Questions I am frequently asked.
Keep in mind that I'm NOT a veterinarian. The answers are my opinions and are given from years of sweat, study, and from older wise Farriers whom I ask when I'm in doubt.

Why does my horse have thrush and how can I treat thrush?
Thrush is usually present in wet or damp conditions or when standing in manure. I've seen lameness in servere cases of thrush. There are many over the counter medications to treat thrush. I personally mix 50% bleach with 50% water in a spray bottle and will apply to affected area daily until better. When doing this, care must be taken not to allow medicine to touch the bulbs (heels) or the coronary band. If this care is not taken it can cause blisters.

Why is my horse to tenderfoot?
Some horses just have thiner soles than others. Painting the sole with iodine can toughen the soles. Again, care must be taken not allowing the iodine to touch the bulbs or the coronary band.

Why does my horse forge?
Most everyone has had a horse that when you ride you are constantly hearing that clicking noise. Some causes of forging would be: fatigued, feet too long, in foal, aging, are just plain lazy. Some things I can do as a Farrier would be to speed the front end up(rolled toe, rocker toe, square toe, or steeper angle) and or slow the hind end down (lower angles or extended heels).

Should I have my horse shod or leave him barefoot?
The main purpose of shoeing a horse would be to protect the foot when wear exceeds the growth. Another reason would be because the horse is tenderfooted. Every horse is diferent and I would need to see the horse and know the situation to give an answer.

How often should my horse be shoed or trimed?
Most horses need to be shoed or trimed every six to eight weeks. Some need to be as often as four weeks such as founder or navicular cases. Clients who will not keep a regular schedule will be passed on to other Farriers.

Do I need to be there when you shoe my horse?
I work on many horses that no one is there while I work. This is not advisable until I know the client and the horse as anything can happen and usually will when dealing with a horse. Most always I would prefer the owner or handler be there when working on your horse.

Do you gurantee your work?
If you happen to loose a shoe within five weeks I will replace the shoe. If you loose a shoe after five weeks it will probably be better to have the horse reshod to keep balance. There are exceptions such as: extreme mud, bad and week hooves, chronic pawing, and horses that won't stand for me to do my job.

How do you deal with bad horses?
For the most part I just don't do them. For young horses who just doesn't know better I have a lot of patience. However, I do expect the owners to work with their horses as to getting them use to foot care. For extreme cases I suggest the owner to get a veterinarian involved and we can work together on getting the horse trimed or shoed.

Why does my horse have cracks in his hooves?
Cracks are usually caused from being imbalanced. Other causes would be a weak place in the hoof, injury, and climate change(extreme dry then extreme wet). Hoof dressing can be helpful.

What is a good hoof dressing?
There are many hoof dressings that can be purchased over the counter. These are all good but can be expensive. I personally like to mix my own using things such as vegetable oil, fish oil, pine tar, or used moter oil.