Strongman Farrier

05/02/2024

Thank you for the recognition Balancing Whispers! Always appreciate clients that go above and beyond for their horse’s recovery. And another big thank you to FormaHoof for being a part of our rehab process. 👊

29/01/2024

Well isn't this the truth 😅😭

02/11/2023

Incredible product, leading to fantastic results. Excited to be a part of the FormaHoof team! 💫

Strongman Farrier offers a variety of hoof care services; utilizing FormaHoof for performance horses and therapeutic care. Let's work together and find the best hoof care solution for your horse.

24/10/2023

Thank you Bethany P Photography for these amazing photos of Sirila and I in the show ring at Devon. Also a big shout out to Mary Claeys for breaking the mould with this perfect filly! 💫

20/08/2023

After popular demand, I have expanded my services to include 🥳
You may have already heard about this product and its benefits, but I'll share my thoughts after a number of successful recent applications.
What you're looking at is a fully encapsulated polymer hoof with some pink glitter. This is a non-invasive and liquid-fit horseshoe.
The polymer expands and allows for natural hoof function. It wears like a natural hoof, but has many added benefits such as protecting soft soles, building up negative heels, assisting horses recovering from laminitis, or even allowing you to nail a shoe for a horse that has a compromised hoof.
I was looking into using this product for a long time, and I can say that I'm very happy with the results.
Top questions I get when people inquire about the product;
Q: How long does an application last?
A: With my recent applications, I have had them last for 5 weeks. They likely can reach 6 or so weeks, but during the summer, I like to ensure the hooves don't get long, so I recommend reapplying every 4 to 5 weeks.
Q: Are you not worried that by sealing the hoof in a polymer, you could potentially be creating problems?
A: It's all in the prep! I use a sole cleanse by Red Horse, a heat gun to dry out the hoof if needed, and some good old copper sulfate. So far, I haven't noticed any issues when I removed 5 week old FormaHoof from my clients' horses.
Q: Why do you like this product?
A: I like giving options to my clients, and this product has definitely shown me that it works. It has made the toughest laminitic cases comfortable and solved a lot of issues with horses that have thin and brittle hooves. Overall, I am impressed at its cabilities to solve the age-old high low without worrying about pulling a wedged horseshoe.
If you're interested in learning more about , send me a DM and make sure to check out www.formahoof.com

05/07/2023

Highly recommend as a pit stop for my horsey friends travelling through Illinois, USA! This is where we stayed a couple months ago. 🐴🚚

Campground Stables photo compliments of Shawn Fender.

27/06/2023

Literally the best yearling standing for a trim; and of course I’m not biased whatsoever… 😏

19/06/2023

You left your mark on this industry, it will live on forever, R.I.P. Scott Collier 🙏

A significant anvil has fallen silent in the farrier industry. Our deepest condolences to the family and friends of Scott Collier. You left an indelible mark, sir.

19/06/2023

Strong and pretty 💪🎀 ... Wedge 3D pads with dental impressions for a laminitic horse.

14/05/2023

My 'little' 14.3 yearling filly 😁

14/03/2023

Knowledge sharing...

Had the pleasure of taking part in a hoof lameness discussion at Ontario Veterinary College with the OVC Equine Club this past week. A big thank you to my colleagues for a successful talk and demonstration with the Werkman Hoofcare Hoofbeat.

Many topics were discussed, including medial lateral imbalances, shoeing to support conformational faults, and understanding how we can utilize tools like the Hoofbeat to do a full gait and landing assessment to help guide our trimming or shoeing options.

Looking forward to meeting and working with these wonderful vets in the future. ✨️

21/01/2023

Damn well the luckiest horse I've seen. 😳
This is a roofing nail that punctured through the lateral heel and nowhere else. Had this nail gone in vertically, we would have potentially faced irreparable or fatal damage.
My client made the right decision to call the vet and not pull the nail out. It's important to get radiographs in a situation like this so we can have a clear picture of the damage and to aid in creating an appropriate recovery plan.
This horse is making a good recovery and will be back to its cheeky self soon enough!

09/12/2022

I'm trying something that I haven't done before.
This horse presented some evident lameness. Vet assessed and found some soft tissue strain and mild navicular changes from the radiograph.
My client asked if we could try something different for this horse's rehab. She had learned about these plastic shoes and wondered if we could give them a try. We discussed the normal protocol for a situation like this, and I thought these shoes were worth a shot!
These shoes are made by Ground Control Horseshoes. I found them quite straightforward even though I had never used this product before. They come in standard shoe sizes for convenience. Cut to rough shape with your nippers, nail them on, and file to desired shape/bevel. The only thing is to be mindful of nail pitch because these shoes aren't punched like a standard horse shoe.
These shoes do come with a heart bar setup for frog support. I added some pink equipack for additional frog contact under the shoe.
I really enjoyed working with these shoes and hopefully they give this horse the support it needs! 😁

04/12/2022

Finally here! Such a special experience ✨️🐎

23/09/2022

Find me at the Harvest Gathering today! Spending the day forging and doing demonstrations! Here from 9am to late evening. ⚒✨

23/08/2022

Part of the 'dressage is boring' squad. 👊💥

15/08/2022

When everything lines up just right 👌🔨🐎

27/06/2022

Quality assurance by a 3 day old c**t. He was just making sure I was doing a good job on mom 🤣👌

12/06/2022

This Icelandic should be a hoof model! Great little feet on this photogenic horse; someone call GQ magazine.. 😁👌

14/05/2022

Thank you Barb Hepburn Sales - Trailer Parts Store for hooking us up with this awesome trailer! 😄

21/03/2022

It's never easy getting a call to learn that your client's horse has laminitis.
This horse needed some extra support while on the road to recovery. It's always a team effort when something like this happens. I opt to hear what the vet wants and even pull in outside help when needed.
We put a backwards shoe, punched extra nail holes, made new side clips, added a 3 degree wedge and squared the toe to speed up breakover. Reassessment will happen in 3 weeks and any necessary changes will be made then.

20/03/2022

Had an initial case of white line disease that was managed without being recessed thanks to 'B-Gone'. Eight weeks later, the affected area was cleared up.
Fast forward to today, this horse developed a crack because of the white line disease in weeks prior. To ensure that the good foot above the affected area does not worsen, I used a plastic welder to stabilize the crack and floated the wall to reduce any further stress.
Shout out to my buddy for getting me this awesome tool 😁🛠
🔨

15/03/2022

When you go to grab your heart horse from the paddock ❤

13/03/2022

Next Marvel character? Sadly no, just a horse that injured his coronet band.
These photos were taken 4 weeks after his mishap, the injured area now having moved further down the hoof wall. I cleaned up the spot where he initially cut himself, and filled it with 'B Gone' as a preventative measure. The cut is growing out nicely and I have high hopes that we won't have any hoof deformities - lucky horse! 🍀
Swipe ➡️ for more photos!

28/10/2021

Throwback Thursday highlighting my days working on the polo ponies! Thanks again to for the epic shot.

15/10/2021

Had an interesting case brought before me 🤔. One of my client’s horses had a sudden overnight decline in his ability to walk. The vet was called to check the horse, the x-rays were clean from neck down, good weight, young and not on a grain diet. The hooves were warm to hot and indicated to the vet it could be a bout of laminitis. I was asked to provide the horse with therapeutic shoe support.
Thanks to my friends and colleagues we tag teamed this case. We decided to use a backwards shoe, so we could set the toe back further than normal. We also squared off the toe to increase breakover. The horse was having trouble walking, so by increasing the breakover we reduced the effort needed by the horse to lift his foot off the ground.
We then added a 2 degree wedge with the toe area cut out. Since we treated this horse for laminitis, the wedge was necessary. So far, we just started with a 2 degree wedge, but can increase the degrees if necessary.
We drilled 2 holes in the pad and added some Equi-Pak to support the frog. We decided to have the toe area clear of both pads and Equi-Pak to reduce the chances of sole pressure. We used copper nails and rivets to hold everything together.
The horse walked off MUCH better than prior to shoeing. Fingers crossed for a swift recovery! 🤞

25/09/2021

Surprise!! 🥳🎉 Meet my new sidekick! 🐶 Help me figure out a name for this little girl English Springer Spaniel! Drop some suggestions in the comments below!!

14/08/2021

I was called in to assess a pony that had potentially foundered. I watched the pony walk, checked for a deep digital pulse, checked for heat, used my trusty hoof testers and noticed everything looked 'normal'. The signs didn't necessarily point to a founder situation - or at least not anymore. No x-rays had been done.
The key thing I noticed was that the sole of the hoof bulged out higher than the hoof wall. This was consistent with all four hooves. The photo shown here is the right hind.
I took my time to slowly cut away the excess sole, cut the extra long toe and brought the hoof back to a more 'correct' angle. This will take time; gradual changes are critical. There is more toe that needed to come back, but this will be addressed in a follow-up trim. The goal is to always have the weight of the horse on the outer wall of the hoof, not on the sole.
The wonderful news is that the pony trotted off confidently after his trim and everyone was happy with the results. 😊💫

09/08/2021

Mini day! Big personalities in little bodies 😁🤣. I enjoy doing minis for many reasons, but mainly because they always make me laugh.
You have probably seen hundreds of hoof posts about keeping horses on a schedule to ensure good hoof health. Well, I'm going to say it again. You need to keep ALL horses, not just the big ones on a regular schedule.
I have found with these little guys, if they start getting too long, their hooves turn into little elf feet. Now you're probably picturing a mini dressed as an elf 😉.
Each horse is different, each foot is different. Some horses require a shorter schedule, and some require a longer schedule. That can mean 4, 5, 6, 7 or 8 weeks.
In the summer months, with the alternating rain and heat, horses hooves do indeed grow faster. What does that mean? It means the hooves can and will likely break up if you leave them too long. Paddocks aren't perfect and horses step on various things causing their overgrown feet to crack and finally break up. Last but not least, we cannot forget the flies 🪰. All horses stomp to get rid of them.
As we get closer to winter ❄, we adjust cycles accordingly because they do slow down hoof growth. Again, each horse is different. I do have some horses that still grow a lot in the winter. Talk to your farrier or hoof care professional to find out what's optimal for your little furry beasts 🐴.
If you have any hoof health related questions or any other questions, make sure to ask!