue of American Farriers Journal.

Hoof-Care Briefings: December 2025

Tue, 30 Dec 2025 00:00:00 -0500

In this edition:

Consider Every Horse You Work With As ‘Claustrophobic
Traveling 10,607 Miles to Shoe in War-Torn Ukraine
Dreaming About the Honor & Nobility of Farrier Work
Late-Breaking News & Views
A ‘Wow’ Factor from the 1^st International Hoof-Care Summit
After 2 Hours, Horses (& Farriers) Lose Their Patience
Looking Back at a ‘Shoeing For Elvis’ Memory

Clearing Up Biomechanical Confusion in Equine Hoof Care

Mon, 29 Dec 2025 00:00:00 -0500

Hall of Fame farrier tackles support, length, traction, resistance, leverage & more

Farrier Takeaways: December 2025

Thu, 11 Dec 2025 00:00:00 -0500

Read key farrier takeaways from several of the features found in the December 2025 issue of American Farriers Journal.

Hoof-Care Briefings: November 2025

Mon, 24 Nov 2025 00:00:00 -0500

In this edition:

Remembering Burney Chapman & His Reinvention of Heart-Bar Shoes
Quality Counts With a Full Book of Horses & 680 Christmas Trees to Sell
Late-Breaking News & Views …
Shoeing Specifically for Different Ground Surfaces

Farrier Takeaways: November 2025

Wed, 05 Nov 2025 23:00:00 -0500

Read key farrier takeaways from several of the features found in the November 2025 issue of American Farriers Journal.

Measuring the Effects of Shoe Placement

Thu, 23 Oct 2025 00:00:00 -0400

Have you found yourself so frustrated with this job that throwing in the towel becomes a serious consideration? The story I’m about to share sparked a 7-plus-year return to academics, two postgraduate degrees, a U.S. patent for a novel horseshoe and a research study examining breakover.

Farrier Takeaways: September/October 2025

Wed, 03 Sep 2025 00:00:00 -0400

Read key farrier takeaways from several of the features found in the September/October 2025 issue of American Farriers Journal.

American Farriers Team Trials Registration is Open

Wed, 20 Aug 2025 00:00:00 -0400

Registration is now open for the American Farriers Team Trials.

A Year in the Life of a Horse

Tue, 19 Aug 2025 00:00:00 -0400

What does it truly take to support the health, soundness and performance of a horse over a full year? What happens to a hoof — and the horse it supports — across the changing seasons? This installment of the 1 Horse, 1 Farrier, 1 Year project was made possible by Triple Crown Nutrition.

“Misguided Practices” are Damaging Horses’ Coffin Bones

Tue, 19 Aug 2025 00:00:00 -0400

I wrote an article in the late 1980s on the development of the third phalanx (P3) from a neonate to an adult of 3 years of age. That article went into the stages of morphological development from the dorsal surface to the cup on the bottom and the palmar processes (wing tips). That developmental process is dependent on the animal having a somewhat normal weight-bearing posture. Excessive, abnormal, or focused compression features should not exceed osmotic cellular pressures, ensuring that the growth period occurs in a timely and correct manner. This excessive compression process is similar to a tourniquet, bed sores or other pressure necrosis.

AFJ Presents Groundbreaking Hoof-Care Journey with Hall of Fame Farrier & Triple Crown

Thu, 07 Aug 2025 00:00:00 -0400

What does it truly take to support the health, soundness and performance of a horse over a full year? What happens to a hoof — and the horse it supports — across the changing seasons? Behind every graceful stride and quiet moment of trust lies a complex web of daily decisions, expert care and thoughtful management.

Farrier Takeaways: July/August 2025

Wed, 06 Aug 2025 00:00:00 -0400

Read key farrier takeaways from several of the features found in the July/August 2025 issue of American Farriers Journal.

Distinguishing Equine Cervical Spine Problems & Poor Gait Quality

Mon, 28 Jul 2025 00:00:00 -0400

In farrier practice, horses with poor gait quality and atypical lameness are frequently presented to the farrier with the expectation of improving the motion pattern.

Veteran Farriers Offer Advice to Horseshoeing Graduates

Mon, 21 Jul 2025 00:00:00 -0400

American Farriers Journal gathered advice from your peers to share with you in your first year after horseshoeing school

Tips for Shoeing High-Low Feet

Thu, 17 Jul 2025 17:00:00 -0400

To balance the mismatch, we need to reduce resistance in the movement by using the shoe's breakover point. We’ve shod more than 100 horses this way the last 3 years. Our contribution is to look at the whole horse and not just the fronts.