To become truly great, one has to stand with people, not above them – Montesquieu In the past, I frequently attended riding instruction clinics of a very sought after Olympic medal winning rider and trainer who opened every session with the following statement (paraphrasing), “I have been doing this my whole life, 50 plus [...]

I've often wondered about the significance and the origins of what I might label the arbitrary four-week shoeing cycle, and its strict adherence by some owners, trainers and stable managers. I recognize scheduling is simplified when the shoeing occurs the same day every month. However, having now done this job for some time, I have [...]

Curtis Burns is passionate about horses. Like many in the horse industry, he credits the horse for everything that he has. A lifelong horseman, he grew up in the Minnesota, noting his then small stature had him poised to be an exercise rider or jockey prospect. However, at around age 14 a chance opportunity led [...]

Sporadically, I have had trainers, owners and random onlookers approach me while I'm working on a horse with a remark that the horse's feet (specifically the front) 'sort of look different.' This normally only occurs when I find myself working on horses with extreme examples of mismatched feet, where one foot presents a longer-looking toe [...]

“It's all about soul…Yes, it is.” The title and line from Billy Joel's 1993 hit refers to unmeasured essence of our being, and the same may be said also about another kind of sole, the hoof's sole, which is an often-overlooked, under-studied insensitive structure of the hoof that fails to get much attention until there [...]

In Fair Hill, Md., the recent site of a large international equestrian event, several farriers gathered, not necessarily an unusual occurrence where events that involve horses are concerned. However, this day lacked the usual sights and sounds that horse people have become accustomed to when considering farriers: no ringing anvils, no screeching grinders or sounds [...]

Farrier Tales continues to pull back the curtain on all things horse, horseshoeing, farrier, and related science, attempting to provide useful information and insight for horse professionals and enthusiasts.  Have you ever wondered why your farrier often seems so grumpy? The headline, a quote from the classic movie Cool Hand Luke, basically sums it up. [...]

Periodically I find myself on the other end of a call with a client seeking a nonexistent 'tool' in my bag of tricks. It can be awkward to expose one's own ignorance on a topic, not to mention uncomfortable. In these instances, I suspect most farriers don't make it a habit of turning away 'good' [...]

Full disclosure, for anyone who knows me or has spotted my videos (Farrier Tales), I am not a 'plater,' but I am guessing that would be a foregone conclusion given the rotund nature of the horses featured. In fairness to them, they do go fast, but tend to have a few obstacles in the way. [...]