United States Eventing Association

5 Ways to Make Your Farrier Happy this International Hoof Care Month

A skilled farrier is an essential part of a horse's success in and out of the show ring. No matter if your horse is shod all the way around or happy barefoot, as the old adage goes, a horse is only as healthy as his/her hoof. With February being International Hoof Care Month, we thought it was a great time to reach out to some top grooms and farriers in the industry for some tips and tricks on how you can keep your horse's hooves in tip-top shape, all while making your farrier very happy!

Help Your Horse Be His/Her Most Relaxed Self

One of the most important parts of a successful shoeing or trimming is making sure your horse is comfortable with the process.

"Know how your horse prefers to be distracted when being held for the farrier," said farrier Beck Ratte Randall. Pay attention to how the horse is behaving with your farrier and ask for advice on how you can best help manage a nervous horse. Farriers can only do their best work when they feel safe."

Certified Journeyman farrier Dan Martzall also echoed the same sentiments.

"The more you handle your horse, especially if they are a young horse, the better off they are going to be for the farrier or anything you need them to do," he said.

Martzall suggested introducing young or nervous horses to simple tasks daily to get them comfortable with things they might experience with the farrier, such as grooming them, allowing them to stand in the crossties, picking their feet, and walking patiently on a lead line.

Don't Expect Your Farrier to Fix An Environmental Issue

"If the environment in which your horse lives is part of the issue, you can't expect your farrier to fix that," said USEA Grooms Committee member Emma Ford.

"For example, if the feet struggle from cracking of hoof walls in the summer from hard ground and the stomping of flies, then you may need to reduce turnout time, use fly boots, and apply ample fly spray to help change the cycle of damaging feet."

And dry ground is not the only environmental issue that could be causing your farrier problems. Ground that is too moist can also result in unpleasant issues that are tricky to fix.

Max Corcoran, another member of the USEA Grooms Committee, suggested speaking with your farrier about their preferred products to keep the moisture balance of your horse's hooves correct throughout the year.

Prep Work is Key

One of the most important things you can do to help your horse's shoeing appointment run smoothly is to make sure the environment in which your farrier will be working and your horse's hooves are prepared for their arrival.

"Do not wash your horse's legs right before shoeing," said Randall. "Your horse's hooves expand when wet and contract when dry. Fresh nails in a wet foot will pop when the foot dries, making shoe loss more likely. Also, your farrier never wants to work while soaking wet!"

It's also important not to paint your horse's hooves prior to shoeing for the same reason.

Another part of your preparation for your horse's appointment is making sure the designated area for your farrier to work is clean and tidy.

"Make sure this area is clean, dry, flat, and has water and electric access," continued Randall. "You want this to be an area that isn't stressful for your horse and ideally has a partition behind them if they tend to pull back."

A covered area is very much appreciated, especially in times of inclement weather, and it's always nice to have some air circulation if the area is enclosed so your farrier is comfortable when temperatures are high.

Take a Master Class

If you haven't already, Corcoran suggested having your farrier teach you the proper way to pull a loose shoe in times of need.

"Have your farrier teach you how to pull a shoe and tell you what tools you need to have on hand if your horse springs a shoe," she noted. "This helps make sure that you can pull the shoe easily without damaging the foot too much."

Be sure to keep any pulled or old shoes on hand so your farrier can easily tack them back on or so that you always have spares in the barn.

Keep Your Schedule in Mind

Randall and Martzall also noted the importance of having a strong organizational schedule in your barn when it comes to any of your horse's appointments.

"My days can be pretty busy," Martzall elaborated. "I can do anywhere from 12 to 15, sometimes even 18 horses a day, so I rely heavily on the barn staff or riders to help keep the process running smoothly throughout the day. Often, I have two horses going at a time, one that I am working on now and one waiting in the crossties. When I get done with one, it will go back to its stall, and its spot will be replaced with another. We roll like that through the day, but in the background these horses are getting ridden or going cross-country schooling, so it takes a lot of coordination to make sure the horse is where it needs to be and when ahead of time."

Tailoring each horse's daily schedule to best suit the schedule of your farrier on their appointment day is critical to prevent unnecessary lag time.

"It's best not to schedule lessons or other treatments on the same day or around the same time as your shoeing," Randall shared. "This can cause a delay in your farrier's workday."

If you set your horse's schedule each day, aim to have a work-free day on the day of your horse's farrier appointment or try to have your horse done in the morning to make room for afternoon activity. Work with your barn management team before making any plans on the day the farrier is coming to the barn so that all parties are aware of the schedule.

Randall also noted the importance of keeping your shoeing appointments on a consistent schedule with your showing calendar in mind.

"Plan your shoeing schedule out as you plan your show schedule," she encouraged. "Know if you are generally out every four to five weeks, how will that interfere with your shoeing schedule? Then communicate this schedule to your farrier in advance, not only for scheduling purposes but also so they know if they need to be conservative in their trim or to not make any big changes."

If you haven't lately, be sure to tell your farrier just how much you appreciate them for keeping your horse happy, healthy, and sound. Happy International Hoof Care Month!