WHEN TO CALL THE FARRIER

by Scott French, French Forge Farrier Service

I have been a USPC supporter since 1999, and have been the show farrier for the MidSouth Region Pony Club Mega Rallies and Open Horse Trail (OHT) since 2001. My daughter Ashleigh is a graduate C1, and my wife Denise was the DC of Flying Changes Pony Club in southern Indiana for several years. Our club believed that the Horse Management taught by USPC creates a great foundation for good horsemanship.

In the early years I was surprised at the lack of preparation that riders were making to attend the biggest show of the season by bringing horses with feet that were way overdue for maintenance and expecting them to perform well and stay sound. Or worse yet, expect the onsite farrier who has never seen their critter and is unaware of its history, to remove months of growth two hours before the dressage test or jumping round.

The onsite farrier is there for emergencies only: lost shoes, lameness, studs, etc. The basic principles and mechanics of horseshoeing are the same for all farriers, but each of us has our own style, and have developed our own “eye” (the way we see feet) over the years we have been working.

Equine feet don’t just grow long, they change angles as they grow, which affects the horse’s stance and the way it travels. Have you ever gotten a new pair of boots and after you start wearing them your legs and back start hurting? Your old boots wore down gradually as you walked in them. You might be used to flat heels and your new boots may have a higher heel with no wear at all so as you wear them, they are realigning your skeleton, tendons and ligaments. It is the same for your horse. It has taken your horse weeks to get its angles where they are and it will only take the farrier minutes to realign the angles, limbs and skeletal system. That’s why some horses are a little off after their feet are trimmed or shod.

Sometimes you have no choice but to see the Show farrier, but with good prep and planning you can minimize that need.

Scheduling your farrier visit

The number one thing I hear every year in the farrier shop is “I called my guy and he wouldn’t show up.” That isn’t always accurate. Farriers are very busy during show and trail riding season and if you call your farrier on Monday night and explain to them that your horse needs its feet done but that you are leaving on Wednesday morning, they are not going to be able to get there. All the farriers that I know try to provide good service, but we can only do so much.

Your horse is going to the big show so two or three weeks into their new shoes is optimum. The way to ensure that your critter is prepared for competition is to first find the date for rally then schedule your farrier 12 to 21 days prior to that date. For instance, if you move in on June 22, you need to have your horse shod during the first or second week of June. Then start counting forward every six weeks from that date. Now your critter is scheduled for the whole season at the ideal intervals. Your farrier will be happy to work their schedule around your show calendar.

The other reason for the two-to-three-week timeline is a bad nail. There is a very narrow spot in the hoof called the white line where we have to place our nails. If we are too close to the outside of the hoof, the shoe can be pulled off easily. If we are inside the white line, we may have what is known as a “close nail, “hot nail” or “bad nail.” This is commonly called “pricking” or “quicking.” We generally say we pricked, or quicked, or stuck him. If a farrier tells you that they never prick a horse, they are either retired or not telling the truth. Most critters do not come unraveled when they are pricked. They simply flinch. Some horses always flinch so it is almost impossible to know that this happened. A bad nail left alone may cause an abscess around 10 days later. For the new apprentice farriers that train with me who think they may have stuck a horse, I tell them to pull the nail, pour iodine in the hole and skip that nail hole in the shoe. And to tell the horse owner that they stuck the horse. New farriers are worried they may get fired for a bad nail, and are apprehensive to admit the mistake.

Having spares

Farriers that work horse shows try to stock their rig with everything they may need, but it is nearly impossible to have all types of shoes and sizes on the truck. In most cases the farrier can match your shoe with something similar enough that your horse won’t know the difference.

There are a lot of new specialty shoes on the market today, so it is important that you have spares if your farrier is shoeing your horse with one of these new shoes or with handmade shoes (those that are forged from bar stock just for your critter).

I make sure that my “airborne” horses (jumpers) have spare shoes to take with them to a show. A horse’s first set of shoes during show season can become the spares. When I come back in six weeks I pull the first set of shoes off, tape them together, and mark them with the date and critter’s name. Then those shoes can be put in the tack trunk or trailer. By doing this, I ensure that my client’s horse has shoes that are the right size, right shape, and right fit for the job the horse is going to do. This also makes things much faster in the vet box if your pit crew has your spares.

So, you have made it to the show

As soon as you have set up your stall and tack room, check your critter’s feet. They are notorious for loosening or springing heels during the trailer ride. If the shoes are still on and tight, check your stud holes if you have them. It is much easier to fix stud issues the day before cross country as opposed to 30 minutes As the farrier, I would prefer that studs went in at warm-up and be removed at the finish. Big studs in the heels of your shoes on a hard surface is alarming to me. Small road studs are fine, but half inch studs for muddy Cross-Country courses not so much. I worry about soft tissue injuries. If you have to put them in early, just be cautious and slow.

Also, most stud kits come with a poor-quality adjustable end wrench that isn’t the best tool to use. A 6-inch pair of slip joint pliers, sometimes called Channellocks, are better to use. Slip joints are directional, and get a better grip on the stud when you use them.

A few final thoughts

This section is to explain a few things from the farrier’s perspective. There are a few suggestions that could make our time in the farrier shop safer and more productive.

• When you have gotten off course and get to the wash rack and find that your critter has lost a shoe, wait until your critter is dry before bringing him to the farrier. You both are done for the day, there is no rush to get to the farrier. It is not safe to work on a soaking wet horse – they are as slick as a baby seal. We have a hard enough time protecting the horse, the handler and ourselves without having to deal with a leg that slides in our hands. In the 10-minute box I have had entire buckets of ice water dumped on the horse while I’m under it! We have no choice but to accept the risk out there, but past that time we can wait to take a look at your horse once you have finished your ride if you are coming to the farrier shop.

• If your horse has a barn buddy and you have one as well, all four of you can come to the farrier shop. There is plenty of room and horses stand a lot better when their friends are with them.

• Also make sure to tell the farrier if your horse has any quirks or behavioral issues. If they do, we are going to find out but it will help keep everyone safe if we are aware of whatever it is before we get started.

• The farrier is there for the day; you don’t need to schedule an appointment. Every show I have people come to the shop explaining what their horse needs and asking if they can bring the critter back in 30 minutes and then they don’t show up for two hours. Just bring the horse anytime, that’s why we are there. Now, I have had days that are super busy. One year at MidSouth Rally and OHT I had 18 horses in line! The riders were very good at lining up based on their ride times and everybody made to the ring or start box on time.

• If you have a lame horse, we will do all we can to fix it, but often lameness takes time to heal. The sound healthy footed horses are out on course, not in the farrier’s shop. Sometimes we can’t fix a lameness in 20 minutes. The farrier is there as a member of YOUR team to help keep your beloved critter sound. We have sacrificed our own private practice and time with our families to be at the show with yours. We tend to love our job and try to make it as much fun as we can. And remember, you can always stop by the farrier shop just to say hello!

For more information and to learn about what Scott is describing, check these references:

USPC Manual of Horsemanship: Basics for Beginners, D Level, Chapter 8 “Your Pony’s Feet and Shoeing” pages 214–221.

USPC Manual of Horsemanship: Intermediate Horsemanship, C-1–C-2 Level, Chapter 8 “Shoeing” pages 247–259.

USPC Manual of Horsemanship: Advanced Horsemanship, H-B – A Levels. Shoeing and Trimming Principals, pages 402–414.