Are you ready for your own equine friend? Part 3 - The Farrier

A farrier is a specialist in equine hoof care, including the trimming and balancing of a horse's hoof so as to fit shoes to the horse's foot. A farrier couples a subset of the blacksmith's skills (fabricating, adapting, and adjusting metal shoes) with a subset of veterinary medicine (knowledge of the anatomy and physiology of the lower limb) to address the care of the horse's feet. (illustration from the Photobucket of kittygal01)
A farrier's routine work is primarily hoof trimming and shoeing. In ordinary cases it is important to trim each hoof so that it retains its proper orientation to the ground. If the animal has a heavy work load, works on abrasive footing, needs additional traction, or has pathological changes in the foot, then shoes may be required.

Additional tasks for the farrier include dealing with injured and/or diseased hooves and application of special shoes for racing, training or "cosmetic" purposes. In cases of horses with certain diseases or injuries, special repairative procedures may be needed for the hooves, and then special shoes may need to be constructed and fitted. (From Wikipedia.com)

There are some things the horse owner can look at to determine the overall quality of a shoe job. Let us start with the premise that we are dealing with a sound horse that has no problems. From there we can begin to see what basic good quality work looks like.

For more information, please visit http://www.fairhillforge.com/happyfarrier.html

Well, that's not very nice....

Dear Friends,

I'm going to be taking www.talbotphotoart.com offline for a day or so. I've heard rumors that with the Modzilla Firefox browser, one can right click on photos on my site and save them as their own. It was confirmed yesterday when I saw these photos with my own eyes.

Sorry for any inconvenience, while I add new script to all the pages.

Susan

Are you ready for your own equine friend? Part 2

First and foremost, if you are in love with ponies and horses and you can afford him/her, get your new best friend. I promise that it will be the best thing in your life. Although my story of Aladdin and our relationship, especially related to his care, is somewhat different than many others, to own and care for Aladdin, I believe, is perhaps, more of the "true" picture of what owning your own horse is all about. This article touches upon an individual who does not have a farm and facilities to keep a horse, and pertains to self-care. (shown here, my friend, Janie, who helped me in this huge, life-changing experience)

Because Aladdin is field board in a self-care facility (a beautiful farm located just two miles from my home in the City of Frederickburg), it is my responsibility to care for him every single day. There are no skipping days, no "I'm too tired" or "it's too cold". He, and his herd mates depend upon me to be there, without fail. A typical visit to the farm means:

1. Calling him from whatever pasture he is lazing around in (if he trots or canters from the pasture to me, he gets a treat, and I get a kiss; if he walks like he's 80 years old, he still gets a treat, but I make him give me two or even three kisses!)
2. Grain and supplements all year long (I currently use grain, with 11% protein as well as Biotin and Fluid Flex)
3. I always check to be sure the herd has plenty of water...all animals absolutely MUST have water (winter, spring, summer and fall), and horses drink a LOT.
4. Aladdin gets a treat (and I get a kiss)
5. In the winter, he, as well as his farm mates receive about 1/2 bale of hay comprised of the best timothy grass available! I monitor very carefully how much everyone is munching on...if they're leaving some, I cut back a bit...if they're "cleaning their plates", I add some.
6. Aladdin gets a treat (and I get a kiss)
7. I brush him and admonish him gently for rolling in the mud.
8. Aladdin gets a treat (and I get a kiss)
9. While brushing him, I check him from head to toe for any marks, potential injury or anything else that looks out of the ordinary. And because I do see him every day...I see ALL! This is key, and the most important thing you can do to ensure your horse or pony is healthy, fit and comfortable. It is also wise to check their feet, even if you're not riding, to make sure there are no pebbles or foreign objects stuck in their feet
10. Aladdin gets a treat and stands patiently while he gets a big hug around his neck. As I reluctantly drive away, I call out that that I love him, tell him to be a good boy, promise that I'll see him tomorrow, and I will.

To follow...visits from the vet, the "equine dentist" and the farrier