Dave's Farrier Service

07/07/2022

Ok friends, this isnt directed at anyone specific, so dont get all ruffled up. But its extremely important and needs to be said.

First off, I, like most farriers want to do the best job possible. But that requires a few things. Ill list some of them.

*HORSES THAT STAND STILL!!!
I can do an exceptional job on a horse that will stand for the farrier. The quality of work goes down if we are just trying to survive. So either teach them, reprimand them, restrain them, or drug them. I get called to fix alot of horses but I can only do so much if they are not standing still.

FLAT DRY PLACE!!
It doesn't have to be fancy, but it has to be flat and dry. Its nearly impossible to do any quality work on wet or muddy conditions. And precision work has to be done on a flat and dry environment.

**IF YOU COMBINE A HORSE THAT DOESN'T STAND WITH MUDDY CONDITIONS, WELL, ITS PROBABLY NOT GOING TO HAPPEN MORE THAN ONCE.

SHADE, SHADE, SHADE!!
Its not safe or pleasant to stand in the direct sunlight doing farrier work. Its a very physically hard job. Again it doesn't have to be fancy, a carport, a shade tree, I dont care where, but it has to be accessible, clean, dry, flat and have plenty of room to safely work.

**IF YOU COMBINE A HORSE THAT DOESN'T STAND STILL WITH MUDDY CONDITIONS AND THIS IS HAPPENING IN THE SUN, IT PROBABLY ISNT GOING TO HAPPEN MORE THAN ONCE.

FLY SPRAY!!!
Provide lots and lots of fly spray! If you dont have it and your horse thinks its dying, then the farrier cant do a good job. The farrier is doing the best they can with the situation YOU are providing. Have way more fly spray than you think you need.

**A NON STANDING HORSE IN MUDDY CONDITIONS BEING DONE IN THE SUN WITH FLYS MAKING THE NORMALLY NON STANDING HORSE WORSE LEADS TO UNSAFE AND UNDESIRABLE CONDITIONS. THIS WILL PROBABLY ONLY HAPPEN ONCE.

FANS!!
If your flat, dry, shady place happens to be in a barn that has no airflow and is like an oven, then have enough fans to make it at least tolerable and safe. I have had heat stroke, and I'm not interested in having it again in!

SAFE PLACE TO TIE, OR A QUALITY HOLDER!
It's already a dangerous job. Its not safe doing horses tied to things that they could pull around if they pull back or spook. As in round pens, etc..

PUT YOUR DOGS AWAY!!
I could tell endless stories about this. Its a safety issue for the horse, the dog and the farrier.

Lastly, if you are wanting a discount, or are not wanting to be at the price it needs to be, or you don't think that the job is worth it, or you think that you can always find someone else or whatever it might be, you need to realize you are at the bottom of the priority list. That isnt a personal thing, its a business thing.

Full price horses that stand still, being done in a dry shady place with fly spray and a fan will always take priority.

Also horses that aren't on a maintenance schedule are always at the bottom of the priority list. Nothing personal but its hard to make a regular client wait for a horse that only gets done once in awhile.

This isnt about being irritated, this is just some general basic operating procedures that should be recognized.

I appreciate every horse and client I have. And thank you for your business. But please take these things into consideration.

Dave Wells
Dave's Farrier Service

01/21/2022

I get asked for pictures of my work all the time. I just never take them because I'm to busy working lol but here's a couple from today

01/04/2019

Always good to have lights for this time of year!

01/15/2018

Haha seen this and thought it was a good one to post!

01/15/2018

EQUINE METABOLIC SYNDROME

WHAT IS EQUINE METABOLIC SYNDROME?
The term Equine Metabolic Syndrome (EMS) is used to signify the condition in horses in which all three of the following exist:

Insulin resistance (IR)
Laminitis – may be severe, acute or low-grade and chronic
Regional fat deposition in the form of a “cresty” neck or enlarged fat pads
These horses are usually described as “easy keepers” by their owners and often have fat deposits in the crest of the neck, over the tail head, above the eyes, behind the shoulders, and in the sheath of male horses. They may be obese overall or simply have regional fat deposition as previously described. These horses used to be categorized as “hypothyroid,” however it has been shown that removing the thyroid gland of a horse does not result in laminitis. We now know that low concentrations of thyroid hormones in the blood of horses with EMS are a secondary consequence rather than primary cause of the metabolic condition.

What is Insulin Resistance? IR is defined as the failure of tissues to respond normally to the hormone, insulin. Insulin is one of the hormones responsible for maintaining normal blood glucose levels. Insulin is released by the pancreas when blood glucose levels are high, stimulating the body’s cells to take up glucose from the blood stream. This is not dissimilar to humans with Type 2 diabetes. IR horses are predisposed to laminitis.

IR diagnosis: IR is typically diagnosed by measuring insulin levels in the bloodstream. False negative results are possible in very mild or early cases of IR. Insulin resistant horses have elevated resting insulin levels because the cells are not responding to it and the body thinks it needs to pump more out. Horses should not be fed grain for at least 4 hours before the blood sample is taken. Sometimes more extensive testing is performed if your horse has the typical clinical signs of IR but his resting insulin levels are normal.

How is EMS different from Equine Cushings Disease? Horses with EMS do not necessarily have dysfunction of the pituitary gland, which is the hallmark of Equine Cushings Disease. In fact, the recognition of EMS developed from the increased recognition of horses with chronic laminitis that consistently tested negative for ECD. It is possible that a horse with ECD could also have IR, laminitis and some of the physical attributes such as a cresty neck or regional fat deposition. Horses with EMS and a negative Cushings test do not benefit from treatment with pergolide.

Treating EMS and IR: The two most important aspects to managing EMS are nutrition and exercise. Your veterinarian can guide you through this process. A low starch (

06/25/2017

All grown out

06/10/2017

Today's hoof reconstruct on a very uncooperative horse

05/05/2017

05/03/2017