Category: Uncategorized
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What is Good Work?
We all want our horse’s hooves taken good care of, but what makes it a good job? While the question of exactly what is correct for each horse is far too complex to answer in a blog, I will try to give a general overview of things to look for. For this example I will…
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Hoof Care in the Winter
As the weather is cooling off and shows and trail rides are winding down for the year, we have to consider what care is needed for horses’ hooves. For most horses, hoof care during the fall and winter will look about the same as it does the rest of the year, but for others, it…
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Boundaries as an Entrepreneur
As we look back on the anniversary of the founding of Dixie’s Farrier Service, the past 10 years have gone by extremely fast. With that in mind, it is easy to get swept up in the daily routine of running a business, which is why setting boundaries is vital. For many of us, boundaries…
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Expanding the Company Considerations
Over the past couple of months, the dream of a multi-farrier practice has started looking more like a reality with the schedule full several weeks out and days pushing the maximum of what I can do on my own. It has come into our consideration of hiring help, however; this isn’t a simple or quick…
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When To Say No…
As farriers, we have a difficult and dangerous job – on a good day. Ideally, horses will be trained to stand for the farrier and vet and won’t cause any issues. Unfortunately, we see horses all the time that do not stand or show behaviors that are less than ideal. At best, this can lead…
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Our Marketing Director
Hey folks! Kia here. I thought I’d give Cody a break from procrastinating on blog posts and post one myself. Most clients don’t get to interact with me in-person unless I’m riding along with Cody during an appointment or event on the rare occasion. I work on the keyboard, staring at a screen, instead of…
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Q & A
How long have you been shoeing? Dixie’s Farrier Service was started in September of 2008. I began pursuing shoeing late in 2006. Why hot fit? There are several reasons for fitting shoes hot. First, it gives us a more exact fit than cold shoeing. In addition, hot fitting will kill the bacteria and fungi that…
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Spring
Much to the dismay and frustration of my wonderful marketing director, Kia, I am just sitting down to write this blog on the 30th of April, its due date. It is currently sunny and 60 degrees with a high today of 70. Perfect weather. Definitely not the kind of day to sit in an office.…
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International Hoof-Care Summit 2018
This blog was started one year ago with a post about the International Hoof-Care Summit that is held in Cincinnati, Ohio each year. Once again I just returned from that conference. It was another year of good lectures, conversations, and time spent in the trade show. This year there were lectures on various research…
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2017 Year in Review
2017 was a big year for Dixie’s Farrier Service. In January, work began on a new shop and Kia Apple joined the company as the social media and marketing manager. In August, I changed my schedule so that more time could be devoted to Dixie’s. We went from being open one full day a week…
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Winter Hoof Care
As the weather gets cooler and we start thinking about getting our barns and homes ready for winter, we generally have our list of things to do for winterizing. For me, winterizing around the barn has meant getting out heated buckets, installing trough heaters, making sure blankets are ready if needed, draining hoses, and various…
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PATH Intl. Conference 2017
One of the core values of Dixie’s Farrier Service is education, both that of ourselves and our clients. At the beginning of November, Cody attended the Professional Association of Therapeutic Horsemanship (PATH) International Conference in San Antonio, Texas to give a lecture on hoof care for working horses at a PATH barn. The lecture covered…
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When To Use Shoes
When considering whether or not to shoe a horse there are several factors to take into consideration. Three reasons that we should consider the use of shoes are – if wear exceeds growth if a change is needed to enhance the foot in regard to the horse’s job, such as changing traction if the foot…
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9 Years
Last month Dixie’s was celebrating our 9th anniversary, we have been both looking back over the years and towards the future of the company. Looking back, we are certainly not where we planned on being when first starting 9 years ago. Much like the rest of life, the company has had many twists and turns…
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Hold Your Horses…
As a farrier I am constantly putting my safety in someone else’s hands. Whoever is holding the lead rope of the horse I am working on can significantly affect how a horse stands for me. Unfortunately, horses do not come with owner’s manuals and far too often it is assumed that everyone knows exactly how…