Weathermark Farrier Service

10/23/2024

Just a few feet and friends from this week. I often neglect taking before and after pics of different views and angles of the hoof. I’m going to make that a priority with a few horses coming up to show some examples of what a difference a proper trim can make. It was a great week seeing some of my favorite clients (both people and equine 😉)!

10/02/2024

As we near the end of summer please be on the lookout for thrush and the start of WLD (white line disease). If you are picking your horse’s hooves and see black smelly gunk come out of the collateral grooves when using a hoof pick, apply thrush treatment. If you are seeing black lines like in the bottom left picture, carefully pick out the debris and apply thrush treatment, Artimud, or Toe Jam to those areas so it does not progress further. I will give you the best service I can provide every 4-6 weeks but I need you, the horse owner, to help identify these common issues and treat them right away in-between appointments. I promise if you are treating these issues as they come up, your horse and pocket book will thank you! I’ll be keeping Toe Jam on hand for purchase to make it easy for horse owners to get the product from me at our appointments. Early detection is key when it comes to thrush and WLD. If you ever have concerns about your horse having either, always send me a message. I’m happy to help troubleshoot, offer advise, or schedule to come out and take care of your horse(s).

09/23/2024

Last week I made lots of new friends! Some curious goats, a new filly who had her first trim, and a few doggos. Stay tuned for some actual hoof trimming pictures later this week. This is a farrier page after all. 😅

09/09/2024

✨CONTEST WITH PRIZE✨
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CLOSED
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Open until 6pm on 9/13/24!
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Can you guess the cost of the glue-on and clog shoes, plus accessories in the photo on the left? I think it will be the most fun to not google the products and just take a guess. To make it somewhat fair the range of guessing is between $100-$1000. Winner will get either a free Weathermark Farrier Color Comforts shirt, baseball hat, or beanie. The shirt has multiple color options and the hat and beanie have the logo embroidered. Happy guessing!
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No farriers please! I love you guys but that’s just not fair 😂

08/30/2024

Laminitis and EVA Clogs… and Phoenix:
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Phoenix has been on a whirlwind adventure with laminitis for many many months. The problem is, she’s a giant girl on some not so giant feet. Her owner provides exceptional care and has been all for trying anything to help her be more comfortable. We did a few cycles in EasyCare Versa glue-ons and found that she needed more support after a very brief few weeks barefoot. 8 weeks ago she wasn’t wanting to move around much and certainly wasn’t acting like herself. We put on the EVA clogs and 8 weeks later, BOOM, these are the stills from a video I was sent yesterday! To say that she is feeling good is an understatement! The 15-20 degree temp drop had her and the rest of the herd feeling fresh to say the least. She will be moving back into the Versa glue-ons in a few weeks. The EVA Clogs did wonders for her though and I’m happy to see her running like a maniac, even if it does raise my blood pressure just a tad. 😅 I’ve included the description of the EVA Clogs under the picture of the shoe. The picture of Phoenix’s hooves show casting material around the shoe and hoof which adds extra support (which she clearly needs with all the running). A great tool for lamanitic cases!

08/19/2024

Thrush and White Line Disease blues.
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Check out each pictures caption with information regarding the topic below! Read the post first though 😉
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It’s been a hot, humid, and sticky summer. I’ve been seeing a lot of the above listed hoof conditions. When we as horse owners (this is also myself) see signs of thrush, we MUST treat it. There are tons of thrush treatments that are easily accessable at local feed suppliers and even online. When we leave thrush untreated it turns into White Line Disease (WLD). WLD literally eats away the white line of the hoof and owners often noticed it as cracks in the hoof. Once WLD progresses far enough, the only option is to resect all (or as much possible) of the infected hoof in order to stop the spread of the infection. This is tough on the structure of the hoof, the horse, and the owner’s wallet. We can avoid WLD though by being diligent with treating thrush once we identify it! I, like all my clients, don’t like to throw money in the dumpster. So please please please add thrush treatment to you horse care kit! Here are some pictures of thrush which is seen on the bottom of hoof. When you notice “smelly black stuff” in the collateral groove of the hoof or in the white line, you’ve got thrush! I’ll also include some common thrush treatment links if you just don’t have the time to get to the store or maybe your feed supplier doesn’t carry a brand you’d like to try. I’m not affiliated with any brand, I just like healthy, happy, thrush free hooves. 🙂
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Vetericyn Hoof Care: https://www.tractorsupply.com/tsc/product/vetericyn-vetericyn-hoof-care-1820

If you can find the Vetericyn Hoof Care with sprayer, I’d recommend that one. Super easy to apply and great coverage. I find it less messy than the other thrush treatments but but it will stain your hands blue, so keep that in mind!

Thrush Buster: https://www.tractorsupply.com/tsc/product/mustad-thrush-buster-2-oz-90010

Mustad Thrush Treatment: https://www.bigdweb.com/comfortmix-thrush-treatment-2oz-gel?gad_source=1&gbraid=0AAAAAD8TVMDWQ8x5JZEaJS5E5L6iC74MO&gclid=Cj0KCQjw2ou2BhCCARIsANAwM2HcsUZfkvFfc0iBPyiibogbuLUz8uQTEEjZ6T5_kdMJ-A7eUlKqFtQaAun_EALw_wcB

The Hot Dirty Barefoot Trimmer’s Hoof Jam: Look what I found on Etsy: https://www.etsy.com/listing/788883673/

Made by a local Texas barefoot Trimmer! I love to pack this into the collateral grooves especially, or for sulcus thrush. Great product that I always have in my kit!

07/23/2024

Some of my favorite long ear clients 🫏🫏🫏 including my own string in the last two pictures! My lot includes: Hawk, Momo, Poki, Arthur, and Mayo. It’s safe to say I’m a fan of these guys! I hope everyone has stayed relatively cool this summer!

03/31/2024

A little introduction on me, Sam, your Weathermark Farrier. I highly recommend checking out my website for some more info on me and my practice. Here’s a little snippet though: I grew up riding in little local hunter shows where my love for horses flourished. I was the ultimate horse girl growing up with all the breyers, matching horse bedding, and lots of time being a barn rat. As an adult I got into Eventing with my previous show horse and loved it. Currently I am working with my 6yr old pictured mustangs, Violet. Right now she’s a green bean who I’m hoping will have a love for jumping! I own horse property in East Texas with my 6 Mustang Mares, and 3 burros.

My philosophy is that I want to care for my client’s horses the same way I would want my own horses cared for. My goal is to provide my clients with hoof care that results in a healthy and balanced hoof. I believe in continuing education to further grow in my craft and provide the most up-to-date techniques, research, and technology to my clients. If you’re looking for a reliable farrier who has you and your equine’s best interest at heart, you’re the client for me! I am currently accepting new clients and would love to get you on my schedule. Please reach out if you’d like to discuss getting on my books. I would love to talk to anyone interested in having me out to trim their horses or apply glue-on shoes! Please feel free to contact me at 903-220-8076 (texting preferred as I’m often with clients a lot, but phone calls are just fine and if I miss your call leave a message and I’ll call you back), and [email protected] . I look forward to hearing from potential new clients!

03/12/2024

One of my favorite stops is with the Gypsy Vanner group! I will say they grow a ton of hoof even on a consistent schedule, but they are such a pleasant group to work with. Especially since 3 of them are stallions! I am thankful for owners who ensure their horses are good for their farrier apts.

03/05/2024

I’d highly recommend anyone with a horse, especially those with horses who have had a lamanitic episodes, to consider joining this webinar. Even if you can’t attend live they will send you a link to the video to watch later. What a great opportunity to learn about laminitis without having to leave the house!

You know I like to keep you all updated on learning opportunities, and Dr. Simon Curtis does a great job of providing those! He has a new webinar happening live next Wednesday, March 13th on laminitis with Dr. Chris Pollitt. If you can’t attend live, they do send out a recording to those who registered!

I had the chance to see Dr. Pollitt speak at the 2023 NAEP Vet & Farrier Conference and the amount he knows about laminitis down to the microscopic level is unfathomable. This webinar will definitely be eye-opening!

You can click the link below for a discount on the webinar. And full disclosure- I don’t make ANY money from this post or this webinar; I just enjoy the ones Dr. Curtis has done prior and think anything Professor Pollitt teaches is fascinating. Hope to see you there ☺️

http://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/845799147017/?discount=HUMBLEHOOF

01/29/2024

Note to self: taking pictures of horses using the 0.5 zoom on my camera will result in a horse with donkey size ears…. Oopsss. This horse had her 4 glue-ons changed out today. I used the Versa Easy Care shoe inserts to prevent any yucky stuff from getting stuck between the hoof and the shoe. DIM (dental impression material) was also utilized to keep debris from entering at the back of the shoe. It was great seeing the amount of sole growth we accomplished with just one 6 week cycle. The hoof was holding shape (no more pancake feet) and the heels were growing correctly. Very happy to have glue-ons as an option for my clients.

01/12/2024

Consistency, consistency, consistency! This is key in having health hooves. These are picture of my personal horse that I’ve had for 1 year. All pictures except the last one are pre-trim, with her last trim being 6 weeks ago. Healthy hooves start with consistency in trimming, treating hoof disease such as thrush, and having a proper diet. It’s so nice to see a hoof that’s healthy and needs only a little cleaning up to keep it balenced. I hope everyone stays safe during the winter weather we are getting in the South this week! I’ll be bundled up during any apts for the next week or two. Stay warm!

01/05/2024

Happy Friday!
Photo 1 & 2: POV from the front and back camera.
Photo 3 & 4: mid-range vs close-up

11/10/2023

Welp it’s that time of year… AKA thrush season! With the rainy weather comes thrush. Untreated thrush can cause lots of problems if left to spread. Thrush (red circles on image 1) turns into sulcus thrush (blue circle) and can lead to white line disease (purple circles). This hoof was treated for 7 days with daily thrush products and did not lead to any further issues. There are tons of thrush products on the market but 2 of my favorites are Vetricin hoof spray and Toe Jam from the Hot Dirty Barefoot Trimmer Hoofcare Products and Services. I like the Vetricin because it’s a spray and it’s bright blue so you know it’s getting applied to the right spots. The Toe Jam is a thicker paste that really gets into the grooves of the hoof and is made by an excellent Texas barefoot trimmer. Whatever products you use, please have some on hand so when you spot thrush you can start treating. Early treatment is a preventative for much bigger hoof diseases!

10/17/2023

Custom colored Versa Grips for my personal horse! These are super easy to dye and they give the shoes a little bit of a personalized touch. The back shoes have a therapy/riding pad for additional support as this mare has some issues in her hind end. She had a nice ride after which showed improvement in her movement. 💜🧡

09/28/2023

That moment when you are watching one of your personal horses get a bath and you can’t help but admire the hoof angles and heels from afar. This is several weeks out from a fresh trim. 😍

09/20/2023

This video is a good example of the frog shedding naturally. I had not done anything to the frog in this video, it was almost completely shed when I picked the hoof up. If you didn’t know, horses shed their sole and frog 1-2 times a year. In the frog you’ll see a natural separation between the old frog and the new tissue underneath. For the sole you’ll notice the bottom of your horse’s hoof flaking off in decent sized chunks. This is normal for the 1-2 times a year and not cause for concern. I helped this mare out with getting rid of the sole and frog her hooves no longer needed. This is the same horse as the previous post just below this one.

09/20/2023

Taking care of a pony who was walking on stilettos for heels! She was much happier post-trim. 🙂

09/09/2023

It’s been a busy summer! I’ll have some updated before and after pics next week. In the meantime here is a small re-supply of glue-on shoes and the tools needed for application. There’s 4 shoes and glue that does 8 shoes total! Today’s small re-supply cost several hundred dollar bills, so by no means cheap. I’ll be dying a pair of shoes in the next few weeks and will post those too! An awesome tool for therapeutic shoeing or for horses that need additional support.

05/16/2023

Say hello to Calico Breeze “Breeze”, your WMF product tester! Breeze is a 13yr Mustang mare who was gathered out in California back in 2009. She has been with my family for about 5 years. Breeze has AMAZING feet! I’m talking rock hard, tough, beautiful hooves! She’s also a really good horse! So Breeze helps me out by letting me try out different techniques and products so that I can perfect my craft to better serve my clients. She recently did 7 weeks in the EasyShoe Versa Grip glue-ons on her front hooves. Those suckers were still hanging on tight when I pulled them off today! She got some extra treats for her service and is taking a break this trim cycle before our next “experiment”, which is re-using this same pair of shoes with a different glue. Breeze is a valued member of the WMF team!

05/11/2023

Would you believe me if I said the hoof on the left was trimmed 6 weeks ago? I can assure you it was because I did the trim! This horse is a newer client that I had only trimmed once before. When we followed up 6 weeks later, I found hooves like the picture on the left. I told the owner and showed them the picture and they said the most beautiful thing in response, “if they need to be on a shorter schedule, we can do that”. HALLELUJAH! Sometimes our horses grow more foot and require a shorter schedule to keep up. Sometimes the shorter schedule is needed for therapeutic trimming or to get ahead of issues in the hoof. I love clients who are open to doing what’s best for each individual horse. I got this horse fixed up and cleaned up the frog to ensure easy access for thrush treatment. I have no doubt that the shorter schedule will have this guy feeling much better between appointments!

02/14/2023

This horse is on a consistent 6 week schedule. The left hoof is freshly trimmed and the right hoof shows what the hoof looks like after 6 weeks of growth for this horse. It’s always nice to see the difference on a freashly trimmed hoof. Consistent schedules are key to mainting good hoof health. I’ll see this sweet girl in 6 weeks on the dot! 🦄

02/06/2023

What do you do after a full day of trimming client’s horses:

1) stretch because your back has aged 30 years in several hours…

2) go trim one of your own horses

Phewww I think I’ll take the rest of the day off now 😅

02/02/2023

My smallest client, Oscar, got lots of scratches prior, during, and after his trim! It’s been a crummy couple of days in East Texas with all this rain and cold weather. I’m looking forward to some sunny days in the Spring!

01/06/2023

With the spring time rain around the corner it’s important to look for signs of thrush inbetween your farrier appointments! It’s easy to treat with a range of products you can find at your local tractor supply or feed store. Here is a horse I trimmed back in December with quite a bit of thrush. The client had an easy spray treatment on hand and I think it’s a nice shade of blue. 💙