7 - J Farrier Service

7 - J Farrier Service Jeff Jones CF
American Farriers Association Certified Farrier in central KS (Hays)

It’s friggin wet out. Like sloppy. Clients of the Jeff (or horse owners in general), public announcement time:For the ...
08/13/2024

It’s friggin wet out. Like sloppy. Clients of the Jeff (or horse owners in general), public announcement time:

For the next week (or two depending on the conditions where your horses are kept), I HIGHLY advise you to check your horses’ feet daily. Yes I know it can be a hassle for ya, but I’m trying to head off emergencies before they are one. 😬 It’s one of those times where it’s better to be more attentive to your horse for a little while to avoid expensive situations.

As much as Jeff would love to control the weather and housing conditions of the horses on his schedule, alas, he cannot 😅

Shod horses, chunky monkey horses, horses who will be standing in water/muck for extended periods of time, horses with already “weak” hoof walls, and horses who are being worked with overly hydrated feet are going to be your main ones to watch.

You can’t feel the nails when Jeff is done shoeing; if, after the hoof starts to dry, you can now feel/hook your fingernail under the top of the nail, the hoof wall swelling has popped the clenches and we need to get you on the schedule. Please don’t wait until 2 hrs before a barrel race/fun show to check and message in a panic. PLEEEEEEASE. It gets awkward and he’s one human 😅

Thrush…..thrush smells like black death, can cause lameness in your horse, and boy it loves moisture. Catching it early is better than catching it when your horse is limping. 🫠

Little side notes: I feel weird having to say this but Jeff can’t shoe in mud guys. For reals. Find a dry spot (rock is your friend) with a safe place to tie or plan on holding your horse if you don’t have a tie rack out of the mud.

Because weather and housing conditions are out of Jeff’s control, it would be strange to expect reshoeing your horse to be free due to rain…get what I’m sayin? 😉.

Phew, good talk. Everyone have fun in the mud 💜🫣

-Jess

Address

Pfeifer, KS

Telephone

(785) 224-6477

Website

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Horse Sense

Horses have been the cornerstone of my entire life. My father must have seen some kind of potential in me early, with all the time and money he invested in perfecting my passion and trade the minute I could lift the tools. His business allowed me to travel with him to meet and learn from some of the best farriers in the AQHA circuit. Additionally, his investment in my horsemanship training with clinicians from all over the country is beyond value. While I enjoyed starting colts and dealing with problem horses, being a farrier was my goal.

My grandpa used to say that if you don’t have time to do a job right the first time, when the hell do you expect to find time to come back and fix it? Unfortunately, once a horse is shod, the only one who knows if they did a good job or a great job is the farrier. Long stretches of “good enough” or high athletic demands on the horse will eventually show the difference to the owner and the veterinarian. My college rodeo coach constantly reminded the team that if you are going to ask a horse time and again for everything they’ve got, you can at least give them everything they need. Whether your goal as the owner is for your horse to be comfortable or you want them performing at their best, their feet need to be right.

This year I was fortunate enough to buy a place with the potential to become a farrier’s dream facility. Jess and I have put in countless hours reshaping the layout of the shop and building a place that is safe, comfortable and efficient. After over 20 years of handling all manner customers’ horses, I had a laundry list of features I knew we needed. We aren’t just tacking on steel at the 7-J.

Hopefully, when you took on the responsibility of owning something as spectacular as only a horse can be, you decided to search for outstanding professionals to care for them. Then none of us will be settling for “good enough.”