The Hoof Print - Birett Farrier Service

The Hoof Print
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News Bytes
It’s Cork Time
With show season upon
us and outdoor riding
already being enjoyed by
many thanks to the
warmer than usual
temperatures, it’s time to
think about corks. If you
have not already had your
horse’s shoes drilled and
tapped for corks, and
you would like to, please
let me know when
scheduling your next
appointment. The cost to
drill and tap a pair of new
shoes with corks is $15.
Sole Protection
The dry, hard ground that
is common in summer
months and the
concussion some horses
endure during consistent
showing can be taxing on
a horse’s hooves
especially those with thin
soles. In order to prevent
soreness and/or bruising,
we can discuss the
possibility of using pads
and cushioning.
Greg Birett, CF
7 Longyear Drive
Waterdown ON L0R 2H5
905-320-2875
www.ontariofarrier.com
gbirett@hotmail.com
May 2012
Greg Birett Farrier Services
Spring, School & Shoes
Happy spring everyone! That was
definitely one of the easiest
winters I can remember getting
through, but it’s still just as
satisfying as ever to swap the long
underwear for shorts and t-shirts.
Winter paddocks were quickly
turned to mud and snow pads
seemed like a pretty bad idea, but
the nice weather is here again and
we got a lot of “bonus days” where
people were able to escape the
often crowded arenas and stretch
their horse’s legs outside.
Myself and my crew have been busy
upgrading skills over the winter with
clinics, competitions and schooling. In
January, I went to a Vettec clinic where
the product’s representative
demonstrated their line of pour in pads,
hoof repairs and glue on shoe
materials.
The clinician stressed to us how
important ideal conditions are for the
glue on shoes to work, and how it’s
difficult but necessary to meet these
conditions while out on the road at a
job. He noted the ideal conditions the
shop where he was doing his demo
provided him, and how it is hard to
control all these factors in different
weather at the barns (too hot, too cold,
too wet, etc.).
The Team: Anthony, me and Kyle
glue on shoes just yet.
Kyle has been busy working on his
forging skills, and he entered the two
competitions the Ontario Farriers
Association hosted this past winter. He
did very well, winning a couple classes,
getting some seconds, and most
importantly, learning a lot.
In February, Anthony and I went to the
Heartland Horseshoeing School in
Missouri for a week to take advantage of
the world class blacksmithing
instruction there. The tips and education
we received from the school’s owner,
Chris Gregory, will last a lifetime.
As I’ll mention later, forging skills are
of course very important when shoeing
horses. Not only do they help to save
trips to the anvil when shaping shoes
Even in these perfect shop conditions,
(making the procedure more efficient)
the shoe the clinician had finished
but good blacksmithing skills are
gluing on came off a few minutes later
imperative for a shoe fit that follows the
as the horse turned and twisted its foot
shape of the coffin bone inside the foot,
on the ground, which really reinforced
and for assuring shoe placement that
my mistrust of glue on shoes. I do find
best supports weight bearing and
the pour in pads and hoof rebuilder very
breakover. Again I’ll get into more detail
effective and I use them frequently, but
a little later.
personally I’m not quite ready to trust
Continued...
The Hoof Print
Produced by Greg Birett Farrier Services
Spring, School & Shows
Continued...
In March, Kyle, Anthony and I all went to the annual
Ontario Farriers Association convention where we spent
the weekend attending lectures and talking shop with
other farriers. A speaker from the States lectured on
shoe placement, balance and breakover, an equine
nutritionist gave a presentation on dietary requirements
for optimal hoof growth, and local farrier Peter Ayranto
did a presentation on his shoeing work with the vets at
the University of Guelph. The balance and breakover
presentation was a good refresher, being one of the
most important topics to understand when trimming and
shoeing.
The nutritionist lecture was of particular interest because
each year I have one or two horses that just can’t seem
to grow strong healthy feet, and Stacey and I have tried
to figure out for a long time what these horses might be
lacking in their diets and if there is any particular
supplement that will help them. Since the clinic, Stacey
has done a lot of researching and with the help of
material provided by the nutritionist she has put
together a plan of action with the necessary dietary
requirements these horses would need to grow stronger
hooves. We are going to try a hoof supplement along
with ground flax, as the nutritionist suggested, with a
horse at her barn who has very bad hoof growth and
we’re hoping to provide some good before/after pictures
in a later newsletter.
Peter did a great presentation on farrier work at the
university and verified that it is not quite as glamorous
as it sounds, but the interesting projects he gets to work
on and therapeutic shoes he gets to fabricate for certain
cases makes it all worthwhile.
Striking steel with international award winning blacksmith,
Chris Gregory, at Heartland Horseshoeing School in Missouri.
Anthony, Chris and I having a laugh.
For those of you who are interested, Josh is growing up
strong and healthy. He has an absolutely ravenous
appetite (like a true Birett my great-aunt tells me), and
his smiles continue to light up our lives at home. Stacey
has already had him on Shard and he still enjoys visiting
the barn and horses.
Happy spring everyone!
Greg
A few of the bar shoes I made in Missouri.
The Hoof Print
Produced by Greg Birett Farrier Services
Hot Shoeing vs Cold Shoeing
When I first started shoeing I was working mostly on race horses
and all the shoes that I put on were fit cold. The saddle horses
that I shod were fit cold as well because that was the only
method I knew. The farriers I looked up to and wanted to
emulate were all hot fitting their shoes and I knew that there must
be something to it. Now, 15 years later and after a lot of learning
and experience I’ve found many definite advantages to hot fitting.
The first and most obvious advantage is it’s easier to shape the
shoe when it’s hot. It takes just little taps to change the shape
of a red hot shoe as opposed to the heavy swings needed to
change the shape of a cold piece of steel. Plus, it doesn’t distort
the nail holes and the shoe doesn’t look as banged up when it is
shaped hot.
doing it cold.
This is just my opinion and I am speaking from what
I’ve learned over the years, I know from experience
that I can do a much better job of keeping feet intact
with hot fitting. There are a lot of cold shoers that keep
horses happy and sound - it’s just not my preference.
Trimming for Balance
The first thing I do is stand in front of the horse and
look at the way the foot bears weight under that
particular limb. I look for the hairline at the coronary
band to be a nice even distance with the ground from
Another hot shoeing advantage is it gives me tight and consistent one side to the other as opposed to being higher on
contact between the foot and the shoe. This is because when I
the inside or outside (medial/lateral balance). If there is
sear the hot shoe onto the foot, it plainly shows any high spots
a medial/lateral imbalance there is usually some
that need to be removed with a knife or rasp. When clips are hot distortion in the form of a dish (flare) where the wall
fit into the side of the foot and the shoe is cooled it then clicks
has lost some of its strength and the hoof tubules
into place on the foot like a jigsaw puzzle piece. This allows the
(laminae) have bent. These distortions have to be
use of smaller and fewer nails because the clips hold the shoe in corrected and I begin by rasping the wall straight.
place. The smaller nails displace less hoof as they are driven in,
I always take a little walk around the horse to look at
and if a shoe does get pulled accidentally, the lighter nails don’t
all four feet and moving to the side allows me to see if
rip as much foot away. Some horses are sensitive to nails being
driven into their feet and the smaller a nail I can use, the happier there is excess heel or toe growth (anterior/posterior
balance). The long pastern should run parallel with the
they are. I have heard many times at clinics that hot fitting helps
to keep feet healthy by cauterizing freshly trimmed wall and sole, front of the foot (the dorsal surface), viewed from the
side. In my opinion, the majority of horses grow more
and closing up the open laminae prevents moisture from
toe on one front foot and more heel on the other front
escaping.
foot, and the diagonal hinds will often mirror this
Cold shoeing is faster, it’s cheaper for the farrier, and for some
discrepancy. I always try to make the fronts
nervous horses it can sometimes be the only way to get the job
symmetrical to one another as well as the hinds with
done. But I think because it is more difficult to bang a cold shoe
one another, and again I begin by rasping the dorsal
into shape it’s easier to take shortcuts, like just opening or
surface of the foot to achieve straight hoof walls
closing the shoe and turning the heels in, as opposed to
without any dishes.
modifying the shoe to the ideal shape for each situation. As
professional farriers, we are taught to shape a shoe to mirror the Another angle that I like to look at is obtained by
holding the pastern and letting the foot dangle, then
shape of the coffin bone in each particular foot, and in general,
sighting down the heel to the toe. From the bottom
the ease in shaping a hot shoe offers a lot more precision than
of the foot I use the frog as a reference to where the
coffin bone is. Recognizing with landmarks on the frog
where the structures are inside the foot allows me to
trim so the horse’s weight is distributed as evenly as
possible during movement and at rest.
centre of rotation
point of
breakover
A loaded hoof wall doesn’t grow as fast as an
unloaded hoof wall, and the problem perpetuates
over time as the foot grows and tips more towards the
loaded side. The hoof capsule will distort according to
the forces applied to it but the frog will always remain
in the same place in relation to the coffin bone. I use
Continued...
The Hoof Print
Produced by Greg Birett Farrier Services
Continued...
Hot Shoeing vs Cold Shoeing
the frog as a guide to let me know how much to trim off,
what type of distortion (if any) is occurring to the hoof
capsule, and where to set a shoe for optimum placement
in terms of breakover and heel support.
There are times when I have to compromise how much
I can trim a foot for balance in the interest of keeping a
horse sound, sometimes I just can’t take off as much as I
want to. Shoes can be very useful when this happens
because they can add support where it is needed and
therefore limit distortion, and I can trim the foot shorter
when I put a shoe on because the shoe will help protect
the foot from bruising.
Classifieds
FOR SALE: Jumper with Tons of Potential
Trimming for balance is perhaps the most important
aspect of farrier work and when done properly and on a
regular basis can reduce the chances of arthritis and joint
calcification as horses age. While some stress and
degeneration are inevitable, maintaining an even
distribution of weight across a strong, healthy hoof capsule
will help keep problems to a minimum.
Just for a Laugh...
I’d like to say we came up with this but can’t take credit, it was
found online. Nonetheless, it gave the Birett family a chuckle.
A Farrier’s Version of “He Said, She Heard”
HE said: “I think I can help this horse.”
SHE heard: “I can definitely fix this horse.”
HE said: “Here is the bill for today’s services.”
SHE heard: “You can pay this whenever you get around to it.”
Stetson is a 13-year-old, 16.1 hh, Quarter/Clyde cross
gelding. An honest, willing and forgiving jumper with
no spook. Very eager to please. A great partner for
someone looking to enter the jumper show ring.
Finished sixth overall in the 2011 Central West 0.9 m
division with first year jumper rider. Owner off to
university out of province. Price can include tack,
blankets, boots, etc. Contact drconnolly@bell.net.
FOR SALE: Brave Hunter Gelding
Monte is a seven-year-old, 16.2 hh grey gelding.
Going walk/trot/canter with lead changes, schooling
courses. Ready to show this season in the 2’9” hunter
ring. Brave and very safe. Hacks quietly alone or in
a group. Very reasonably priced. Contact Rivermore
Stable in Milton for details: Lise at 905-467-1481,
lise.elder@gmail.com or Annie at 905-580-2664,
annemccaughey@hotmail.com.
HE said: “Because of your horse’s previous case history, the
shoe that your vet has prescribed may not be effective for this
particular problem.”
SHE heard: “The vet doesn’t know what he’s talking about.”
HE said: “I’d appreciate if you could improve the working
conditions in the shoeing area.”
SHE heard: “I’m too good to shoe your horses.”
HE said: “I will be out sometime next week.”
SHE heard: “I will definitely be there Sunday morning.”
HE said: “I stand behind my work.”
SHE heard: “...even if the shoes come off after 12 weeks.”
HE said: “ Your horse needs training to learn to stand for shoeing.”
SHE heard: “I will train him each time I come to shoe him.”
HE said: “There has been some success correcting foal limb
deviations.”
SHE heard: “You’ve got a Derby winner here.”