Horses are about balance

A horses’ movement and fitness depend on balance.  Quality hoof care in a horse begins with a proper trim, if the horse is to be left barefoot, or shod. No shoeing can correct for a bad trim.

A hoof trimmed in balance will not interfere with the horses natural gait, nor add stress to joints or ligaments. This means that the toe, if left too long will over stress the tendons, if cut too short will leave the horse foot sore, if trimmed low to one side, will overstress the boney alignment by twisting or pushing it up one side or the other.  Under run heels will not allow the horse to carry weight properly. Whether going barefoot or being shod, what matters is the hoof balance.

My number one goal as your Farrier  is to get your horse properly balanced.

Why shoe a horse?  We ask a lot of our horses and whether we’re riding dressage, show jumper, hunter jumper, Eventer, western pleasure, reiner, or driving horse and there may come a time when your horse needs to be shod.

We shoe a horse to:

• Protect the horse's foot from excessive wear and resulting tenderness when its continuous use is necessary.
• Provide traction when necessary for safety and/or speed on slippery surfaces.
• Correct or improve "abnormal" and pathological conditions of the feet and legs.

Remember:  The best placed shoes are only as good as the trim.  Don’t be afraid of shoeing, be afraid of imbalance.