Finger Lakes Forge

02/16/2023

Thoughts on Trimming: As farriers we always hear about trimming feet shorter. We're told to take the toe back, cut the hoof wall down more etc etc - the conversation always seems to center around *reducing* the hoof by removing what's not needed.
I don't like reductive narratives.
It's not as simple as "Trim them shorter." Why focus on diminishing something and taking away what you don't want, when you can focus on increasing something, and building what you *do* want?
We should be building better hooves through our trims, not just taking hoof off to make them shorter. Focusing on what we can give to the horses to make their hooves healthier and lives better.
An example:
"This horse has a really bad flare, I'm going to take it off" (proceeds to file it completely away) VS "This horse needs a better shape - I'm going to give it a better shape" (proceeds to mindfully build the best shape possible for the hoof)
I think that simple shift from "this is a problem - I'm going to remove" to "this is a problem - I'm going to support this and build it up to what it should be" can be a powerful shift in perspective. What do you think? Could shifting your mindset in how you approach trimming from *reducing* to *building* help the horses you care for and their hooves?
Check out the link in our bio to go to www.fingerlakesforge.net where you can learn more about how we help horses & discover resources for exceptional equine hoof care.
Finger Lakes Forge: Exceptional Equine Hoof Care
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02/11/2023

I absolutely love being a farrier.
It's such a dynamic job, but the best part by far is being able to help horses lead successful careers and comfortable retirements.
When I slow down and realize that it's already been over 15 years in the trade and all the horses I've already been able to help, it fills my soul with such a deep joy. It's been nothing short of a privilege to work with and be trusted by so many horses and owners - thank you.
Check out the link in our bio to go to www.fingerlakesforge.net where you can learn more about how we help horses & discover resources for exceptional equine hoof care.
Finger Lakes Forge: Exceptional Equine Hoof Care
Follow us on Facebook & Instagram.

11/22/2022

Hot Fitting Tongs with a ratcheting self-hold - a really fun build from a few years back.
Hot fitting tongs are used by farriers to carry still warm shoes to the horses hoof to check the fit during the process of shaping shoes to match the hoof. It's a crucial part of giving the horse the best fitting shoe possible until we see them again in four to six weeks.
A few common issues during this process are how well (or not) the shoe stays secure in whatever device we use to carry it with, how close our hands are to the warm shoe (it radiates a bit of heat), and whether we can safely put the shoe down and pick it up again without it rolling away (and potentially into anything flammable)
I was working through a few different ideas of how to address these issues and this was one of the solutions I came up with. The idea of hot fitting tongs is an old one, as is the idea of having them lock. An issue with locking tongs, is that they only fit one size shoe. With a ratchet style lock which releases with a bit of pressure on the thumb tab, I could use the same hot fitting tongs to carry any width of shoe. Right down to the little rivet to hold the Ratchet Bar in place, this was a joy to make.
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08/22/2022

Custom Horse Shoes
I love building custom shoes for the horse's in my care, including this tidy concave shoe. Since I began my apprenticeship 15 years ago, I have been obsessed with fully developing all of the traditional skills of my trade.
This passion has led my career to great heights I never thought possible. I've learned how to make the tools I need (anvils, hammers, tongs, punches) that I then use to make the horse shoes I need (like this concave shoe) to provide the horses under my watch with the best care possible.
The skills I've gained through making my own tools and shoes increases my ability to fully utilize the manufactured shoes I do use in my practice. I'm able to better apply every aspect of these shoes that the manufacturers work so hard to build into them. Personally I always reach for Equilibriums for sport horses who need good support with decreased leverage during breakover.
This hind shoe was forged from about 12" of 3/8x3/4 concave stock, with a 1/8 offset, punched with a traditional 8 nail pattern and bob-punched quarter clips.
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08/20/2022

Finger Lakes Forge - offering exceptional equine hoof care to all of New York State.
Now accepting inquiries from prospective clients.

Through more than fifteen years of service and continuing education, we've developed a robust approach in providing customized hoof care for competitive performance horses, and hoof management solutions for therapeutic cases through utilizing the very best traditional and modern methods.

We're proud to offer comprehensive hoof care, including performance trims, hoof crack repair and management, white line disease, laminitis and founder treatments, as well as therapeutic management solutions for soft tissue injuries.

Visit our website www.fingerlakesforge.net for more information.

Thank you for your time and consideration in joining our practice - we look forward to providing your horses with exceptional hoof care for years to come.

Best Regards,

F I N G E R L A K E S F O R G E
Izzy Rice
Certified Journeyman Farrier

08/18/2022

That new-shoe shine never gets old 💫
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08/15/2022

We're giving away this hand forged golden ratio caliper on Labor Day 2022 - it's kind of dope 🤙
🔥 Follow Finger Lakes Forge on Facebook
🌺 Like the "GIVEAWAY" Post on FLF's page & tag 3 people in the comments
💫 Share to your Story for an extra entry!
Entries open until 11:59pm September 4th
Winner drawn at random Labor Day September 5th
Open to the United States only
Additional information can be found on FLF's Facebook or Instagram profile
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08/15/2022

LABOR DAY GIVEAWAY
Hand-Forged Golden Ratio Caliper
To Enter the Giveaway
🔥 Follow Finger Lakes Forge on Facebook & like this post
🌺 Tag 2 people in the comment section of this post
💫 Share this post to your story for an extra entry
Entries close 11:59pm EST September 4th, 2022
Winner will be drawn at random - Labor Day September 5th, 2022
Limited to the United States only.
Meticulously forged and finished by Izzy Rice CJF, these calipers are delicate enough to operate with one hand, yet robust enough to be passed down for generations.
The "Golden Ratio" - or the ratio of 1 to 1.618033... - is often referred to as the most beautiful proportion in the universe and with good reason. Almost every natural thing around us has this amazing ratio incorporated into it somehow - from the spiraled arms of the Milky Way galaxy, to the ratio of tree branches, to the dimensions of a horses hoof, to the proportions of our very own hands
There is evidence from as far back as the Stone Age of this ratio being used by humans, and the ancient Greeks were the first to have studied this naturally occurring proportion in depth. Since then, Creatives such as the great artists Michelangelo, Salvador Dali and Piet Mondrian along with architects like Le Corbusier, have all incorporated this principle into their masterpieces - even the Apple logo was designed around this ratio.
These one of a kind calipers are a perfect addition to the tool box of any Creative or Craftsperson - from the weekend hobbyist to the professional artist. Opened to any point, they quickly approximate this timeless ratio, allowing Creatives to efficiently incorporate gorgeous dimensions within their work.

08/15/2022

LABOR DAY GIVEAWAY
Hand-Forged Golden Ratio Caliper
To Enter the Giveaway
🔥 Follow Finger Lakes Forge on Facebook & like this post
🌺 Tag 3 people in the comment section of this post
💫 Share this post to your story for an extra entry
Entries close 11:59pm EST September 4th, 2022
Winner will be drawn at random - Labor Day September 5th, 2022
Limited to the United States only.
Meticulously forged and finished by Izzy Rice CJF, these calipers are delicate enough to operate with one hand, yet robust enough to be passed down for generations.
The "Golden Ratio" - or the ratio of 1 to 1.618033... - is often referred to as the most beautiful proportion in the universe and with good reason. Almost every natural thing around us has this amazing ratio incorporated into it somehow - from the spiraled arms of the Milky Way galaxy, to the ratio of tree branches, to the dimensions of a horses hoof, to the proportions of our very own hands
There is evidence from as far back as the Stone Age of this ratio being used by humans, and the ancient Greeks were the first to have studied this naturally occurring proportion in depth. Since then, Creatives such as the great artists Michelangelo, Salvador Dali and Piet Mondrian along with architects like Le Corbusier, have all incorporated this principle into their masterpieces - even the Apple logo was designed around this ratio.
These one of a kind calipers are a perfect addition to the tool box of any Creative or Craftsperson - from the weekend hobbyist to the professional artist. Opened to any point, they quickly approximate this timeless ratio, allowing Creatives to efficiently incorporate gorgeous dimensions within their work.

Send a message to learn more

08/12/2022

A favorite shoe for one of my favorite chestnut mares, Miss Ivy
This is the magic of handmade horse shoes - they just fit so well. Over many hours and years of practice, the shapes we trim into feet become the same shapes we build into custom horseshoes.
Mass produced horseshoes out of the box absolutely have their place - even so, they always require several trips in & out of the forge (aka: heats) to properly match them to a hoof
At it's finest, a hand built shoe will take the same number of heats or less & perfectly fit the foot it's built for the first time you check it - to me, that's efficiency.
Built On Site in 4 heats 🔥
12" of 3/8x3/4 Concave with an 1/8" offset & bob punched quarter clips.
Showcasing a classic 3/2 nail pattern & featuring my favorite C4 nails.
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08/11/2022

For the love of horses.
It's the only logical explanation for my job - it's such a dangerous trade to work in. Who would willing place themselves in such danger, if it weren't for love? Why risk so much injury and accident, if it wasn't for passion?

As a farrier, I sacrifice my physical safety and well-being every day in order to guarantee the best care for every hoof of every horse I work with. Sometimes it's early mornings - yesterday it was working a really late night. Every day I constantly worry about being kicked - every day ends with my back being sore. Yesterday it was my hand, when I swung my hammer and got my thumb instead. I keep coming back though...why?
It's that sweet joy that only comes from being close to horses and learning each of their personalities. Its the satisfaction of helping them stay sound and the privilege of earning their trust.
It's for the love of horses, and I wouldn't have it any other way
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08/09/2022

Custom-built Suspensory Toe Shoes >> Swipe for that sweet before/after
I had the honor of making a new air of suspensory toe shoes for a saint named Austin today as part of his soft tissue management program.
11.75" of 3/8x3/4 concave with quarter clips & an 1/8" offset - built at the horse, punched with a lateral stuf hole, then drilled and tapped with 3/8-16 threads. Custom toe piece fit & welded to help manage this horses specific soft tissue pathologies.
This horse was an absolute joy to work with, I can't thank him and his owner enough.

08/06/2022

Pre-1830s Colonial Era English Anvil
One of my greatest joys in life is collecting and refurbishing antique blacksmithing tools. To hold something that has witnessed so many things is truly remarkable.
How many hands have passed over something like this? How many lives have passed in front of it? It's completely overwhelming to me. Now resting in my care, my life's story has been added to it's story as well.... and that is truly humbling.
This is one of my favorite anvils from my collection - a Colonial Era English Anvil, only marked with a faint "W" and nearly worn off hundredweight marks (the old english method of weighing anvils - but that's another story). This little friend found it's way into my collection from the local area here around Syracuse NY years ago and every time I look at it, I daydream about how long it might have been here...
Anvils have been very slow to change over the centuries. It wasn't until the 1800s that so many new anvil patterns began to emerge. This one, with its pointy feet, and single small, square hardy hole indicates that it was manufactured before the 1830s, possibly as early as the early 1700s. It's so well kept that the original forging marks are still visible on its body, along with the distinct tool steel plates which were forge welded to the body.
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08/04/2022

If you haven't already, please consider following Finger Lakes Forge on Instagram @ finger.lakes.forge

The majority of our media content is shared on that platform, while we try to provide more informative posts here on Facebook.

Thank you all so much!

Izzy Rice, CJF

08/04/2022

Finger Lakes Forge is proud to offer an opportunity for prospective clients throughout New York State to inquire about our services, and join the rest of our equine hoof care clientele. We pride ourselves on our fundamental values in providing each of our clients with the very best in customized full spectrum hoof care for equines of all levels.

Through more than fifteen years of service and continuing education, we've developed a robust approach in providing customized hoof care for competitive sport horses, and hoof management solutions for therapeutic cases through utilizing the very best traditional and modern methods.

Finger Lakes Forge offers comprehensive hoof care, including performance trims, hoof crack repair and management, white line disease, laminitis and founder treatments, as well as therapeutic management solutions for soft tissue injuries.

At Finger Lakes Forge we pride ourselves on the cornerstone of traditional horseshoeing methods we've developed over the years, in addition to our dedication to being an industry leader in producing new techniques and technologies. This unshakable approach combined with our commitment to working alongside owners and veterinarians provides us with a unique opportunity to offer every horse in our charge with the very best hoof care possible.

Thank you for your time and consideration in joining Finger Lakes Forge for all of your horse's hoof care needs, from the smallest pasture pet, to the region's highest competitors. Please direct all of your inquires through our page and we will be in contact with you as soon as possible.

Best Regards,

F I N G E R L A K E S F O R G E
Izzy Rice
Certified Journeyman Farrier

08/04/2022

Staying Sharp
There's a saying for owners "No Foot No Horse"
Maybe for farriers it's "No Knives No Foot"
Nothing gets in the way of a farrier's job like dull knives. The way it pulls on your wrist, or takes ugly chunks out of the hoof... and it's something that will affect every foot of every horse.
Staying sharp is essential to doing a good job, with both our knives and all the rest of our technical and soft skills. Personally, I sharpen both knives and skills daily, as often as I can - it always works out in the horses best interest
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08/02/2022

Whether a horse is to go barefoot or have all four hooves shod, everything is centered around the trim.
Horses hooves grow constantly, and therefore need to cut & filed about every month or two. Having the foot properly knifed out, the frog adequately trimmed and hoof wall at the correct length are key to the animal's hoof health over the weeks between trims.
The three biggest things I look to establish in every trim are:
1. Ensuring the horse has the correct amount of hoof left after the trim. Too much hoof and the horse won't be able to move as well and is at risk of unnecessary flares, chipping, cracks and other hoof issues. Not enough hoof left at the end of a trim, and they can become foot sore and unable to perform.
2. Medial to Lateral balance in relation to the long axis of the limb. Proper balance helps a horse perform at it's best while also safeguarding against soft tissue injuries. Additionally, it helps ensure the hoof can function in an anatomically correct way.
3. A properly trimmed and shaped frog (the triangular bit at the center). The frog performs a number of very important functions for the hoof, and is particularly susceptible to issues, including thrush infections, injury and overgrowth. In my experience, a healthy frog is generally a good indicator of a healthy hoof.
Having all three of these key aspects in a trim is the foundation of success for both horse and farrier.
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07/31/2022

Forging Ahead with Gooseneck Tongs
The last in our mini-series on tongs includes what could be considered one of the more difficult varieties of tongs to forge - sometimes they are referred to as "bolt tongs" but I prefer the much more entertaining name, Gooseneck Tongs.
Really it's a fitting name for these tongs too - they are one of the more complicated to make, and can feel "loosey-goosey" when trying to get the two halves to perfectly match.
Every set of tongs requires a minimum three parts - two identical reins, and a rivet to hold them together. To forge out the neck and jaw of Gooseneck Tongs takes patience, practice and skill. To get the correct length, the proper arc in the neck, and at the end have two perfectly identical halves that fit together well is a massive undertaking. For me, this variation of tongs will forever be a favorite.
As with any blacksmith tong, they are designed to pull hot materials from the forge and secure them whike the smith hammers away. Traditionally these tongs are used to hold a wide variety of stocks, especially with a V-shaped jaw. Just one pair of these tongs works exceptionally well for holding a huge variety of round, square, and rectangular stock - well worth the investment for any serious blacksmith.
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07/30/2022

Tools to Make Tools ⚒️
One of the things you first realize when learning to forge tools is - "This would be a lot easier if...I had the right tool"
It's a significant moment in learning
It marks either your decision to quit due to the difficulties in developing the skills and tools required, or the breakthrough moment where you discover your passion. Making tools to make tools is a fascinating inception that inspires me to continuously master the challenges within tool design and creation.
These tongs for 5/8 round are still glowing at about 1100°f after being riveted. They are the product of needing tools to make tools and are designed to hold the stock from which a wide variety of blacksmithing tools are made from. The jaw, shorter than a traditional gooseneck tong and set closer to the rivet, allows more force to be excerted with less effort, making the blacksmith's job that much easier.
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07/29/2022

Farrier Tongs ⚒️
I am obsessed with owning every aspect of my trade. From how well I can trim a horses hoof, to efficiency in paperwork and scheduling, to being able to create all of my own tools.
One of my absolute favorite tools to make are tongs, the funny looking pincers that farriers and blacksmiths use to hold hot steel. They are complicated three-part tools that are difficult to make well (nevermind attractive) - they require innumerable steps and years of practice in order to perfect.
Tongs are arguably one of the most important tools for farriers & blacksmiths. We use them to pull unimaginably hot steel from the fire, to help delicately coax a shape into a horseshoe over the anvils horn, or to forcibly lock a piece of steel in place on the anvils face while it's being blasted with a sledge hammer.
This is short handled set (about 12") is made to save space as it travels in a farrier's mobile shop, and includes the most popular sizes required by the trade - 5/16", 3/8" and 1/2'
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07/28/2022

07/28/2022

Sure it's a tidy trim, but it's that 4-nail pattern that does it for me ⚒️
The first rule of animal care I was taught and will forever stand by is "Do No Harm" and let's face it - horseshoe nails *can* cause harm.
The horseshoe nail is a double edged sword. Every single horseshoe nail is absolutely essential to holding a shoe in place, which allows horses to perform their tasks as comfortably as possible. Even so, every single nail poses the risk of compromising the integrity of the hoof wall or introducing infection.
Since every nail poses a risk to a horses hoof, it is essential to have exceptional nail placement (which takes years of experience) in addition to using only as many nails as absolutely necessary. Every single nail hole - well placed or otherwise - is another weak point in the structure of the hoof that didn't exist previously. It is a necessary risk required to hold a shoe to the hoof, but one that can be mitigated through using the proper amount of nails.
Four nails is often considered the minimum to properly hold a shoe to a hoof and I am always proud of the feet which bear those four marks. It's a sign that the hoof is thick and strong enough that just four nails can do the job. It's a sign that the shoe is well fit to the hoof, so that excessive nails aren't required to secure it in place.
Most importantly, it's a sign that I was able to achieve as little interference to the hoof as humanly possible - an achievement perfectly aligned with the ultimate goal - "Do No Harm"
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07/27/2022

Hi friends!

It's been such a long time since I had any kind of personal or professional Facebook presence. Years ago when I was feeling pretty frayed by social media, I chose to step back, recalibrate and focus on the good things in life.

Now I'm more excited than ever to get back into the full swing of rebuilding Finger Lakes Forge's social media presence and I am so grateful that you all are along for the ride.

At this point I see myself creating content only from my business account, while retaining my personal page as a placeholder to run this page from. Of course, I'll do my best to respond from both my personal and professional pages.

While restructuring my social media presence, I retained my professional Instagram page where I'm still the most active for the time being. If you are on Instagram and haven't already, I'd like to invite you to check out our page there! .Lakes.Forge

Thank you again for being here - I am so very grateful for your support and excited to share Finger Lakes Forge with you.

Love & Kindness

Izzy Rice
Certified Journeyman Farrier
Owner & Operator at
Finger Lakes Forge