Arrowhead Professional Horseshoeing LLC

07/02/2024

07/01/2024

03/24/2024

Here's a friendly reminder that there is really no such thing as a vegan. 😎

01/20/2024

FUN FACT FRIDAY! Are you familiar with the many adaptations that help your horse stay warm during the cold winter months?

🌾 Hindgut digestion of hay produces the most heat, acting as a small furnace inside of the horse. This is why free choice, good quality hay is so important in the winter.

💪 Horses have a huge muscle mass and muscle activity produces heat. This includes running and playing and even shivering if their body temperature starts to drop. It is important to remember that these activities also will result in a bigger caloric demand so free choice hay and in some cases, grain, is often needed.

🧥 To blanket or not to blanket is a constant debate but either way, as it starts to get cold your horse will grow a thicker coat. If you decide to leave your horse unblanketed you may notice that they look “fluffy”. This is due to a phenomenon called piloerection where the hair stands up to better trap air within. Two layers of the coat also help with warmth. The inner layer is softer and has air pockets to create an insulating layer. The outer layer is coarse and has oils that keep moisture from penetrating the insulating layer and keep the horse warm.

⚖️ Wild horses go into the winter heavier than ideal and the fat serves as an extra layer of insulation. However, if a horse is going to be kept heavily blanketed and in a barn during the cold weather months this is unnecessary and can lead to obesity related issues.

🦵Their distal limbs (below the knees and hocks) are made of mostly bones and tendons, tissues that are resistant to the cold temperatures.

🦶The hooves have an alternative route of blood circulation through larger vessels that can be used in low temperatures. This is why horses can stand in snow without detrimental effects.

👃A horse’s nose has a robust blood supply and is rounded so that it is less susceptible to frostbite than a human’s nose.
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Courtesy of the AAEP Horse Owner Education Committee

12/05/2023

Four Quarter Horses in Texas, located in Waller, Montgomery, Denton and El Paso counties, were confirmed positive for EIA and euthanized.

09/18/2023

Summer and fall are prime time for arbovirus infection as these diseases (which include Eastern Equine Encephalitis [EEE], West Nile Virus [WNV], Western Equine Encephalitis [WEE] and Venezuelan Equine Encephalitis [VEE]) are transmitted by many different species of mosquitoes and biting insects.

With more states reporting cases of West Nile Virus (70 cases were reported in August alone), here is your reminder that keeping all horses up to date on vaccinations with the guidance of your veterinarian is the best protection you can offer your equine friends.

Read more and download the arbovirus factsheet on the Equine Disease Communication Center's website at https://tinyurl.com/ukaa3zwv

09/15/2023

Good to know

07/14/2023

Its HOT!

COOL SCIENCE (pun intended)!

An old myth wants us to believe that horses should be walked until they cool completely after exercise, even in the summer. However, a study from 2020 looked at five different ways to cool a horse after exercise: walking, walking with fans, walking with intermittent cold water application, walking with intermittent cold water application and scraping, and stationary with continuous tap water application. As it turns out, the method that resulted in the quickest return to normal body temperature was stationary with continuous tap water application (2 minutes), while walking alone took the longest time for recovery (25 minutes).

Bottom line: enjoy your rides in the sun this summer but remain vigilant for signs of heat stress in your horse. If they look tired, it’s time for a drink, a cool bath, and a break in the shade.
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Brough to you by the AAEP Horse Owner Education Committee

07/10/2023

https://www.americanfarriers.com/articles/13904

Nominate your farrier or mentor for the 25th annual Farriers Spotlight during Farriers Week, which is from July 10-16. This special week is time to acknowledge the contribution of farriers to the equine industry.

05/19/2023

https://www.americanfarriers.com/articles/13904-tell-your-farrier-or-mentor-you-appreciate-them-for-farriers-week #.ZGc9d8xyjHk.facebook

Nominate your farrier or mentor for the 25th annual Farriers Spotlight during Farriers Week, which is from July 10-16. This special week is time to acknowledge the contribution of farriers to the equine industry.

02/16/2023

February is Veterinary Dental Health Month - here is your reminder about the importance of having a veterinarian check your horse’s teeth at least once a year!

Contrary to what you may think, equine dentistry is not just about “floating” teeth and dental diseases can have an impact on your horse's body that go beyond the mouth alone. Remember: just because your equine friend is not showing any obvious symptoms of dental disease, it does not automatically mean that all is well. Horses simply adapt to their discomfort and most horses with dental problems will show no noticeable signs at all, until the disease is a serious source of pain and infection that can affect the animal’s overall health.

If you don’t already have a plan in place, be sure to contact your veterinarian today to discuss your equine friend’s dental health and prevent more painful and costly problems later!

01/27/2023

Generation-shaping trends are most influential as people come of age, which means that members of a particular generation will develop and share similar values, beliefs and expectations, says Jamie Cooper during her presentation, “Multi-Generational Issues You’ll Encounter with Clients and Employees.”

01/25/2023

https://twitter.com/ladybarrelmaker/status/1618241475518537728?t=mFn93gjiHFS7i3dbIofjcA&s=19

“I am speaking at 2023 International Hoof-Care Summit. They gave me a really BIG topic. 😳 - via event app”

01/24/2023

Many horses, if not most, present a disparity between their front feet. Where this disparity is significant in the adult horse, we should address each limb differently without trying to “match them up,” says Hall of Fame veterinarian Hans Castelijns.

01/10/2023

Have You Checked Your Horse's Teeth Today?
It is time for your annual equine dental exam.
All Equine: Horses, Mules, Donkeys. All sizes!
Call Hannah Stickle to book your appointment!
512-360-7884
Quality Equine Dentistry

12/02/2022

: Did you know a horse with a moderate hair coat starts requiring additional calories for body temperature regulation when the outside temperature drops to approximately 50°F?

Cold weather prompts special considerations for your horse's diet and care, particularly when it comes to the older members of the herd; consult your primary horse doctor to formulate a plan to keep your horses happy and healthy this winter! For more tips, visit https://aaep.org/horsehealth/cold-weather-nutrition

11/10/2022

The term "fat leg" is pretty self-explanatory, but do you know the difference between stocking up and cellulitis?

Many horses will "stock up" with subcutaneous edema (fluid swelling) in two or more legs (usually the hind limbs). Stocking up generally results from a significant decrease in exercise and usually resolves as the horse starts exercising again.

Lymphangitis (or vasculitis, big leg disease, staph infection, or cellulitis), however, is a bacterial infection and a dramatically different condition. While its causes may vary, it’s easy to spot once it sets in: the swelling will be extreme, hot and very painful to the touch, and the horse will be depressed due to the fever and discomfort.

If you think your equine friend has cellulitis or even if you're not sure, we encourage you to seek professional help promptly. Your horse doctor will make the best treatment recommendations, both to reduce swelling and to address any sort of bacterial infection that might be active or that could occur due to the edema in the soft tissue.

Read more on our website at https://aaep.org/horsehealth/lymphangitis-frustrating-condition

11/10/2022

Festivo enjoying his banana:)

Almost any fruit, and many vegetable, are safe treats for healthy horses. Apples and carrots are traditional favorites. You can safely offer your horse raisins, grapes, bananas, strawberries, cantaloupe or other melons, celery, pumpkin, and snow peas.

Kentucky Equine Research Staff

09/06/2022

Ready or not, fall is right around the corner! As a horse owner, the best part about this time of the year is knowing we won't have to deal with as many insect-related issues. However, now is also the time to start thinking about housing, nutrition and preventative health strategies suitable for the arrival of winter.

Your equine veterinarian is one of your greatest allies this season: be sure to give them a call soon to discuss vaccination and deworming protocols appropriate for your horse’s situation; use this opportunity to chat about recommended changes in nutrition and exercise program as well!

07/10/2022

American Farriers Journal is celebrating the 24th anniversary of National Farriers Week (July 10-16, 2022), an annual tradition for clients and equine businesses to take time to celebrate farriers for their dedicated commitment to delivering hoof care to horses.

Tell your farrier or mentor you appreciate them for Farriers Week and celebrate your achievements and the mentors who helped you along the way!

Honor your farrier or mentor today!
https://www.americanfarriers.com/honor_a_farrier_2022

07/02/2022

Ok friends, this isnt directed at anyone specific, so dont get all ruffled up. But its extremely important and needs to be said.

First off, I, like most farriers want to do the best job possible. But that requires a few things. Ill list some of them.

*HORSES THAT STAND STILL!!!
I can do an exceptional job on a horse that will stand for the farrier. The quality of work goes down if we are just trying to survive. So either teach them, reprimand them, restrain them, or drug them. I get called to fix alot of horses but I can only do so much if they are not standing still.

FLAT DRY PLACE!!
It doesn't have to be fancy, but it has to be flat and dry. Its nearly impossible to do any quality work on wet or muddy conditions. And precision work has to be done on a flat and dry environment.

**IF YOU COMBINE A HORSE THAT DOESN'T STAND WITH MUDDY CONDITIONS, WELL, ITS PROBABLY NOT GOING TO HAPPEN MORE THAN ONCE.

SHADE, SHADE, SHADE!!
Its not safe or pleasant to stand in the direct sunlight doing farrier work. Its a very physically hard job. Again it doesn't have to be fancy, a carport, a shade tree, I dont care where, but it has to be accessible, clean, dry, flat and have plenty of room to safely work.

**IF YOU COMBINE A HORSE THAT DOESN'T STAND STILL WITH MUDDY CONDITIONS AND THIS IS HAPPENING IN THE SUN, IT PROBABLY ISNT GOING TO HAPPEN MORE THAN ONCE.

FLY SPRAY!!!
Provide lots and lots of fly spray! If you dont have it and your horse thinks its dying, then the farrier cant do a good job. The farrier is doing the best they can with the situation YOU are providing. Have way more fly spray than you think you need.

**A NON STANDING HORSE IN MUDDY CONDITIONS BEING DONE IN THE SUN WITH FLYS MAKING THE NORMALLY NON STANDING HORSE WORSE LEADS TO UNSAFE AND UNDESIRABLE CONDITIONS. THIS WILL PROBABLY ONLY HAPPEN ONCE.

FANS!!
If your flat, dry, shady place happens to be in a barn that has no airflow and is like an oven, then have enough fans to make it at least tolerable and safe. I have had heat stroke, and I'm not interested in having it again in!

SAFE PLACE TO TIE, OR A QUALITY HOLDER!
It's already a dangerous job. Its not safe doing horses tied to things that they could pull around if they pull back or spook. As in round pens, etc..

PUT YOUR DOGS AWAY!!
I could tell endless stories about this. Its a safety issue for the horse, the dog and the farrier.

Lastly, if you are wanting a discount, or are not wanting to be at the price it needs to be, or you don't think that the job is worth it, or you think that you can always find someone else or whatever it might be, you need to realize you are at the bottom of the priority list. That isnt a personal thing, its a business thing.

Full price horses that stand still, being done in a dry shady place with fly spray and a fan will always take priority.

Also horses that aren't on a maintenance schedule are always at the bottom of the priority list. Nothing personal but its hard to make a regular client wait for a horse that only gets done once in awhile.

This isnt about being irritated, this is just some general basic operating procedures that should be recognized.

I appreciate every horse and client I have. And thank you for your business. But please take these things into consideration.

Danny Berry
Berry farrier service
John 3:16
♡-

05/28/2022

HAVE YOU CHECKED YOUR HORSE'S TEETH TODAY?
OPEN FOR BUSINESS!
CALL FOR AN APPOINTMENT!

04/06/2022

01/20/2022

The biggest concern for horses in winter is maintaining their body temperature. To stay warm during the cold season, a horse burns extra calories and this can negatively impact their health and body condition — particularly if the horse went into winter in only moderate condition, or if he is elderly or ill.

The graphic shows five things you can do to make sure your horse stays healthy through the cold months. Be sure to consult your veterinarian about any diet or lifestyle changes that may be necessary for your horse to maintain his condition this winter, and don’t forget to monitor your animal's water intake to minimize the risk of impaction colic.

Read more and find additional useful winter care information on our educational partner Equus’s website athttps://images.saymedia-content.com/.image/cs_srgb/MTc3MjU5MjQyNjYxNjE4ODQ5/equus-extra-37-.pdf