Hometown Hoofcare

12/08/2024

Kosmo 🥰. The biggest puppy on my rounds.

12/07/2024

Tell me you're a female farrier without telling me you're a female farrier.

When your nail polish matches the thrush treatment...

12/06/2024

When the farrier dog and the farrier store dog get together...

Dally and Oliver 🤙

12/05/2024

12/04/2024

The feeling I felt when I first met Nogah was like running into an old friend in the most unsuspecting places. Surely if she wasn't meant to be one of my horses in some capacity in this life, she was in another.

She has strong Al Khamsa hooves, made for the desert.

12/04/2024

Another good, good footed Tennessee Walker, his seriously adorable, sassy friend; and my favorite farrier dog, Dally.

How do I have the coolest job? Pinch me.

12/03/2024

A peaceful moment between me and Sedona.

Young horses and senior horses on either end of the pendulum can be especially challenging, but I find trimming them to also be especially rewarding.

Miss Sedona has really come a long way and I'm super proud of both her and her mom!

12/02/2024

This Paso and I have gotten along from the start and I adore him. Luckily, since he trusts me and I believe him, we've been able to nudge his feet back to where his body likes them over the course of a few shoeings. Each shoeing, he stands more square, has a calmer demeanor, and gaits smoother with a heel first landing.

Some folks would see him and say "why didn't you bring him back to where you wanted him to be right from the start?" Well, he has a history of being foot and body sore. By taking the gradual route, we've been able to mitigate even temporary discomfort entirely when switching him from steel to composite.

With most of my client horses, the guidelines that I use are:

1. A straight hoof pastern axis through capsular and phalangeal alignment
2. A 3° - 8° palmar angle
3. A 50/50 base of toe/heel support.
4. Appropriate vertical depth.
5. Appropriate medio-lateral balance, taking conformational rotation and tissue on the solar surface into account.
6. A dorsal wall length no longer than 3".

Not every horse enjoys being within all of these parameters best, but this gives me a starting point. The rest is up to the horse's feedback and it's 💯 okay if they're happy not being "textbook"! Most horses, though, I've found, are happy within these guidelines.

We still have a ways to go, and there are things about his "before" that I might even prefer, but I'm pleased with our progress because *Biscuit* is happy. Hearing from his owner that he feels the best he ever has under saddle is so encouraging 😭🥹🙏.

He's in EasyCare Inc. Protective Hoofwear Versa Grip Glues with a wedge ground in (determined by dry fitting first), gentle omnidirectional breakover ground into the shoe, breakover ground into the toe based on hoof mapping and continuing the bevel of the foot into the shoe, and a little more perimeter fit with a touch more length in the hinds. He loves the Mustad ZnO A25 DIM (it helps that it's teal) with a little RATE.

💅

12/02/2024

Bring your kid to work day!

Cake pops were in order. Ayda Bel told Mommy what tools she needed next and then the horses *definitely* needed massages (with the nylon hammer) - duh.

It isn't often that my 4-year-old tags along, but this herd is kid appropriate. 🥰

11/30/2024

I don't know about you, but I'm thankful for cute clients that give you hugs and mess up your hair during their trims.

11/27/2024

Just a good footed Tennessee Walker. 💅

11/19/2024

11/14/2024

Having had a close call last week with a horse almost falling on me, this rings especially true to me today.

What a harsh position many of us are put in: take the job to put food on the table at home or end up in the hospital? Which will it be today? Is it worth it?

11/12/2024

I'll be there helping with the clinic! Sign up NOW for early bird pricing!

In 2022, we hosted our first "Humble Hoof Podiatry Clinic" and it was a really great time. I have been wanting to do another clinic and finally reached out to a great group of clinicians to make this happen!

Dr. Jenny Hagen (DVM, CJF, vet podiatrist and researcher), Celester Lazaris ("Balanced Through Movement" method), and Ula Krzanowska ("The Hoof Architect") are coming together to Amesbury, MA for a podiatry clinic on hoof balance, body compensations, approaches to lameness, and more. There will be a mixture of lecture as well as hands-on demonstrations with rehab horses. This clinic will be great for hoofcare pros, bodyworkers, veterinarians, or even horse owners who want an in-depth look at the body and hooves.

This clinic will take place in Amesbury, MA, at our track system rehab facility on October 25-26, 2025. Participant spots are limited as our goal is to break into small groups to work one on one with each clinician throughout the weekend.

I am SO excited to have these amazing professionals look at some of the difficult cases we come across in our practices!

As of right now, this clinic will be in-person and participant option only. There may be options to truck in a demo horse. You can learn more and register at thehumblehoof.com/product/clinic - be sure to sign up now for Early Bird Pricing!

Once participant spots fill, we will start a wait list.

I hope to see you there!

11/06/2024

I'm fortunate to truly only have lovely clients at this point. 🙏

Clients can either make or break you.

Good clients remind you on a daily why you chose a profession. Bad clients remind you on a daily what else you could be doing with your life.

Good clients make the long days go by quick. Bad clients make the long days longer and more tiring then they were.

Good clients breathe life back into your tired soul. Bad clients suck the soul and life right out of you.

Good clients respect your time. Bad clients take more and expect more of your time.

Good clients respect that you are human. Bad clients expect you to be god.

Good clients are worth more than they will ever realize. Bad clients think they are the most important every single time of day.

Good clients are what have kept me from closing the door. Bad clients remind me that I should always have an escape plan.

Today I am grateful for the good clients. Especially the ones that have been with me from the very beginning. They are what keeps me getting up and going out to work.

11/06/2024

11/05/2024

Best of luck at the McDowell endurance ride to one of the nicest horses I've ever had the pleasure of working on. A full set of EasyCare Inc. Protective Hoofwear Versa Grip Glues for this cutie so he's all set to carry his junior on the 50. Fun fact: he does best in a 110 Hind all around.

11/04/2024

When a horse doesn't stand well for the farrier, where is often the best place to start?

Leading.

Sometimes it IS a negative farrier association, but a lot of times, the problem doesn't stem from standing well for the farrier at all. It starts somewhere else.

This post by my friend and teacher, Amy Skinner, explains it beautifully.

Why Accurate Lead Rope Work is So Important

When I get a new horse in training, regardless of its experience, I generally spend a good amount of time working on leading. To some, this may seem like a trivial waste of time - “he already leads! He’s here for canter work!” Or some such thing. Firstly, I’ll start out by saying accurate leading is so much more than putting a halter and lead on and dragging a horse around. And secondly, a horse that leads accurately is safer, more responsive to riding aids, and will more willingly load or cross into areas that might have otherwise created resistance.

So to begin, what exactly is accurate leading?

To me, a horse that is properly halter broke is one who understands and responds to the feel of the lead rope without resistance. This horse leaves the slack in the lead rope, and does not drag behind or pull ahead. This horse knows how to speed up, slow down, stop, back up, and turn when the feel of the rope changes without resistance. They don’t pull back, step on top of you, or crowd you.

Why does it matter so much?

I can tell pretty quickly from leading a horse how they’re going to handle under saddle. If they drag on the lead rope, pretty frequently these types of horses are heavy in the hands, stiff in the neck, and heavy on the forehand. If they are tough to speed up on the ground, you can pretty well bet they won’t respond to the leg promptly, and if they’re running over the top of you, well, you have some big problems there, too.

If I can get a horse operating on the lead rope well, not only can I tune up these riding issues before I’ve ever stepped in the stirrup, I can also make a more peaceful horse. Horses do not love being pulled on, and they also do not love pulling on you. They’re just doing what they know, and what their education has set them up to do. I can get them lighter in their shoulders and more balanced from just proper lead rope work - a horse who is resistant to lead forward is often very heavy on the forehand, therefore canter work (if that’s what he’s here for) is going to be a battle if he’s dragging around. The more little pieces I can help him make sense of and connect, the easier the more advanced stuff will be for him.

It makes a much safer horse. I don’t need to tell you that a horse that steps on you isn’t too fun to handle. Teaching these guys where to be and when makes all the difference. A properly halter broke horse will NOT jump on top of you when scared by something (provided you have given them enough space and have not trapped them and given them no other option). They will load in trailers, lead into wash racks, and walk over scary things on the ground, if you give them time and preparation, because they know how to respond to the lead rope. They will not pull back when tied (again, assuming you have not put them in a situation where they have no choice).

So many times, a riding issue can be cleared up by just tuning up your leading. If all you did was commit to better leading for 30 days, you would find a much easier ride the next time you climb I to the saddle. It sounds simple, because it is, but it isn’t always easy.