Upon completing a horseshoeing course, some students wisely choose to continue their training with an experienced farrier. Occasionally, one of these students will ask, “How much should I expect a farrier to pay me for helping him or her a few times a week?” There are many factors to consider, but we usually advise not […]
With the holidays approaching, we are offering a discount on the Hands-On Teaching Models and Study Aids collection at Doug Butler Enterprises, Inc. The Ringbone model which typically retails for $120 is now available at the reduced price of $99. The Foundered Foot Model which retails at $79 is now available for $59. This promotional […]
Farriers can get annoyed with people that they feel are unjustly criticizing their work. A horse owner may “go on the internet” for a few hours and feel at liberty to offer advice with their newfound knowledge. When a (sometimes well-meaning) non-farrier does this, it makes him or her look ignorant. A customer once said, […]
We all want to be successful. Most people get into the farrier trade for two reasons: love of horses and the independence of owning a business. Doing what you love and getting paid for it on your own terms can be liberating and rewarding. However, too many of us, as small business owners, do not […]
A serious affliction of horses today is laminitis and founder. When a horse has laminitis, the toe or front half of the foot is in pain because the laminae that adheres the hoof wall to the bone has become inflamed. This is a problem because the hoof wall supports the weight of the animal. The […]
As an American farrier that has shod horses from coast to coast and border to border for over five decades, I am amazed at the many different ways people care for their horses. What is considered neglect in some areas, in another is considered responsible care. There is variance in area and in breeds, […]
Often farriers are asked about the rings on the horse’s foot. They have the potential of giving us twelve months of information about a horse’s health. Visible rings indicate there has been some disturbance in the metabolism of the horse affecting the keratinization of the hoof. The indentation or ring is formed sometime before it […]
In the fall, as the temperatures drop, horses will get some relief as external parasites like flies, mosquitoes and ticks begin to die off. We tend to think of parasite control as something we do in the spring because as the temperature rises, we see and hear the flies and mosquitoes. But fall is also […]
There have been many changes in the farrier industry in the past 60 years since I shod my first horse. Some are more important than others. All have increased the income and prestige of the farrier as a professional craftsman and tradesman. Horse population increase. Horse population and popularity as a recreational outlet has increased. […]
Horses have a thick skin insulated by fat and thick winter hair. The horse’s integument (its hooves and skin) has an underlying dermis that contains AVAs (arterio-venous anastomoses). These vascular systems allow the body to shunt or divert blood away from its surface area periodically to keep the animal’s central core warm
Butler Professional Horseshoeing School
495 Table Road
Crawford, NE 69339
(800) 728-3826
jacob@dougbutler.com
If you think you want to become a farrier (or know someone who does), this book can help you make that decision. Horse owners will learn the importance of choosing a qualified farrier and how to select the “right” one.
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