What makes a specialist in a particular field of shoeing and how do I know if my farrier is cutting the mustard? 

-So, I have been replacing a few folks out here left and right lately, and I thought it might be wise to pony up the whys and how of what makes me unique in my feild ( you know, what makes you so special), and not just a boob with a rasp.  Hopefully this experience will serve you in checking up on your farrier in the future should you need too.   For those who want to know, I am a specialist in complex shoeing systems.  Thats a mouthful.

1. I was educated not only by a fantastic therapudic expert, but also an acomplished gaited show horse farrier.  I learned tons (and paid more then well for it) from the facility I was trained in and graduated in good standing in my class.
2. I have spent years shoeing complicated horses for a veriety of needs.  I have worked tons of custom shoes, many on my husbands crooked arabian show horses, and let me tell you, in half arabians, some are more paint lines, some saddlebred, some so much arabian blood you can’t see anything else. But that is a wide veriety of hooves to be looking at, and a very diverse set of needs and preformances.  You never know what you are going to get in that mix.
3. My knowlage of anatomy ( of the lower limb, nothing else!) is really great, so I can talk on medical terms with the vet.  Not all veterinarians appreciate this in your farriers, and in many cases I have better shoeing plans for various issues, again they can’t know everything, and all I do is the lower limb.  That makes it easier to keep up with.
4. What I don’t do.  Ha, this is my favorite part.  Ask a farrier what they don’t do work wise, and the answer may surprise you.  Usually, Mules!  Personally, I don’t typically service race horses.  It take a real dedication to be the best in that game, and I don’t have time for both, which wouldn’t be fair to my racing owners.  I could get one running if the need arose, but I have no doubt there are better farriers then I in that department.  I shoe them when they break something and won’t run anymore.  Also, where I am extremely accompished in the half draft showing department, I would not be comfertable doing full draft teams.  I can do lame ones, but shoeing teams is it’s own kind of specialty, and I don’t think its my cup of tea.  I think I am far too lazy for that.
5. What makes me great at what I do is I have many horses worth of experience in every system imaginable.  Many farriers are proefficient in 1 or 2, I have between 18 and 22 systems running at any given time.  And as of today, only one is currently not doing as well as I would like.  She has also only been shod for 2 days though, so time should win that one out, and we will dial her in where she needs to be.  If the one she is in isn’t right, she will get one that is.

The bottom  line is, if you need something complicated, know where your farriers limitations are and ask yourself if your horse is getting the edge he needs to compete with the best.  It’s not fair to ask a farrier to be an expert in the entire world of horseshoeing.  There are far too many technoligies and products out there to keep up with.