Winston Churchill is credited with the famous quote, “There’s something about the outside of a horse that’s good for the inside of a man.” In recent years, the medical and psychology fields have been proving that statement to be true. Although it is not new, equine therapy has gained a lot of attention and popularity […]
When it comes to diseases of the horse’s foot, keratoma is not as scary as it sounds. Literally, keratoma means a tumor (-oma) in the hoof wall (keratin). Tumor can sound intimidating, but most of the time these growths are benign and don’t cause pain. In instances where the horse is sound and does not […]
Farriers and veterinarians alike have (or should have) the horse’s welfare in mind. We do our best to make horses comfortable and would never purposefully harm a horse. We want the horse to be safe. We want the horse to be healthy. We do not want the horse to hurt! It would be nice if […]
I hope everyone has the privilege of being taught by a great teacher. If you haven’t, you have missed one of life’s great experiences. Much of what I know and was motivated to learn came from my association with great teachers. What makes a great teacher? How can we identify them? How can we please […]
Hock spavin can be a real disappointment in many breeds and types of horses. We have received many donations at our school of horses with careers cut short by this disease. Bone spavin or jack spavin is an arthritis that usually involves deposits of bone growth or an exostosis in the medial bones of the […]
Distance riding competitions have become popular in the United States and all over the world in recent years. Distance riding competitions consist of both endurance and competitive trail riding. These competitions showcase a horse’s ability to cover large distances without becoming too fatigued. Speed, horsemanship and the condition of the horse are all factors that […]
Reining horses have recently been in the national spotlight due to the documentary competition television show, The Last Cowboy on the Paramount Network. The Last Cowboy boasted over 800,000 viewers in the first few episodes. “The show followed the lives of riders competing in the high-stakes sport of horse reining. The contenders were determined to […]
Horses’ hooves grow down from the coronary band to the ground at a rate of 1/4 to 3/8 inch per month (Butler 1976). At this rate, it takes approximately 8 months to a year for the horse to grow an entirely new hoof. When a horse injures itself near the coronary band, the evidence of […]
These last few weeks, I have been working in the tractor in the field to make hay. Cutting fields and baling hay can be fun…when everything works properly. However, there is a lot of time devoted to dealing with “breakdowns.” A part on the baler fails, a cutter bar wears out on the swather, a […]
Shoeing horses is not just about taking care of horses. We need to take care of the owners too. Sometimes we forget that the customer is the owner and not the horse! On occasion, someone will call and say, “I want to change my career. I think I’d like to get into the farrier business […]
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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