Grant Forge & Farriery

28/02/2023

Hey guys!

Apologies to all those who've been trying to reach me but Telstra decided I didn't need my phone that badly while I was overseas!

I'll endeavour to get back to you all as the texts slowly come rolling in.

Ill write up a nice little synopsis of my time in Gili Trawangan but for now here's a sneak peak at what I've been up to!

14/12/2021

Not the kind of Christmas present you want!

Unfortunately the excessively wet paddocks we all have after the past few weeks torrential rain are highlighting a tonne of underlying problems. Excess moisture reduces the strength of the hoof to resist deformation and in doing so increases the likelihood of old injuries and damaged tissue causing new issues.

This poor guy had an old pedal bone infection that was treated almost a decade ago and had been stable for almost 6 years until now.

In consultation with the owner and vet we decided barshoes would be our best option to reduce abaxial expansion and dental impression packing to provide passive support while allowing for open access to the crack for topical treatment.

The prognosis is incredibly positive for this guy but that's due in no small part to the diligent owner who had a heap of older radiographs on hand that gave me a decent insight into the underlying pathology, enabling an informed decision and subsequent course of action. I cannot stress the importance of prophylactic xrays, you never know when they might save the day!

15/11/2021

Barefoot is best!

Today's lameness consultation. A chronically laminitic pony with resultant hoof morphology.

I generally find smaller horses respond better to being managed barefoot and on a drastically reduced cycle length through a laminitic episode. While a massive improvement was made in a single trim, it is vital that the horse receives regular and adequate hoof care above and beyond what would normally be necessary.
That said, while laminitis affects the foot the problem usually starts with metabolic dysfunction and as such treating the hooves in isolation of appropriate dietary and environmental analysis will yield limited to poor results.

08/11/2021

2021 Golden Horseshoe awards!

There's a lot of reasons I do what I do. The science, the pursuit of learning, the physical challenge, the animals, and the fact I'm an uneducated and overthinking idiot.

You know why I KEEP doing it? These pictures. Every smile here is the result of years of struggles, laughing, joking, existential crises, crying, and bonding. I've seen some of you grow from children into adults, some grow from amateur horse owners to professionals and some hone their wit to the stage where they're almost ready to take me on (looking at you Kandy)! I've seen your career changes, marriage breakdowns and the rest. We've spoken through each and every trial; not because I felt obligated or because you were paying me to be there, but instead because I care.

You've been there for my screw ups, the times I've made big or little mistakes, the learning experiences, the successes, and the growth not only a professional farrier but also as a person.

I don't know many blokes who can honestly say they'd wake up and go to work tomorrow if money was not a primary motivator, I'm lucky enough to say just that.

Thanks!

26/10/2021

20/10/2021

Working with the team at Old Mill Vet Equine Service is always a pleasure.

Unfortunately this little guy found himself the recipient of a stray nail that punctured his DDF tendon through the back of his foot. Dr Slade Walker asked for a hospital plate to be fitted to help treat the wound site more effectively.

Typically I'd apply this shoe in a straight bar configuration however due to the position of the injury this would have obscured access and instead we went with a nice little handmade shoe with dental impression material.

18/10/2021

Farriery and Foals!

A substantial focus of my business is consultancy work with boutique thoroughbred studs to assess and correct angular limb deformities (ALDs) in foals. The potential sales prices of these foals can be in the hundreds of thousands to millions and bent or rotated legs can have a massive detrimental impact on not only the bottom line but the future welfare of the individual animal.

Foal corrections are a controversial topic with as many treatment options as there are farriers. I remain a great proponent of remedial trimming as the predominant method of corrections, although I still regularly employ glue on extensions and casts as well as referrals for veterinary evaluation and surgery.

Trimming means that I can fine-tune the adjustments necessary and prevents the over-correction and shoe loss sometimes associated with glue on extensions. Minor adjustments can be made and monitored more effectively due to the reduced operating costs to the client; meaning it's far more financially viable for me to attend the foals at regular and reduced intervals. I feel this plays a massive part in the success I've had with this particular approach however it's important to note others have equal success with alternative methods which may be accounted for with different circumstances and environments.

This picturesque image is from one such consultation with the beautiful Marshall Thoroughbreds at Staghurst

15/10/2021

I wonder if I can stare this leg straight?