Dixie's Farrier Service

Category: Farriers

  • Keratolytic Disease

    Keratolytic Disease

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    by

    Cody Bogard
    in ,

    Recently we have seen various cases of keratolytic disease that have showcased the various types of the disease there are. Here is a quick primer for horse owners on what it is and what you can and should do about it. Keratolytic disease or keratolysis of the zona alba has gone by several names over…

  • The Farrier

    The Farrier

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    by

    Cody Bogard
    in ,

    The Farrier is a pictorial journey across the equine world, recording farriers at work on six continents.

  • Spavin – one of the most common pathologies

    Spavin – one of the most common pathologies

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    by

    Cody Bogard
    in ,

    Bone spavin, sometimes simply referred to as spavin, is an osteoarthritic condition or degenerative joint disease (DJD) of the distal hock joints.

  • Benefits of Joining an Association

    Benefits of Joining an Association

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    by

    Cody Bogard
    in

    Taking a day (or week) off means messing up the schedule and losing income, education is also not free, there is the cost of the event, the cost of travel, and if it is a multi-day event, the cost of accommodations. This year alone I will spend close to $15,000 and 300 working hours on…

  • HISA Rules for Shoeing

    HISA Rules for Shoeing

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    by

    Cody Bogard
    in

    Recently new rules for how Thoroughbred race horses are shod have been released causing an uproar in the racing and shoeing communities. The Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority (HISA), operating under the authority of the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), brought out several new rules related to racing, including limiting what horseshoes are allowed to be…

  • Therapeutic Endorsement

    Therapeutic Endorsement

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    by

    Cody Bogard
    in

    This November I attempted and passed the Therapeutic Endorsement at the American Farriers Association (AFA) annual convention. The TE is one of three possible endorsements or add ons to the Journeyman (CJF).

  • Farrier Industry Price Increases

    Farrier Industry Price Increases

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    by

    Cody Bogard
    in ,

    We have seen prices rise anywhere from 10%-300% in the past year to year and a half. Some of the shoes I like to use have been on backorder for 6 months, the glue that we use had to change how it is packaged because the company couldn’t source the normal containers, steel that we…

  • The Principles and Practice of Horse-shoeing

    The Principles and Practice of Horse-shoeing

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    by

    Cody Bogard
    in ,

    Our next book for review is another older book, this one from the late 1920’s. The Principles and Practice of Horse-shoeing by Charles Holmes FWCF is on the reading list for the Worshipful Company of Farriers AWCF exam, it should of course be noted however that this is a historic book and the science of…

  • Practical Farriery Book Review

    Practical Farriery Book Review

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    by

    Cody Bogard
    in ,

    The first book we will look at in our review series is Practical Farriery by C. Richardson FWCF. First published in 1950 in London this book was originally written with a young farrier or apprentice in mind. At just about 70 pages long in the 1968 edition I have, it is a relatively short book…

  • Upcoming on the Blog: Reviews of Farrier Books

    Upcoming on the Blog: Reviews of Farrier Books

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    by

    Cody Bogard
    in

    Have a farrier book you want Cody to review? Comment below and let us know!

  • Choosing a Farrier Rig

    Choosing a Farrier Rig

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    by

    Cody Bogard
    in

    This spring we were able to purchase a new trailer from Stonewell Bodies in New York. There are many different variations of farrier rigs to choose from, so what considerations go into choosing what to buy or build? It seems the list of considerations is nearly limitless, with certain basic types of rigs being more…

  • Diamond Hoof Knife Review

    Diamond Hoof Knife Review

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    by

    Cody Bogard
    in ,

    Recently we won a Diamond hoof knife in a drawing held by Farrier Product Distribution. Since it is not one that we typically use, we figured it would be a good first product review. The knife that was sent to us was the right hand drop blade hoof knife (DROPR).  Observations as the knife was…

  • Low Foot Case Study

    Low Foot Case Study

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    by

    Cody Bogard
    in

    While it would be nice if every horse had perfect feet, we all know that is not the case. Unfortunately, there are many issues with horses’ hooves and conformation, one of them being upright or club feet. There are times these two terms are used interchangeably; however, they describe very different conditions. We will explore…

  • Getting Paid to Learn

    Getting Paid to Learn

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    by

    Cody Bogard
    in

    While most of our blog posts are geared towards horse owners this one is primarily, though not entirely, meant for my fellow farriers.  When we hire a professional to do a job, we generally expect them to be an expert in their field. For instance, if I take my truck to the mechanic, I expect…

  • Small Business Budgeting

    Small Business Budgeting

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    by

    Cody Bogard
    in ,

    Running a small business is a lot like riding horses. Simple, but not easy. Ok so actually the major concept of each of those is simple but when you look at the details neither is simple or easy. One part of running a small business that eludes many, including farriers, is budgeting. Talking to other…