John Nieman Horseshoeing

05/11/2020

A little mothers day cleanup on thos guy . Blind draft that would not let us keep his feet off the ground for a trim. Not my preferred method of trimming but effective and he is walking better without all the flair.

03/18/2020

I plan to keep working through this mess. If you have concerns about exposure get setup on one of the electronic payment methods I accept. Get the horses in stalls or small pens where they can be readily caught. We do not have to be in the same area to make sure your horses are cared for. I know I prefer folks to be around for safety but I will make exceptions during this time.

12/19/2019

https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=2610585742382569&substory_index=0&id=345381932236306

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Here it is! The Walk of Champions will be held 12th - 15th of March 2020 in Fountain, Colorado!
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Walk N Style Academy 📌

10/29/2019

Borrowed this from another Farrier Lance Mcintire. Others word things better than I do.

A farriers margin of error. 24 nails per horse ( more if 8 nails per shoe ) on a full set of shoes . 12 nails per foot on a half set if shoes . On a regular week we get at least 360 chances to make a mistake. Could be more depending on your work load. Multiply that by 52 weeks per year and that equals 18,720 chances per year to make a mistake. Mistake in this case meaning a hot nail or a quick . This is a moderate estimate because sometimes we do many more horses per week and nail on many more shoes . This doesn't even take into account the amount of trims we do each week , we are expected to take off the exact right amount of hoof on for individual feet per horse to keep the horse sound and their feet in good condition. On top of that we are often required to read radiographs , X-rays and diagnose lameness if possible, train your unruly horse to stand for the farrier because " isn't that what you guys do " . My point, the next time you criticize a farrier's work or dismiss him or her for a perceived mistake . Ask yourself, could you meet the requirements your farrier has to meet day in and day out?. I doubt it. Could you perform at the level of perfection you expect your farrier to perform on your 1200 pound horse , if you were required to perform that well on your daily desk job . Is your trainer held to the same level of perfection that you hold your farrier to ? Probably not . You see them 4 or 5 times a week , they charge you $1,500 a month for training and they are not about to blame you or themselves for any problems your horse is having other than the farrier. Lastly a large checkbook and one horse does not make you a "Horseman" or an "equine expert" . ........
To answer your questions , no I've not been fired lately , but we all get the s**t storm sooner or later . I don't know if this is educational so it may get removed . I've been in this business 26 years 16 as a farrier and 26 as a trainer , mostly youngsters . I was a riding instructor for 10 years during these years , so I have done quite a bit in the equine industry. Lots of " learning licks " . And a ton to learn still.

08/28/2019

Last one of the day. Long toes and nasty bruising in the soles. Trimmed almost completely out. Put one size bigger shoe on and worked the flair back. End result was okay. Finished feet look crooked in photo but it is the floor balanced out quite well.

04/05/2019

04/05/2019

Finished foot sorry about video quality.

04/05/2019

https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=1946520635469812&id=760745707380650

Too often I hear complaints from horse owners about a Farrier. The Farrier doesn’t return their call, cancels their appointment, is in a foul mood, etc. I would ask those same horse owners to consider the following questions (many of which also apply to your Veterinarian and Chiropractor as well 😉)

1) are your horses caught up and waiting when your Farrier arrives? Your Farrier doesn’t have time to catch them or wait for you to try and catch them.

2) do your horses stand well for the Farrier? Your Farrier doesn’t have time to train your horses and isn’t getting paid for it. Work with your horses so they will allow their leg to be held for several minutes and allow hammering if you expect shoes to be placed.

3) are your horses legs covered in mud? Take a little time to at least clean their legs off.

4) do you have an adequate place for your Farrier to setup and work? This doesn’t have to be fancy. But it should be free of clutter, relatively flat, out of the mud, and out of the elements if possible? You may not have a barn, but a nice shade tree will do during the hot days of summer. A place out of the wind if it’s cold. Adequate lighting is a must if you expect your Farrier to do their best.

5) do you pay your Farrier at the time of service, or at least in a timely manner if an invoice is left? Your Farrier is not as wealthy as you may think. They depend on that money to pay their bills and care for their family just as much as you do.

6) does your horse constantly lose or bend shoes because they paw the fence, kick the wall, stand in mud or a pond, are in a paddock with a bunch of exposed tree roots, etc? We all know horses can be very adept at pulling shoes. But if there are things you as a horse owner can do to lessen the likelihood, then by all means do it. Especially if your Farrier has mentioned it to you. You likely don’t realize your Farrier loses money when they have to return to fix a shoe; even if you pay them. There’s little way to recoup the cost of that visit to their business.

7) do you keep your horses on a regular trimming or shoeing cycle? Don’t let your horses go weeks overdue. This causes more work for your Farrier to get that foot back to looking and working it’s best.....at the same price. Most Farriers make their schedule up weeks in advance based on what horses sk be due then. Don’t leave scheduling to the last minute as they are less likely to have time for you and will be in a hurry if they squeeze you in.

So if any of the above questions give you pause, then perhaps there are opportunities for you to make your Farrier know they are appreciated and their work is valued.

03/30/2019

A set of Duplo Horseshoes applied to a draft mare.

03/21/2019

My morning view. That cat was on my back when I started trimming that horse then moved to the horse. Stayed there till I was done. Thought you would like that pic Liz Dolan.