Falldo Horseshoeing

07/26/2023

The list is endless but thank you 🤎

07/09/2023

🥳 Good News! It's and our favorite week to celebrate what makes those in our profession so outstanding!

To the AFA, Farriers Week is no ordinary week. It's a time to reflect on the dedicated and passionate men and women in our profession.

Whether you are just starting out, in school, working as an apprentice, studying for certification, newly certified, or a veteran, we respect you and we honor you for what you do for equine welfare, horse owners, and the industry as a whole. 🙌

✅ Long days
✅ Long nights
✅ Sacrifice
✅ Determination
✅ Commitment
✅ Passion

We see it. And we're proud of you.

05/26/2023

04/26/2023

Grass season is here

Please don't let your ponies, donkeys and at risk horses experience this painful consequence. If grass is the only option, consider a grazing muzzle or sectioning it off with temporary fencing.

Edit: photo is showing the result of repeated laminitis causing inflammation and separation of the lamina (the attachment of the wall to the coffin bone within the hoof capsule) and subsequent founder. There are several causes of laminitis, high sugar content in grass is one of the main ones. Certain equines are more at risk than others.

04/19/2023

01/26/2023

We talk a lot about business as we are going through the day and I thought it illustrated the concept of gross vs net very well! 😁

01/26/2023

I was able to make the trip over the International Hoof-Care Summit for the 2023 conference with High Pointe Equine to do some continuing education. Was also able to stop by the Kentucky Horseshoeing School booth and see Mitch and Sarah Taylor to catch up!

01/19/2023

Hi there all!

I lost my phone in the snow earlier today, and just got my new phone! However, I seem to have not backed it up since early June -so some of the phone numbers I have received since then are no longer in my phone. Please send me message so I can add you back into my contacts.

515-782-9383

Thanks all, and stay warm!

01/16/2023

Mythbuster Monday

One white foot, buy him;
Two white feet, try him;
Three white feet, deny him.....

We're here to Bust That Horse Myth!!!

Moisture content and the shape of the hoof play a much more significant role in hoof wall strength and quality than pigment does. In fact, a myriad of studies have proved there is no structural difference between black and white hooves. Melanocytes are pigment producing cells that are present in black hooves, but usually only in the outermost layer- essentially all hooves are unpigmented underneath! The next time your farrier is rasping feet, pay close attention to the horn color after the first few passes with the rasp. You just may be surprised!

11/30/2022

SNOW BALL PADS❄️: Winter is here and if you have shoes on your horse you have probably noticed snow building up under their shoe. This can lead to sore soles from constant pressure from the snow ball that has formed. Snowball pads (also known as “popper pads”) are full rubber pads with a large bubble in the middle that can be helpful at keeping packed snow out of hooves. This pad expands and contracts every time a horse puts weight on it, pushing snow out of the sole area so it can never build up.

11/19/2022

Sometimes, what owners worry about when it comes to their horses' feet and what farriers worry about when it comes to the horses' feet are not the same.
I will sometimes receive texts from a concerned owner with a picture of a small chip at the end of a cycle, but another cycle they will somehow neglect to tell me that their horse was footsore over stones recently when it hadn't been before..

Some of the most common "owner concerns" I see online or in person are:

✴️Wall chipping: although chipping isn't ideal, usually it won't cause much issue for stronger walls. Often this tells me that the horse either needs a shorter trim cycle, or a change to their hoof balance.

✴️Frog shedding: In wet seasons, sometimes I see an entire frog come off in one piece. Often owners worry this means something is wrong with the frog - don't worry, this is often completely normal!

✴️"A weird growth on the top of the hoof" (aka periople): I can't tell you how many times someone has asked me what the "stuff" is underneath the hairline. Think of the periople like your nail cuticle - it protects new growth as it comes in. Sometimes, especially in dry seasons, it can grow a bit farther down the wall than we are used to. Sometimes when the weather changes between wet and dry, we can see some weird periople changes, or even "flaps." It is usually completely fine!

✴️Waterlogged heel bulbs: Heel bulbs that seem to suddenly become white are often soggy heel bulbs that have had contact with a boot of some sort. Let them dry out a bit and they will be okay!

✴️Thinking a horse "just doesn't look due": Usually when an owner thinks a horse hasn't grown, really it just means they haven't chipped.. which is a good thing! We don't want them to chip or look grossly overgrown when it's time for a trim. Our goal is to keep them in balance, not chase after distortion. Sure - there ARE cases where a horse doesn't grow much foot, but 9 times out of 10 the hoof actually IS due for a balance adjustment.

These situations usually aren't a cause for concern for me. Of course, it depends on the horse and the circumstances, but overall these "issues" are simply cosmetic or a misunderstanding of how the hoof grows and naturally adjusts through seasons.

So what DO I worry about?

🚩Hoof sensitivity or changes in comfort: I don't want to see any of my client horses sore over ANY terrain - especially if it is a sudden change! This is a big red flag to me that the diet, trim, or metabolic management might need adjustment. I never want my horse owners to just accept hoof sensitivity as "normal."

🚩Abscesses: Abscesses are often a huge symptom of something unhealthy going on. A strong foot shouldn't get stone bruises or abscessing - see my last point. If the horse is throwing abscesses, especially if it seems to happen a few times a year, I want to know if the diet needs adjustment or if the vet should step in for some metabolic testing.

🚩Chronic event lines: the wall of the hoof should be smooth overall. Diet changes, fevers/illness, metabolic issues, etc can cause something called an "event line" to show up on the wall as it grows out. This can reveal to us a period of inflammation, although by the time we see it it's often in the past. When I see a series of event lines showing up on the wall, I know something is continually affecting the health of the foot. With that, I worry about something more sinister down the line, such as the risk of laminitis or founder, if the source of the event lines isn't found. Don't ignore them!

🚩Sudden changes in sole appearance, white line health, etc: If the horse's sole is typically concave and suddenly seems to flatten out "out of nowhere," or if we suddenly can see a stretched white line or fit a hoof pick between the wall and the sole, I know something is going on. OR, if a flat foot suddenly has a "sucked up" in a drastic ridge of concavity, I assume the soles have revealed that they are extremely thin. These all warrant further investigation.

Educating ourselves on what might be a red flag and what might not be can help catch early warning signs before a real issue starts.

09/15/2022

08/27/2022

To understand how important the hoof is for the horse, you just need to think that in a 3-month-old fetus, this extremely specialized structure is already fully formed.

08/10/2022

08/03/2022

HOOF ABSCESSES EXPLAINED

Sooner or later, nearly all horse owners will deal with a hoof abscess. But what does "hoof abscess" actually mean?

Although most commonly seen during the wet winter and spring months, hoof abscesses can plague horses year-round and usually occur when debris and bacteria enter the foot through hoof cracks and wounds, even horseshoeing holes. The bacteria then get trapped between the sensitive laminae (the tissue layer that bonds the hoof capsule to the coffin bone) and the hoof wall or sole and create pus; the pus builds up over the course of time and puts pressure behind the hoof wall or sole, until it causes the sudden onset of acute lameness when the pain finally becomes too great.
(The diagram below shows a simplified view of the equine hoof to help you visualize the structures involved in this process.)

Hoof abscesses can mimic other more serious diseases or injuries, so involving your veterinarian early on in the diagnosis and prompt treatment of this condition is always a good idea. Some abscesses will be uncomplicated and rupture on their own like a large pimple at the coronary band or heel bulbs; other abscesses, however, could require radiographs and will need to be surgically drained.

Read more about hoof abscesses on our website at https://aaep.org/horsehealth/hoof-abscesses

07/19/2022

How to find a patient farrier:

Train your horse to stand quietly
Train your horse to give a foot on command
Train your horse to hold up each foot for 3 min
Train your horse to be patient at the tie rail for 2 hours

Before the farrier arrives:
Excercise your horse
Play with your horse
Feed your horse
Groom your horse

A farrier will not be patient with you if you haven't held up your end of the bargain.

Things farriers ARE patient with:
New, hungry, excited, teachable horse owners
Young horses that are well handled and comfortable

Things farriers are NOT patient with:
Hungry horses
Irritable horses
Untrained horses
Muddy horses
Antsy horse brought straight from the stall
Late horse owners
Distracted handlers (chit chat, cell phone, treats, ...)

07/02/2022

Just a friendly reminder as we enter the heat dome🔥, that Farriers are real people and not machines. Therefore, care must be taken to avoid heat stroke and heat exhaustion 🤒. Doing laborious work while the temperatures are hot increases the chance of heat related illness, not to mention that standing near a forge that runs at 3000⁰F while wearing boots, jeans and chaps doesn't help. Please protect your farrier and do your best to make their work safe.

There are a few things that you as an owner can do to ease the strain that extreme heat has on your farrier!

A space out of direct sun is a must!
Please provide a heavily shaded area, shelter, barn or shop for a safe workspace. 🌞

If you have access to a large fan, desensitize your horses to it in advance and allow it to run while work is being done. 🌬

Bugs love the heat so give your horse a good spray with repellent prior to your appointment!🦟

Farrier work is very physical, this naturaly increases the body's core temperature.
Increased body temperature + insanely hot weather= a fried farrier 🍗
A cold glass of juice or water helps immensely and is appreciated beyond words. Although most farriers carry their own water to drink, staying hydrated is a difficult task when you can't keep up to the buckets of sweat. ♨️

Remember that the heat makes work extra exhausting, so please be patient and kind with your farrier ❤

If you are unable to provide a safe work environment during the extreme heat, appointments may need to be rescheduled or booked earlier in the day before temps get spicy.🔥 Safety is priority.
We appreciate your kindness and understanding.

-signed a farrier just trying to survive🏥🌅

Stay Safe Everyone

07/01/2022

06/15/2022

Hooves grow forward as much or more than they grow downward. And, as they grow forward, the base of support moves forward—out from under the bony column of the limb. Farriers typically refer to it as “backing the foot up,” and it’s a key element to good maintenance.

05/19/2022

There are a million things I think about when considering a trim for a horse.

Their movement, diet, posture, environment, conformation, past injuries, internal pathology, metabolic issues, their comfort level, their job expectations, hoof wear patterns, what their hoof distortion/pathology is suggesting, etc.

My focus when assessing these becomes giving the horse the best trim possible based on all those factors. Sometimes that means putting the foot down for a second look mid-trim, seeing how they adjust their stance and weightbearing, letting the foot "settle' under weightbearing before making a small change, or watching them move again to see changes in biomechanics or loading, the list goes on.

I can't stress this enough: when horses stand well - meaning they willingly pick their feet up, and hold them up comfortably for extended periods of time - it makes my job exponentially easier.. but not only that, the horse receives a more considerate trim.

If we are spending most of the hoofcare appointment focusing on how the horse stands - or isn't standing - to have its feet done, our focus shifts away from the minute details of the hoof and body and movement that might affect our trim, and instead is centered on keeping ourselves safe and the horse comfortable enough just to finish the trim.

There is a marked difference between giving the best trim possible for that horse's situation, and "making sure we just finish the trim."

Sometimes, for a horse that is unable to stand well, all it takes to make hoofcare appointments easier is the owner working in between trims, picking up the feet and holding them up comfortably. Sometimes, professional training help may be needed. And of course, there's always the possibility of a pain factor that requires some veterinary diagnostics and intervention.

If you're wondering if your hoofcare provider is giving your horse the best trim possible, one question to add into the mix is - is your horse standing as comfortably and willingly as possible? If not, then some work on that might make a drastic difference in the trim outcome.

For those who might need more help with how their horses stand for the farrier, I have two podcast episodes on this topic:

Making Hoofcare Appointments a Positive Experience with Adele Shaw:
https://thehumblehoof.libsyn.com/making-hoofcare-a-positive-experience-with-adele-shaw

Farrier Friendly with Kristin Thornberry:
https://thehumblehoof.libsyn.com/farrier-friendly-how-to-support-your-horse-to-stand-well-for-the-farrier-with-kristin-thornberry

Pictured is a horse who stands immaculately for her trim 🥰

04/19/2022

Have you ever wondered what an underrun/run forward heel looks like on the inside? **Post Update:This is a cadaver leg. Dissection by Paige Poss/Anatomy of the Equine. Clinic put together and hosted by Alicia Harlov/The Humble Hoof.

04/14/2022

04/02/2022

Not a joke...

Have you ever wondered why you can have a 15 acre field and part of it is chewed down to nubs and the other part has grass a hand high, But your horse is constantly grazing in the chewed down part?

Grass 6 inches and taller has less sugars than grass under 6 inches.

For every inch drop below 6 inches, the fructan (sugar) content rises.

Grass under 6 inches is stressed like it's a Monday morning with a project deadline. It uses sugar to repair itself.

Stop mowing your fields short.

Stop grazing your chubbys on chewed down grass. (this is why grazing muzzles are so touted...they keep the horse from being able to get much short grass)

(We aren't saying let your fields be 3 feet tall, by the way. The optimal thing to do is keep them 6-8 inches tall and graze them in small areas there)

03/08/2022

Reminder! I am no longer receiving messages via Messenger, please text or call 515-782-9383 for your farrier service needs. Thank you all!

02/07/2022

Well, just some everyday work!

I have shut off the messenger part of my business page: I am having a hard time keeping track of messages from so many different areas. If you are needing farrier services, please text or call 515-782-9383 and I will get back to you during normal business hours. Thank you!

As a reminder, normal business hours are Monday-Friday, 7-5 pm. Thanks!

09/24/2021

07/12/2021

The only bars I’ve been to lately are bar shoes