Farriers Play an Important Role in Horse Health

Farriers manage and provide protection for horse hooves. Here’s a look at how they help maintain horses’ health.
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Though many consider a horseshoe a symbol of luck, some horse owners depend on horseshoes to help keep their horse’s hooves healthy. And healthy horse hooves can result in a happy and performance-ready horse.

The skilled tradesman that trim horses’ hooves, make shoes, and apply them to hooves are called farriers. Jason Maki, farrier for the Texas A&M College of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences, explained the important role of his job.

“Farriers manage and provide protection for horse hooves,” he said. “Protection for the hoof is frequently a steel shoe which is formed and fit to the horse’s trimmed foot. The hoof also grows over time and often does not wear evenly or enough to allow the horse to remain comfortable. Thus, farriers trim excess growth and restore the hoof to a functional form.”

Maki said some horses who perform repetitive motions, such as working or show horses, require horse shoes. If horse hooves are not trimmed and fitted for shoes, the result could be lameness

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