Finding the Right Ferrier for Your New Horse

You have just bought your first horse, now you must take care of it. Of course, that includes hooves also. You can actually do the cleaning yourself and maybe even the filing; but unless you have had training and know what you are doing, the shoeing should be left to a farrier. Here are a few tips for finding the right farrier for your horse.

The first thing to consider is what breed of horse you have. For example, Walking Horses need different types of shoes than say a working Quarter Horse.

Are you going to be showing the horse (especially barrel racing or other speed events)? If you are you will need to find a farrier who knows what type of shoes your horse will need for those events.

Will you be taking the horse on a lot of trail rides where there are rocks and hard surfaces? If so, you will want a farrier who knows how to take care of a horse's hooves if they are going to be used for rides such as these. Since horses can get rocks in their hooves which can cause them to become lame, a farrier needs to be knowledgeable of applying shoes which will keep rocks and other sharp items from getting into the soft part of their hooves.

An excellent farrier will know every part of a horse's hoof from front to back and upside down. They should be able to almost put a shoe on a horse blind folded. A good ferrier will carry every size and type of shoe made. He/she should be able, however, to get a shoe to the exact fit for the horse's hoof.

Ferriers usually do not come cheap. This is because shoeing a horse is a hard and tedious job. If the horse does not like to be shod or has a high strung temper, then it makes the job that much harder. In the event that the horse is a threat to itself or the people around it, the ferrier may even have to give the horse a sedative/tranquilizer. If they do have to take this step, make sure they have done it before and know what and how much to give.

If you do have a Walking Horse these horses need special shoes because of the kind of stepping they do in a show. A ferrier should be able to do this with no problem, or you need to find one who does. One slight mistake with a show horse could ruin the entire show for horse and rider.

Always ask, ask, ask. Ask them how long they have been in business, what breeds of horses they shoe, do they shoe many show horses, do they come out to do just maintenance work on their hooves (filing, cleaning et cetera), what do they charge for just a maintenance job and for a complete shoeing job?

And last but not least a really good ferrier will be able to spot the signs and symptoms of any type of problem or disease of the hooves of a horse. They should also be able to tell you how to treat it or if you should call a veterinarian for treatment.

In conclusion, a ferrier, like any other person who does a specific job, should know his/her job frontward and backwards. And they should be able to answer all of your questions, how to handle a high strung horse, and how to tell if there is something wrong with your horse's hooves.

Source:

Having horses for 20 years