Posts tagged “horseshoes”
Problem/Solution
It’s a constant struggle. The other night I gave a 2-year-old mustang born in a BLM holding facility his first real trim. I say “real” because he surely must’ve been trimmed at least once or twice in the holding facility, but almost certainly either in a squeeze chute, tranquilized, or both. As you can see, […]
Because Breaking Up is (Apparently) Hard to Do
This youngster looks really upset, doesn’t he? But his contentment with me is only part of the hoof-care story, which brings me to the subject of this post: the following email I received from a brand-new client the other day – Steve, I just wanted to take a minute and thank you for the work […]
Just for Fun…
A few weeks ago, I was lamenting to a friend about the decided lack of representations of the shoeless horse in the horse world. I mean, every piece of jewelry, sign, and T-shirt uses the horseshoe as a symbol of the horse. But for those of us who don’t believe horseshoes are in the best […]
How Do You Know?
Hello Steve, Hope you can help me out. I own a thoroughbred racehorse, and want to know that he is being properly shod. I read parts 1,2 and 3 of Hoof Angles, but I’m still not sure how I should proceed to make sure my horse is properly shod. Do I need to measure before […]
An Interview with The Vet
While in Tennessee recently, I had the opportunity to spend a few minutes with Dr. Neal Valk, a board-certified veterinary surgeon, friend, and fellow clinician in Liberated Horsemaship’s hoof trimming training program. I’ve known Neal for six years now, and continue to respect and appreciate his contributions to my knowledge base when it comes to […]
Anna’s Journey
A year ago last summer, I received this email entitled “Help!” from a woman named Christine – I have a beautiful draft cross mare named Anna that just turned five. She got her first pair of shoes, but the farrier put on too-small shoes, set her too upright (she has a very draft foot), and […]
Violation!
New clients, particularly those with horses going barefoot for the first time since their youth, often ask, “When can I ride my horse again?” as I’m finishing up the first trim. That question used to puzzle me quite a bit, because nothing we do ought to affect a horse’s comfort in any way but positive. […]
The “Expert Syndrome”
One of the constant frustrations I encounter is nicely illustrated by the preceding clip from the 2004 – 2008 television show Wildfire. No, I’m not talking about chipped hooves and the common perception that they’re a problem; I hope I’ve adequately addressed that issue in earlier posts. What I’m talking about instead could perhaps be […]
Toy Story
I want to share the story of a horse named Toy who recently reappeared in my life. I consider my experiences with Toy to be pivotal in my development as a hoof care provider because they were particularly eye-opening with respect to the knowledge of veterinarians and farriers. And I also hope his story may […]
Hoof Angles – Part 5
Sorry for a bit more of a delay in getting this posted than I’d intended, but between managing clients, the end of the school Quarter, and attending the Berkshire International Film Festival with Annie last weekend, time has been tight. But hopefully you’ll find it was worth the wait! I’ve discussed some of the effects […]