What does it mean to ‘Balance the Hoof’? Ask any farrier if he balances the hoof and he will say ‘Yes’. Ask him to describe how he does it and he will generally describe very convoluted ways of … Continue Reading ››
When I was a young jackeroo, the boss made the comment ‘If you want to find a shortcut way to do a job, give it to a lazy man – he will always take the shortcut, and finish the job with a minimum of energy output. The outcome is usually that … Continue Reading ››
I have been shoeing horses for 50 years this year, and in the 1990’s I spent eight years as Head Farrier for Lindsay Park Stud (then one of Australia’s most successful racing stables).
Nowadays I specialise in hoof reconstruction and shoeing for … Continue Reading ››
When balancing the hoof, it is imperative to check for a correct T-square down the back of the pastern.
A T-square is actually a ruler used by a draftsman – it has a long ruler attached to a short, sometimes sliding, perpendicular crosspiece at one end, used for establishing and … Continue Reading ››
To even begin to understand HOW and WHY a crooked hoof regrows crooked, we need to look closely at the conformation of the horse.
NOTE: This article is in reference to the front of the horse only. A future article will deal with the hind leg movement.
Continue Reading ››
My statement that there is no such thing as a naturally cow-hocked horse often raises a few eyebrows, so I feel it is necessary to explain in detail the reasons for that opinion.
When viewed from in front or behind, the cow-hocked horse stands … Continue Reading ››
MY PHILOSOPHY OF THE HOOF-LINE
- The hoof/pastern angle must be parallel.
- The front of the pedal bone must be parallel with the front of the hoof wall.
- The soles must be concave and the bars dressed to be non weight bearing.
- The active tip/sole junction of the … Continue Reading ››
What does it mean to ‘Balance the Hoof’? Ask any farrier if he balances the hoof and he will say ‘Yes’. Ask him to describe how he does it and he will generally describe very convoluted ways of … Continue Reading ››