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A farrier is a specialist in equine (horse, donkey, and mule) and ox hoof care, including trimming and shoeing. A farrier couples a subset of the blacksmith's skills (fabricating, adapting, and adjusting metal shoes) with a subset of veterinary medicine to address the care of a horse's hooves.
Historically in the United States farrier and blacksmith have been all but synonymous and traditionally includes smithy or blacksmith work. In Europe, historically, and more recently in the U.S. farriers are considered to be in a separate, although related, trade.
While it might at first seem to be a simple job, the farrier's tasks involve more than handling the occasional intractable horse.
A farrier's routine work is primarily hoof trimming and shoeing. In ordinary cases it is important to trim each hoof so that it retains its proper orientation to the ground. If the animal has a heavy work load, works on abrasive footing, needs additional traction, or has pathological changes in the hoof, then the trimming is preparation for shoeing.
Additional tasks for the farrier include dealing with injured and/or diseased hooves and application of special shoes for racing, training or "cosmetic" purposes. In cases of horses with certain diseases or injuries, special repairative procedures may be needed for the hooves, and then special shoes may need to be constructed and fitted.
External Links
- Guild of Professional Farriers
- American Farrier's Association
- World Wide Farrier Directory
- Farrier Focus
- Museum of Horse Shoeing Tools
- On The Horse's Foot