Roaring Run Forge & Farrier

Roaring Run Forge & Farrier Farrier services; trimming and shoeing to meet the needs of your horse.

01/12/2025
**Horse owners and barn managers!!**Great pointers from Alicia!
01/12/2025

**Horse owners and barn managers!!**

Great pointers from Alicia!

Hoofcare Manners

Some of my clients know that I’ve been having some trouble lately, especially with pain in my elbows and collarbone area. I always thought I was young and strong and able to do barn work and hoofcare without any issues; I guess it’s catching up to me!

Having pain when working has really pointed out to me things that occur that likely led to these issues. I look forward to the barns and horses where they allow me to hold up their feet, they stand quietly and let me work without too much trouble. On the flip side, having these aches and pains highlights the horses that fuss, yank, or struggle to hold up a foot while I work.

A small tug of a horse’s leg while I am working can contribute to whatever repetitive strain issues I have going on, and the more this happens, the more I worry I won’t be able to trim at this capacity long term. And I love this job, and want to be able to do it as long as possible.

Now I know in many of these cases, the horse’s pain is playing a role. If it hurts to hold up a hoof, they’re going to communicate in a way they know how to- by asking for their leg back with a shift in bodyweight or a pull. I understand that, and don’t blame them.
On behalf of all hoofcare pros out there- if you have a horse struggling with pain, making it hard for them to stand to get their feet done, ask your vet about options for pain management before the appointment. This will make it easier not only on us, but also on your horse.
Some horses also benefit from standing on gym mats, Sure Foot pads, or softer surfaces when working too.

While I truly believe that horses do not want to be difficult for no reason, and I always default to ruling out pain, there are other situations that can cause a horse to struggle with hoofcare appointments.

-Is it feeding time, and they see the hoofcare pro as an obstacle to their meals?
-Are their friends outside and they’re in alone, and they’re feeling unsafe or herdbound?
-Are they being worked on in an area they don’t usually go to, and they’re feeling insecure or uncertain?

Many of these things are preventable as well, with adjusting when the appointment is or when feeding time is, having an equine friend available to keep the horse company, or working to train your horse to feel comfortable where we need to work on them.

And side note- I do have a handful of clients who will feed hay or treats while I work. I say this is about 50/50 of how successful it is (and my owners and I work out which horses this helps). Some horses just see me as “in the way” of their treats and become more distressed or fussier if fed while I work. Some do great and stand quietly. I am not against food while working if the horse truly is happier and calmer with it.

As I’m taking stock of ways I can prolong my career and keep my body healthy, I notice that how horses stand truly is a HUGE part of that. I genuinely look forward to appointments where the horse is happy to allow me to work (within their comfortable range of motion and being considerate of how I am working, too). I also know that many of us will dread appointments where we feel we have to brace our bodies, tense our muscles, and feel like we are fighting to hold up the weight of a half ton animal.

If your hoofcare pro is mentioning that your horse has trouble standing to be worked on, consider investigating a bit to make the appointment easier not only for us, but for your horse as well. A happy hoofcare pro is a consistent and reliable and healthy hoofcare pro ☺️

Picture of sweet Gus, who used to plow through (literally) holding up a hoof and didn’t want his foot up for more than a few seconds at a time. Some patience and great care and work from the owner on being comfortable holding up his feet, and now he is quite the gentleman.

Great podcast for horse owners and hoof care providers!  What do you think we see when we pick up a foot?  What do you t...
11/22/2024

Great podcast for horse owners and hoof care providers! What do you think we see when we pick up a foot? What do you think we’re looking for from the front, sides, and behind before we even pick up a foot?
Wayne Sodowsky

When looking at horses' feet, we rarely see ones that are perfectly symmetrical. Even if it is subtle, there may be a slightly steeper wall, or a side that is a bit more worn. At the end of a cycle, we can often see the way that hoof has worn over the last however many weeks - maybe a toe worn a bit to one side, or a flare creeping up if the cycle has been a bit long.

As a hoofcare provider, I am always looking to see what these patterns might be telling me, and how I can improve each horse's feet to the best of my ability with what that horse has for conformation, previous injuries, environment in regards to turn out, etc.

Because of this, I have always been fascinated with Ula Krzanowska's posts on "The Hoof Architect," and how Ula sees various patterns in feet and is able to identify them and label them to a specific conformation or how the body is put together above those feet. I reached out to her to chat about her architecture background, how it has helped her with hoofcare, and some common patterns she sees.

You can hear the entire conversation on any podcast app under "The Humble Hoof," or directly at this link: https://thehumblehoof.com/2024/11/22/recognizing-patterns-in-hooves/

And if you want to meet Ula in person, we have a few limited spots left for our clinic next year in Amesbury, MA! You can learn more and register at thehumblehoof.com/product/clinic .

Thank you to our amazing sponsors:

Equithrive offers supplements for everything from metabolic health to joint support – get 20% off your first order at equithrive.com with code HUMBLEHOOF

Cavallo Hoof Boots is offering 15% off a pair of Trek hoof boots at cavallo-inc.com with code HRN

A special shout out to Grid as New, Mud Control Grids – they are a game changer for any mud issues, big or small! – mudcontrolgrids.com

Also be sure to check out HayBoss Feeders – haybossfeeders.com – for all your slow-feeding needs. I get my Hay Boss feeders from Mountain Lane Farm in NH!

💯
11/11/2024

💯

Put an end to the struggle and stress of farrier visits.

Great points here!
11/10/2024

Great points here!

Great notes thinking about the whole horse and the connection to the feet!  Wish I’d been able to attend this conference...
10/14/2024

Great notes thinking about the whole horse and the connection to the feet! Wish I’d been able to attend this conference.

Great visual!
10/10/2024

Great visual!

Ever wondered how our anatomy compares to a horse’s? 🧐 Check out this colorful schematic of a human foot and a horse’s hind limb! Did you know that our heel is actually the equivalent of the point of the hock in a horse? 🦶➡️🐴

Low cost educational opportunity for horse owners through the Pennsylvania Extension Service!
09/28/2024

Low cost educational opportunity for horse owners through the Pennsylvania Extension Service!

Online Oct. 30, Nov. 6, 13

Outstanding article by Ula Krzanowska, excellent research with a solid write up and diagrams to help you understand comm...
09/25/2024

Outstanding article by Ula Krzanowska, excellent research with a solid write up and diagrams to help you understand common hoof deformities and their impact.

It's been a year, so let's repeat!

Hoof deformities depend on horse's conformation and posture and therefore occur in specific patterns.

Recognizing those patterns not only gives us more understanding about the forces being at play and the load distribution over the hoof capsule, but also may help us decide what actions to take when it comes to addressing those deformities.

If you want to learn more about 4 hoof types, here's the link ☺️:

https://thehoofarchitect.blogspot.com/2023/09/demistifying-equine-limb-deformities_21.html?m=1

Bingo!  There is so much more to a trim than simply cutting off excess length!
09/10/2024

Bingo! There is so much more to a trim than simply cutting off excess length!

"Wow, you didn't even have to use your nippers! I guess that he didn't really need a trim yet, huh?"

As the summer winds down and we enter fall in this part of the world, we may see a slowdown in hoof growth and these kinds of comments come up every so often. The misconception is that a trim is simply to remove excess growth on the hoof - but that's actually not the case.

Our goal as hoofcare providers is to keep the horse comfortable and sound. We want to work to get the foot to function at its best, so the joints, tendons and ligaments up the limb can stay healthy for years to come. Our trim is about balance, equilibrium, and hoof health, not just removing gross length.

The last thing we want is to wait until the hoof growth is causing detrimental effects to the internal structures to try to remedy it; instead, if we can keep the foot at its optimal balance, then we can get ahead of issues before they start.

That means that often, our trims should even look fairly minimal. Finding a cycle length that allows us to do "less" actually allows for more targeted changes to the hoof capsule. Big changes don't just make for a nice looking before and after photo, they can have knock-on effects every cycle as the horse adjusts to new angles with the adjustments.

I always say one of my favorite things about hoof rehab is "suggesting" to the foot where I want it to be. If every cycle I'm doing two nipper runs to get the foot back to baseline, I'm probably not making much progress over time.

So next time you feel there wasn't much that needed to be done to the foot, consider whether it was truly because the hoof didn't need it, or whether it is actually simply keeping the foot comfortable and in balance with where it will function best. It's not about what we trim, but often about knowing what NOT to trim.

Do you know some young people who may be interested in a career involving horses?  Sign up, we’ll be there and hope to s...
08/14/2024

Do you know some young people who may be interested in a career involving horses? Sign up, we’ll be there and hope to see you!

Join us!! Please see the link below to the event page. RSVP's must be called into the office - please note you need to pick a time when RSVP-ing (group 1 or 2).

https://fb.me/e/1JLqpPUgZ

Address

PA-56, Apollo
North Apollo, PA
15613

Opening Hours

Monday 8am - 4pm
Tuesday 8am - 4pm
Thursday 8am - 4pm
Friday 8am - 4pm

Website

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when Roaring Run Forge & Farrier posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Contact The Business

Send a message to Roaring Run Forge & Farrier:

Share