Crain Farrier Services.

05/12/2026

As we grow the business I am blessed to be able to upgrade my setup to better care for your horses.

If you need a Farrier that cares about the quality of work you receive and someone who is constantly continuing his education reach out to me at 417-991-8710

05/07/2026

Looking for a Farrier that responds to their phone?

Someone who listens to your concerns?

Someone who is focused on helping keep your horse sound?

Look no further here at Crain Farrier services we check all of those boxes.

Reach out today to get on our schedule and have the peace of mind that your horse is being cared for!

05/03/2026

"ISO farrier who doesn't charge an arm and a leg"

This essay will be a compilation of thoughts that have been swirling around for awhile..... in which I'll attempt basic math with loose interpretation of some numbers. If you're going to be a nerd about my numbers, you're missing the point.

First, being a farrier is a niche skill in high demand. The United States has the largest horse population in the world with 6-10 million horses. With only 28,000 farriers estimated by the American Farriers Journal, every farrier should have 285 or more horses on their schedule to ensure all horses have hoof care (assuming an average of 8 million horses).

285 horses = 71 horses/week, 10 horses a day, 7 days a week.
Don't want to work every day with no break, forever and ever?
Then it's 15 horses a day, 5 days a week.

Some farriers can handle that workload. I personally cannot.
Assuming all your clients live 0 minutes away from you, everyone stands well, horses are ready for you, and you have no shenanigans, you're looking at 5 - 7 hours/day for barefoot trims on 15 horses. That's the most unrealistic math I've ever done 😂.

If you're doing half sets, full sets, or glue ons, I'm not sure many farriers could/should do 15 of those a day. And you're looking at a 15 hour day minimum without any travel time or interruptions.

Farriers come to you, so add in realistic travel time and their hours spent working get longer, with less horses they can get to in daylight.

Second, you want a GOOD farrier. General standards would be: shows up, communicates, is reasonably skilled and knowledgeable at the craft, is friendly to you and your horse. Rates will vary. You can have fast, good, and cheap but never all three at the same time.

Out of those 28,000 farriers, not all of them are good.

Third, some of you have never run your own business so you don't understand what happens behind the scenes.

When you go buy a new car and you don't like the price, you shop around or negotiate with the sales person. But you know the salesperson ultimately isn't in charge or control of the market rate. When you go grocery shopping and prices have gone up, you may put something back on the shelf, but you don't yell at the cashier on your way out. They have nothing to do with rising costs.

But those are big corporations. Your farrier is a small business. You're looking at the person who sets their rates. When you say things like "I can't believe what I'm being charged for shoes these days...." you're saying you don't think your farrier should be able to pay their bills and run a successful business. You won't find the email address of the Toyota CFO and write them a strongly worded letter about the price of your new car. But you will fuss and complain about your farrier bill to their face or behind their back.

Make that make sense....

There is a difference between saying "that's not in my budget right now" and "I can't believe you charge an arm and a leg for nailing on some shoes."

I don't personally know a single farrier who is overcharging for their business model. Whether they are talented at their craft is up to you to decide. But farriery is a career. Our business must be profitable for it to be sustainable.

Fourth, hoof care is essential and every horse needs it on a regular basis. So we're back to the original dilemma - millions of horses and not enough (good) farriers.

Solutions?
Farriers: insist on safe working conditions, charge whatever you need to, and take care of yourself so you can go the distance.
Owners: get your horses trained to stand better, don't have more horses than you can afford, and consider yourself lucky (considering the aforementioned math) if you have a good farrier.

If you made it this far - the image I chose is of my new composite toe boots to protect my injured foot. Fitting, I think.

PS - if this comes across as unsympathetic to owners....I can see why. Owning horses is becoming more and more expensive, prohibitively so for many people. But that isn't due to farrier prices.

PPS - if you think my little Grinch heart has shrunk too small, don't worry. I'm still kissing pony noses and loving our equine friends. Perhaps this is just the beginning of my seasonal depression 🙃 summer is almost here.......🐎

05/02/2026

05/02/2026

New phone number is 417-991-8710

04/16/2026

Not only do we care for your normal every day horses and ponies but we also get to do these big beauties every once in a while!

04/15/2026

This is a discussion i have almost daily with clients. I see your horse every 4-8 weeks, it is impossible for me to get rid of most diseases in 1 appointment. It requires consistent treatment from owners in between appointments. Treatment for these things is only effective when the owners do their part.

The first line of defense against hoof disease is usually the farrier. While horse owners may want you to quickly eliminate a suspected hoof infection in one treatment (as part of the routine trimming and shoeing), it will be essential to provide sound advice in the form of a game plan.

04/06/2026

Laminitis.
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Recently the equine services department at liverpool have identified three distinct pathways that laminitis develops.

1. Sepsis-Related laminitis
2. Hyperinsulinemia-Associated Laminitis
3. Support Limb Laminitis


Sepsis-Related Laminitis.
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In sepsis-related laminitis it is occurring as a secondary condition following another serious medical event, like post-colic, or post-pleuropneumonia cases. This kind of laminitis is extremely difficult to treat due to the fact you are battling a catastrophic disease on top of another catastrophic disease at the same time.

Hyperinsulinemia-Associated Laminitis.
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The second and possibly most prolific of the primary causes behind this disease is also the most avoidable. Hyperinsulinemia-Associated Laminitis is associated with insulin dysregulation and is also part of the group risk factors defined as equine metabolic syndrome (EMS). Most laminitis cases are often related to overweight horses and EMS. High insulin, glucose deprived lamellae and restricted blood flow is a bad combination. Often people don't think their horses are overweight. They think I can see a hint of ribs so the horse is fine. When in reality they are missing the signs of a cresty neck with telltale fat pouches. The whole body may not look overweight but those fat deposits are huge inflammatory producers. While many metabolically related laminitis cases can be greatly improved or reversed with proper diet and exercise a lot depends on the age and health of the horse. It will ultimately be up to how fast the horse gets the help it needs that dictates the speed of the healing process.

Support limb Laminitis.
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This kind of laminitis often presents itself after a injury such as broken bone, or leg. This causes the horse to support itself on the healthy “support limb” this causes excessive weight bearing one on leg that restricts blood flow to the hoof, damaging the laminae. This type of laminitis has a high mortality rate 50-75% and is common reason for euthinasia.

04/05/2026

Happy easter!

Today we celebrate the resurrection of our lord and savior who hung on a cross for all of our sins! The grave could not hold Him down for 3 days later He rose from the grave!

04/05/2026

Navicular Syndrome in Horses — What Every Owner Should Know

Navicular syndrome is one of the more common causes of chronic front-end lameness in horses, especially in performance horses. It’s not just a single issue, but rather a group of problems involving the navicular bone, surrounding soft tissues, and the overall function of the hoof.

Why it happens:
Navicular syndrome is often the result of long-term stress and strain on the structures in the back half of the hoof. Contributing factors can include poor hoof balance (long toe/low heel), improper trimming or shoeing, conformation faults, repetitive concussion on hard ground, and workload demands. Over time, this stress can lead to degeneration of the navicular bone and inflammation of the surrounding tissues.

How it affects the horse:
Horses with navicular syndrome typically develop a gradual, intermittent lameness that may shift between front feet. You might notice:
• Short, choppy stride—especially at the trot
• Reluctance to turn or work on hard surfaces
• Frequent stumbling
• A “toe-first” landing instead of heel-first
• Increased lameness after work

As the condition progresses, it can significantly impact performance, comfort, and overall soundness if not properly managed.

How it’s diagnosed:
Diagnosis usually involves a combination of:
• Physical exam and gait evaluation
• Hoof tester response (pain in the heel area)
• Nerve blocks to isolate the source of pain
• Radiographs (X-rays) to evaluate bone changes
• In some cases, advanced imaging like MRI to assess soft tissue damage

Navicular syndrome isn’t always a career-ending diagnosis, but it does require proper management. Corrective farriery, workload adjustments, and working closely with a veterinarian can make a significant difference in keeping these horses comfortable and usable.