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Currently located in northeast Florida, I have been working with horses all my life, riding and competing with horses. I have always been interested in the art of shoeing the horse. As a trained and B.W.F.A. Certified Journeyman I Farrier I believe in proper horse shoeing. I will travel within a 70 mile radius of Lake City, FL (full days work beyond 70 mile radius is negotiable).
A farrier should be able to tell you why your horse needs shoes (protection and also to keep lateral and medial alignment of the bones in the leg and hoof while maintaining the horses natural angle). He should know why he is doing everything he is doing to each hoof.
In order to accomplish this he must understand not only the anatomy of the horse (from the bones and tendons to the hoof) but also the physiology of the horse (how the individual pieces all work together). Remember, those four hooves and the limbs directly above them are carrying between 800 - 1200 pounds (average) of constantly shifting weight.
If the answer is only to protect the hoof or to make it look good you probably need a different farrier. If the only consideration you have given to choosing a farrier is price you may want to think about what your equine friend is going through.
Using only certified farriers offer the horse owner some assurance their farrier has the knowledge needed to perform the job. Please refer to my B.W.F.A. cert. page for more information on certification and how to check to see if your farrier is certified. |
