First, the AFJ recommends maintaining a regular shoeing or trimming interval.

“Even though hooves grow more slowly during fall and winter, regular farrier care is important,” states the AFJ. “If shoes are pulled for the winter, hooves may need to be trimmed more frequently.”

A second tip is to keep stalls and run-in sheds clean and dry with regular maintenance, including manure/soiled bedding removal.

Another part of the horse owner's daily winter routine should be checking and cleaning out each hoof. Regular visual exams can help detect early changes that could signify the beginning of larger problems, and regular cleaning will help prevent a dangerous buildup of snow/ice.

Fourth on the list is to maintain anti-thrush measures.

“In milder winter climates, mud can create as big a problem as snow and ice,” the AFJ warns.

Finally, consider your horse's changing nutritional needs during the winter months. Vitamins A and E are mainly provided by hay, but those levels can drop to less than 20 percent of normal by winter's end. Additional supplementation may be necessary, but as always, consult your veterinarian and farrier for specific advice.

Check out the full checklist at the American Farriers Journal.

The post ‘Tis The Season: Top Five Winter Hoof Care Tips appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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PCHS owner Bob Smith, a member of the International Horseshoeing Hall of Fame, filed a lawsuit against the state of California in 2017 when the law required him to turn down the enrollment of prospective student Esteban Narez. Narez did not complete high school after suffering a tear in the medial collateral ligament of his knee, and had since been employed at a seven-days-a-week job at a horse farm.

Narez attempted to enroll in PCHS, since farriers are able to make more money than farm hands, but Smith was forced to turn down his application.

“It's legal in California for Esteban to try shoeing a horse on his own, but it's illegal for PCHS to teach Esteban how to horseshoe,” explained Keith Diggs, an attorney with the Institute for Justice, which represented Esteban and PCHS. “Teaching and learning are protected by the First Amendment, and that doesn't change just because Esteban wants to pay PCHS to teach him.”

UCLA School of Law Professor Eugene Volokh filed an amicus (“friend of the court”) brief supporting Smith and PCHS on the grounds of constitutional free speech.

“For many vocations, including horseshoeing, a high school education and test-taking ability are not required for effective performance,” Volokh wrote. “Indeed, these are among the vocations that may often earn the best living for people without high school diplomas. And rough proxies for supposedly fraudulent speech that risk chilling free speech cannot pass the strict scrutiny required for content-based speech restrictions.”

On June 10, 2020, the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals issued its decision that California likely violated Bob Smith's constitutional rights by prohibiting him from teaching students how to shoe horses.

The repeal of the law came on Sept. 28, 2021.

“These changes will permit students without a high school diploma or the equivalent to enroll in private post-secondary institutions without having to complete the admissions prerequisite of passing an alternate entrance examination,” according to the California Bureau for Private Postsecondary Education (BPPE). “As a result of the changes, which will go into effect on Jan. 1, 2022, a student who is otherwise qualified and has a reasonable prospect of completing an instructional program, but lacks a high school diploma or the equivalent, will no longer have to pass an 'ability-to-benefit' examination in order to enroll in the program.”

“Our trade organizations can have educational requirements, as they are private industry,” Smith told the AFJ. “In a free society, each individual should have the right to try and succeed or try and fail, using their own money and their own time without government interference.”

Read more at the American Farriers Journal.

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• Zinc: important for cornification — turning protein into hoof horn
• Copper: works in concert with zinc to form keratin proteins
• Manganese: helps create the hard outer hoof capsule
• Selenium: with either too little or too much of this mineral, the hoof will not be strong and healthy

“All of these important trace minerals must be in proper balance or something suffers,” writes Dr. Larson.

For more hoof health facts, check out the American Farriers Journal.

The post Which Trace Minerals Are Most Important To Improving Hoof Quality? appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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Broadus, the son of farrier Sonny Broadus, made this demonstration to show the craftsmanship of forging shoes that was preserved by the Thoroughbred and Standardbred farriers. This was a common way of making a horseshoe for a racehorse that needed help for a variety of issues related to the heels, like navicular pain.

Pat Broadus primarily works with Thoroughbreds in his farrier practice.

This originally appeared in the American Farriers Journal and appears here with permission.

The post Video: Ever Wanted To See How A Bar Shoe Is Made? Racetrack Farrier Explains His Process appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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