Wholesome Hoof Farrier Services

08/02/2023

Wholesome Hoof Farrier Services is moving! The farrier, Claire, is getting married and moving to Southwest Michigan! WHFS will now service the Kalamazoo, Vicksburg, Mattawan, and Battlecreek area.

Happy riding!

12/25/2022

Have a very Merry Christmas! Well wishes to all my clients on this beautiful, snowy day.

07/11/2022

Happy Farriers Week to my fellow farriers and teachers/mentors who have helped me (and others) along the way.

I am so lucky to be able to do what I do. It’s a privilege to work under these magnificent animals!

01/13/2022

One of my favorite parts of my job is getting to trim my own horse.
This is Pebbles, my Percheron Thoroughbred cross. She’s 16 years old, 16.1 1/2 hands, and nearly 9 months pregnant! Routine hoof care is extremely important in all horses, especially pregnant mares as their feet can start to get what’s known as “broodmare feet.” The nutritional requirements of a pregnant horse increase rapidly the last couple months of pregnancy, and feeding high quality hay and mare/foal feed is very important. I also introduced a hoof supplement to improve the quality of her hoof and combat any nutritional deficiencies that could occur due to being pregnant.
Happy riding!

12/18/2021

One of the favorite parts of my job, aside from helping horses feel their best, is having perfect nips that reveal a beautiful shape.

Happy riding everyone!

12/11/2021

Christmas came early this year!

GE Forge & Tool blessed me with these wonderful nippers while my pair is being sharpened. I’m so appreciative of a company who goes above and beyond to make our jobs easier.

11/11/2021

This is so important to understand. High-low, sometimes called club foot, can effect the performance and the way the entire horse moves. Trimming and, or, shoeing to where the horse is most balanced can greatly improve the horse’s quality of gait, their physical stature, and their performance!

Happy riding!

What are the implications of mismatched front feet?

Many horses have high/low front feet, where one foot has a steeper angle then it’s opposite.
But do we realise how much effect this can have on the entire musculoskeletal system!?

We can have different types of high/low.
A boxy foot and an ideal foot.
An ideal foot and a flat foot.
A flat foot and a boxy foot.
Studies have shown that that amount of difference in angle between the two is proportional to the effects on the horses biomechanics.

These horses may require much more regular physiotherapy or chiropractic due to the profound compensations which are akin to sub clinical unilateral lameness. Especially in the back as Gomez Alvarez et al. (2007) measured the majority of compensations for lameness are seen in the spine.

This is a great example of how the hoof and the horse are inextricably linked as the hoof conformation is created by physiological influences. Below is a comprehensive graphic of the effects of high/low.

Read more…

https://www.theequinedocumentalist.com/post/high-low-hoof-conformation-farriery-and-whole-horse-relevance

More information and discussion in our webinars with Dr Kilmartin and Dr Clifford where we delve into the two way relationship of the hoof/horse connection at this link..

https://equineeducationhub.thinkific.com/courses/Conformation

https://equineeducationhub.thinkific.com/courses/Hoofhorse

09/25/2021

Hi everyone!

My name is Claire Balcer and I’m a farrier servicing Holland and surrounding areas.
I believe that hoof health is at the very forefront of having a happy and healthy horse. That is exactly why I decided to go to farrier school. I love all equines from extra-small to extra-tall. I offer barefoot trims and hot shoeing services.

Happy Riding!