Horse Health Needs
Virtually anyone who has ever spent any time around horses has heard the saying “No hoof, no horse.” While it might sound like a cute and clever statement, there is more truth in it than one could possibly imagine. Essentially, if a horse’s hooves are not in optimum condition, then the horse is practically considered worthless- at least temporarily. Having a healthy horse is key. This is why choosing a competent farrier is probably the most important thing that a horseman will ever do for their animal. While choosing a good veterinarian is also important, a farrier will see your horse every 6-8 weeks if you are a responsible horse owner. That means you’ll be seeing a lot of your farrier, and each time your horse is shod there is the opportunity for problems to be corrected and created. For this reason, choosing a blacksmith should be done with great care and some education on the part of the horse owner.
In many business arenas, word of mouth is the best form of advertising and a reliable way to choose someone to conduct professional relationships with. However, the same cannot be applied realistically to word of mouth recommendations concerning farriers- especially when they come from horse owners. This is because each horse owner has different types of horses that have greatly varying shoeing needs depending upon their uses and disciplines. For instance, getting a reference for a competent farrier from someone who vigorously takes part in eventing may not be a wise idea if your horses will be used for leisure riding or draft work. Farriers do tend to be specialized, and one who is learned in one area may not necessarily be experienced in another. However, some word of mouth recommendations are valuable- especially those of your veterinarian. Typically vets in a given area will know and have worked with most farriers who practice in the region. They’ll know whether they do good work or not, because often the vet will be the one to correct problems that a farrier causes or neglects. Word of mouth recommendations from stable managers, trainers, and breeders are also valuable, as they have likely worked with multiple farriers for many different kinds of horses.
If you do use word of mouth recommendations, there are a number of questions that you should be asking in order to determine the worth of those recommendations. The following is a short list:
*Does the farrier show up on time?
*Does he return phone calls promptly?
*Does he answer questions and help you understand a horse’s shoeing needs?
*Will he make emergency visits?
*Does he cancel appointments?
*Does the farrier come properly equipped?
*Does he develop long-term management plans to properly care for a horse?
*Does he get along well with owners, veterinarians, and horses?
*Has horses the farrier worked on ever been lame immediately after being shod?
*How long does it take him to complete work?
Another important resource for horse health in this arena is advertisements. While one should never use advertisements alone to choose a competent farrier, they are a good place to start. Using the information you find on advertisements, you will still want to ask fellow horse owners, trainers, vets, instructors, and any other horse-industry types if they have worked with the farriers you find in advertisements. You can find advertisements on the web, in the phone book, and at vet clinics, tack shops, feed stores, and professional stables.
Farriers who have formal education are not necessarily better than self-taught types, but farriers who have certifications have demonstrated skills under prescribed circumstances. This typically includes written and practical exams. One of the most useful resources in this sense is the American Farriers Association. They offer three levels of testing; two of which result in certifications. The highest level of certification available in the United States is Certified Journeyman Farrier. Farriers with certifications after their name often stay current with the latest shoeing technologies and ongoing education. However, when a farrier tells you that they are certified, it is not enough to let it rest at that. Some schools offer certification after only 6 weeks of training. Others take a year or more. Ask questions- if the farrier you are considering refuses to answer or becomes insulted, he probably is trying to mask his level of experience.
Finally, it should be noted that a farrier is essentially someone who is under your employ, and therefore they should be willing to have open and candid conversations with you concerning their experience. You should be able to interview a farrier as one would a potential candidate for any job. Provide your farrier with all the information they will need to perform work safely and effectively on your horse. Part of this interview process may involve having the blacksmith come out to your barn to meet your horse. He should want to see the horse moving and at rest, and he should ask lots of questions about your animal. These questions will concern how your horse moves, what its primary use is for, if it has ever been injured, where it spends most of its time, and how previous farriers work fared on the horse. A competent farrier is not afraid to ask questions and have questions asked of him. He will be professional, prompt, and have good manners around horses. He will not place himself in dangerous situations or perform work on unruly horses.
Proper foot care for horses is essential to horse health. It results in their happiness, usefulness, and longevity. By finding and retaining the right farrier, you will be ensuring that your horse is taken care of from the ground up, which will limit their propensity to injury and keep their performances sharp and spirited. In combination with your good horsemanship, a qualified veterinarian, and a competent farrier, you can provide your horse with decades of physical well-being, and turn the phrase “no hoof, no horse” into “healthy hoof, happy horse!”
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