We have chosen to focus this week’s blog on caring for our horse’s feet. Jessica and I are very lucky to have some very good professional farriers to care for our horses.
Here at the ranch in the Wells Gray Park where I live, Robert McNeilage is our farrier. Robert, who graduated from Kwantlen Polytechnic University in Langley, started shoeing my warmblood dressage mare about 8 years ago. The first time he came over to do her feet, I told him out right that if I didn’t like his work, or the way he treated by horses, he would not be coming back.
Well, he did a fantastic job making shoes for my Tesse who is not exactly what you would call a regular size horse (standing at almost 18 hands). The next horse needing care that day was our little man Mozart, a Shetland pony who suffered from Cushing’s, which also meant laminitis. The farrier made special heart-bar shoes for Mozart and changed them every 6 weeks. That made a world of difference for Mozart, who relived from pain, could follow the big horses all over the ranch. Mozart loved to go on trail rides with us, which he did for the many years we had him until he sadly passed away last year.
The old saying about caring for a horse’s hooves is so true. Some horses, just like humans, may have some conformation issues that can be corrected if done by a professional farrier.
Our little girl Daisy, American Quarter Horse, has a bowed in knee that is responding very well to regular trimming. What the farrier does is correct her hoof so she stands a bit straighter. She is only 9 months old, so her growth plates are open, and she should be able to correct with regular and careful trimming. Already now, three months into the correction, we can see an improvement in her. She is fully able to do a quarter mile dash and keep up with her sister Red 😊
When choosing a Farrier for your horses, make sure you find one who is not just professional, but is also kind and patient with your horses. This is especially important for us as we have all those young horses who are in training. As you can see from the picture of Daisy, Robert takes his time to get to know her, make her feel safe around him before he does her feet. Daisy just loves the back scratches and all the attention.
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