Matt Whiteford Farrier

31/08/2024

27/08/2024

🐴 Important message as from the 1st August 2024 ,
20% VAT is added to all MDW farriery services,
many thanks for your continued support and and business 🐴

05/08/2024

Hi everyone , I’m currently away till next Monday 👍🏻😀

26/03/2024

23/03/2024

https://www.facebook.com/598113023/posts/10161199366863024/

23/03/2024

Well today has been a first for me , I’m now going to be offering a full fitting and trimming service for the use of The Hoof Boot Shop products for horses and ponies alike in the area , please feel welcome to contact me either on my mobile via calls or messages on 07931705861 or by my page and have a discussion with you 👍🏻
Thanks very much Matt.

23/03/2024

These are the types of boots I’ll be offering 👍🏻
https://www.facebook.com/thehoofbootshop

Shopping service

23/03/2024

Well today has been a first for me , I’ve been on a course to fit Hoof boots ! For bare foot horses , watch this space as I’ll be able to come out and properly trim and assess for hoof boots for a multitude of horses and ponies for various different applications and needs .
I look forward to sharing my knowledge and showing the different options and styles to people for their horses. If you would like more information please give me a ring or send me a message. Thanks very much Matt 👍🏻07931705861

23/03/2024

Knowledge sharing post No.1.

Digital/Phalangeal Alignment in a wet environment.
Pollitt and Hampson did a study at University of Queensland a couple of years ago.
They concluded the hoof wall has a constant moisture content. The sole however is like a sponge, soaking up all available moisture .
When hydrated to capacity, it loses it's tensile strength and the ability to support the hoof capsule as intended.
The back third of the hoof, which is also the shock absorbing section, drops or prolapses as a result. Counter rotation of the coffin bone occurs.
This is now known as negative palmer/planter angle. That is the angle the bottom of P3 makes in relation to the ground.
As a farrier, the best results to help this are to engage the back third in a load sharing package. Traditionally a heartbar shoe or wide bar was used. More recently dental impression material or pour in material is added to load share with frogs and commisures.
Plastic frog support pads are available most recently, as skills to fit a heartbar correctly are highest level. Protecting the internal structure are paramount whilst load sharing.

Horse's hooves are not designed to be constantly wet. Best results are to remove the cause.
A dry bedding of pine sawdust draws moisture and helps kill bacterial invasion of the whiteline and/frog's.
Overloading of the over hydrated hoof is exacerbated by the weight of the horse. To many horse's are overweight for the tensile strength of the hoof capsule.
If your horse gets to the situation where it needs this specific shoeing package, it's your responsibility as an owner to change the management or husbandry process.
Horse's shod with a load sharing package should be in a confined environment where they can't gallop about with the possibility of overreaching causing premature shoe loss. They should not be in a herd environment where other horse's can stand on the shoe's at play causing premature shoe loss.
Your farrier sees your horse at a cyclic time to reshoe, trimming the hoof to keep in balance perimeters.
The management between visits falls squarely on the owner.
Unfortunately to often expectations of correct digital alignment are overshadowed by owner mismanagement. I'm older and get grumpy when "buck passing " ends up in my lap.
At the end of the day as a professional tradesperson, it's me who decides if I continue to be trying my best for your horse's welfare 🙏

03/01/2024

Hey everyone i received a package this morning of a bottle of Whiskey and chocolates from Amazon and I was wondering if someone had been so kind as to send them 👍🏻🙂

01/06/2023

We'd love to introduce you to our newest member of staff Harry!

Harry started a couple of months ago and has hit the ground running. In his first couple of weeks he experienced his first show and has quickly become a valued part of the team. He will be working the shop floor as a customer advisor with his speciality being shotguns - although being the son of a keeper he has a broad knowledge base across the shooting world. He is quite the talented shot and has just qualified for the England Sporting team for the World Championships in July.

Well done Harry!

13/03/2023

Shared from another farrier .

⭐️Hay Soaking and Laminitis. Feel free to share.

⭐️As we approach an increase of Laminitis cases, I will be sharing nutrition tips on this page over the coming weeks about how to keep an anti-inflammatory response within the horse and also to monitor weight gain.

⭐️Firstly, let’s take a look at the horse’s hay. The age colour of the hay is not relative to the sugar and starch content of the hat itself. This can only be determined by having a hay analysis performed. This helps to determine the NSC (non structural carbohydrate) level of the hay which is calculated as a percentage of the hay by adding together the percentage of Water Soluble Carbohydrates and Starch. This should ideally be under 10%.

⭐️Types of hay (meadow, Timothy, ryegrass etc.) along with the time of year it was cut and the temperature of the day it was cut all effect the NSC level.

⭐️Soaking hay for 1/2 hour with hot water and an hour in cold will significantly reduce the NSC level. If you have no access to hot water then 2 hours cold will be fine. Drain out the water for every haynet submerged. Hay soaked for excessive amount of hours will lose vital components such as potassium.

⭐️The horse should be fed 1.5% of their body weight in hay per day if they’re showing signs of obesity or have a history of laminitis.

⭐️A double net or trickle net can help to slow down the rate of consumption.

⭐️More nutrition tips coming soon.


01/12/2022

A customer asked me how much it cost to do this job....

I answered him: £1500

He said: Thats so expensive for this job?

I asked: How much do you think it would cost you?

He answers me: £800 maximum... That's a pretty simple job right? !"

- For £800 I invite you to do it yourself.

- But.... I don't know how to.

- For £800 I'll teach you how to drive a digger So besides saving you £700, you'll get the knowledge for the next time you want to drive one.

- It seemed right to him and he agreed.

- But to get started: you need tools: cat scan / insulated spades / stihl saw etc.

- But I don't have all these equipment and I can't buy all of these for one job.

- Well then for another £300 more I'll rent my stuff to you so you can do it.

- Okay, he says.

- Okay! Tuesday we will start doing this work.

- But I can't on Tuesday I only have time today.

- I'm sorry, but I'm only available Tuesday to teach you and lend you my stuff. Other days are busy with other customers.

- Okay! That means I'm going to have to sacrifice my Tuesday, give up my tasks and take a day off work.

- I forgot. To do your job yourself, you also have to pay for the nonproductive factors.

- That is? What is this?"

- Bureaucratic, tax, vat, security, public liability insurance, fuel etc.

- Oh no!... But to accomplish these tasks, I'm going to spend more money and waste a lot of time!

- How do I get rid of the muck? How do I locate existing services? What if I damage something digging ? Were do I get red diesel ? Which bucket do I use ? How do I put the bucket on ? Do you have a breaker attachment?

- Okay!

- I'll lend you all the attachments you need, and give you my knowledge, Truck loading is done Monday evening or Tuesday morning for the job, you'll have to come to the yard at 6am to help loading the truck. Don't forget to set off with plenty of spare time to avoid traffic jams and be on time.

- At 6am??? Nope! Too early for me! Im used to getting up later.
..

- You know, I've been thinking. You'd be better doing the job. I'd rather pay you the £1500. If I had to do it, it wouldn't be perfect and it would cost me a lot more if I damaged my underground services.

When you pay for a job, you pay not only for the material used / disposed of but also:

- Knowledge

- Experience

- Tools

- Services

- Time to go

- punctuality

- Accountability

- Professionalism

- Accuracy

- Guaranteed

- Sacrifices

- Safety and security

- Payment of tax obligations

- Risk

No one can denigrate other people's work by judging prices.

Only by knowing all the elements necessary for the production of a certain work can you estimate the actual cost.

06/10/2022

😍 Look what we have here! 😍

The Pulsar Merger LRF XP50 are amazing bits of kit. They have flown out of the door this year and it's not hard to see why

If you want to see what all the fuss is about pop in and have a look

06/10/2022

23/09/2021

21/01/2021

Covid-19

Grant Litchenburg 61 years old.

Sussex and Berkshire Farrier.

On the 14th January “uncle” Grant passed away from Covid-19 at the age of 62.

Many farriers who frequent Chobham forge will have met Grant over the years. Stopping almost daily to purchase stock in the morning. He was a very well liked and loved man, by farriers as well as by clients.

He was a well man no major underlying health conditions & Still shoeing 5 horses a day.
We was admitted to hospital on the 14th December after having problems breathing in the cold air. He assured his son only a few hours after being admitted that he would be home soon as he was feeling better.
Unfortunately Grant passed away shortly after this call.

Please as farriers we like to think ourselves pretty immune from all ailments & a little invincible. perhaps we are a little complacent about Covid as we are working outdoors, keeping our distance, fit, well and active.

Please let’s work to ensure Grant is the only farrier to pass away from Covid.

His friends and clients are setting up a go fund me page for anyone that would like to leave a donation to the family. I’ll provide a link when it becomes available
His funeral date is yet to be sorted but it will be live streamed.
I will provide a link to this when the family let me know.

Posted with permission from his son Lewis.

Rest in Peace

21/01/2021

This just proves as Farriers we’re not machines and just as venerable to COVID , so may ask clients wear a mask were every possible and keep social distancing ,whilst I’m there to try and protect us all and try our best to protect ourselves and our families ,
Good luck everybody

21/01/2021

This just shows we’re not a machine after all and we must be as careful as we can so please take every possible precaution we can and please can I ask anyone I’m visiting please could you all wear a mask and keep social distancing we’re at all possible thanks very much Matt.

Covid-19

Grant Litchenburg 61 years old.

Sussex and Berkshire Farrier.

On the 14th January “uncle” Grant passed away from Covid-19 at the age of 62.

Many farriers who frequent Chobham forge will have met Grant over the years. Stopping almost daily to purchase stock in the morning. He was a very well liked and loved man, by farriers as well as by clients.

He was a well man no major underlying health conditions & Still shoeing 5 horses a day.
We was admitted to hospital on the 14th December after having problems breathing in the cold air. He assured his son only a few hours after being admitted that he would be home soon as he was feeling better.
Unfortunately Grant passed away shortly after this call.

Please as farriers we like to think ourselves pretty immune from all ailments & a little invincible. perhaps we are a little complacent about Covid as we are working outdoors, keeping our distance, fit, well and active.

Please let’s work to ensure Grant is the only farrier to pass away from Covid.

His friends and clients are setting up a go fund me page for anyone that would like to leave a donation to the family. I’ll provide a link when it becomes available
His funeral date is yet to be sorted but it will be live streamed.
I will provide a link to this when the family let me know.

Posted with permission from his son Lewis.

Rest in Peace