c/farriers

My brother's help almost cost me a client yesterday

I want to share a close call I had with family helping out during a shoeing job. My brother offered to hold the horse steady while I worked on the hooves. He got distracted by a text and let the lead rope go slack. The horse shifted suddenly and I almost burned myself with the shoe. The client was watching and looked really worried about the safety lapse. Now I think twice before letting relatives assist unless they are fully focused. How do you handle family wanting to be involved in your work?

Keeping a steady foot when the horse gets antsy

My client's mare always yanks her hoof back when I try to nail. I found that leaning my shoulder against her leg gives her less room to move. What do you do for horses that won't stand still?

Rant: My chiropractor says I have 'farrier's spine'.

My back is shaped like a question mark now.

Why all the sudden interest in hoof x-rays?

Seeing more x-ray requests. Clients read about it on websites. How are you dealing with this?

My change to immediate tool care after every appointment

In my experience, I used to leave my tools until the end of the day to clean them. This seemed faster, but my gear would get rusty and not cut well. About six months back, I started wiping down and sharpening right after finishing with each horse. It takes a little extra time per visit, maybe five to ten minutes, but now my tools are always ready. I find the work goes quicker because the blades are sharp, and the horses stand quieter. I've seen this practice catch on with some other shoers around here too. Your mileage may vary, but for me, it's a small step that pays off big. Keeping up with this habit has my jobs flowing better and leaves the owners pleased.

At a kid's birthday party, I got asked to fix a loose shoe on a pony ride horse