03/22/2025
I want to take a moment to share some of the ways we all can work together to make conditions safer for farriers.
All of these tips have been born out of accidents or mishaps throughout my career. The dumbest things happen at the most inopportune times and all we can do is be as prepared and aware as possible.
This list is not exhaustive and there will always be nuances, exceptions, compromises, and what have you. This is meant to help educate and bring awareness to how we can make things safer for farriers.
Here are my suggestions
-Have horses that are well handled and have an education level that is appropriate for hoof care, arrange for training prior to farrier day. A long hoof is the least of the problems if the horse is dangerous to work on.
-Please work with your horse and train it, seek a professional if you are unable.
-Have appropriate fly gear, fans, and/or spray available. Horses kicking at flies on three legs is no joke and can lead to injury in a hurry.
-Have horses settled and mentally prepared to stand, which may mean not feeding or moving horses in and out of turnout or having dogs running around when the farrier is working. A relaxed and focused horse is far more safe to get under.
-If horses are painful, stiff, uncomfortable make sure to provide them with the necessary tools prior to the farrier visit. This can be NSAIDS from your vet, bemer, theraplate, BTMM pillar one and two, a good walking warm up, turnout, etc.
-Have horses in, clean, in a well lit and clean space with good non-slip footing. Wet feet on concrete is asking for a wreck. Muddy tools from muddy feet and legs make handling sharp tools slippery and more prone to slipping.
-Have horses that know how to safely tied or cross tied. Preferably with greased quick release snaps (they need routine care so that when the need arises they actually let go) or some sort of safety quick release. If they don’t know how to tie, they need to be held by a competent handler.
-Have a dedicated space for your horse to come and settle for farrier day. Suddenly changing locations can make for an anxious horse that doesn’t stand well.
-If the farrier says the horse is difficult or unsafe, provided the farrier didn’t contribute to that in some way, believe them and find a way to improve the situation for all parties.
-Be mindful of the time of year and scheduling, snow sliding off roofs, thunderstorms, severe heat or cold all greatly increase our risk of injury. Reschedule and keep everyone safe. I know it is a hassle for all parties, do it anyways.
-Communicate and be honest about your horse’s behavior with the people that are going to work with your horse. If your horse has a history of kicking, I need to know about it before I get under the horse.
-Don’t allow horses to chew, lick, nuzzle the farrier unless you have permission from the farrier to allow this.
-don’t allow them to excessively look around when they are having their feet worked with. All those weight shifts impact us.
-Don’t discipline a horse when the farrier is working on the horse. Have a conversation with the farrier about what is happening and a solution for it so everyone can stay safe.
-If a farrier asks you to make adjustments to handling or training, environment, conditions etc. don’t take it personally, they are trying to set the horse up for success and to stay safe.
-Plan ahead with your veterinarian if further pharmaceutical restraint or pain control is necessary for all parties to be safe for hoof care.
-As a handler, advocate for safety for the farrier and be aware of the environment.
-Do not walk horses past a horse in an aisle that is having farrier work.
If you have more tips to share about how to create a safer space for horses share it here and more importantly, do it for your farrier. And share!
