Hoof Care Articles
What is your preferred method for using a wedge?
What is your preferred method for using a wedge? Here are a few examples of the different methods for using a wedge, we will use a wedge without frog support periodically but usually if the hoof needs a wedge, there is a good reason why! Just adding a open heeled...
Building a Suspensory Shoe using Delta Challenger
As featured in Mustad's June 2021 Hoofcare Insider: Check out how Lee Olsen builds a suspensory shoe using Delta Challenger. Click the below link to see step-by-step instructions. The Delta Challenger proves once again why it's one of the most versatile horseshoes in...
Reimagining the Farrier Model
By Katie Navarra After realizing he couldn’t make more by doing more, Lee Olsen transformed his traditional farrier business into a profitable 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. job that leaves plenty of time for family. Before Lee Olsen turned 30 back pain kept him from lifting his...
What does it take to tack on a shoe?
What does it take to just "tack on a shoe?" Have you ever been to a big event and “It” happens... You have lost a shoe! What to do now? When your horse loses a shoe, it’s a lot like having a tire blowout. Not a big deal if you have the tools and know how to fix it....
Different Strokes for Different Folks
Different Strokes for Different Folks Do you know anyone in your profession who does everything completely backwards? Seriously, most things they do defy all logic and sensibility, and yet somehow they have a successful business. Can you name a few? Since I’m a...
What is Balance?
Have you ever heard of someone’s horse being trimmed or shod wrong? Maybe you’ve picked up one of your own horses feet and thought that it might not be level... Knowing how many things that can, and will, go wrong with a horse. Hoof balance is so very important...
Horses are Windows to our Soul
Horses are Windows to our Soul Have you ever heard that horses act like their owners? A common joke among farriers, especially when you’re talking about a rude or ill mannered horse! I have been riding a horse for as long as I can remember, growing up ranching and...
Olsen Equine hats available
Olsen Equine hats are now available for purchase!
Spring Is Here
Many of us around the world have been looking forward to spring for quite some time! Now that it’s here, the weather changes can bring some unforeseen problems with your horses’ hooves that you might want to be aware of. Excessive moisture seems to be most common...
Could you use some help?
Have you ever seen someone working on a project and thought, “Wow, that person really could use some help. If he or she would only seek out a professional and get some help, they wouldn’t be struggling.” I think that we have all been in a situation where we have...
Sedate that sucker
Have you ever looked at a horse’s feet and thought, “Wow that’s a bad job, I bet that horse is terrible to shoe”? No, chances are you haven’t. We all can be quick to judge in situations like that. For that reason and a couple others, we have a zero tolerance for...
Certified farrier
Do you know what it means to be a Certified Farrier? How many levels of certification are there? Do you think it’s important to be certified? There are so many misconceptions when it comes the topic of certification that it’s hard for anyone to understand what each of...
Clips are useless
Have you ever seen clips on a horseshoe and wondered why? Or maybe you’ve had a bad experience with clips, like when your horse loses a shoe and rips off all of his hoof wall. I have noticed that there are a lot of people who really don’t like clips on their...
Shoeing is simple
Have you ever thought about how much a shoeing should cost? Maybe you’ve even thought, “Wow, that’s a lot of money for how much time the farrier spent.” While it can be tempting to equate value with the amount of time spent, how difficult or easy the job appears, it’s...
Did your farrier to go shoeing school?
Did your farrier go to a shoeing school? Have you ever asked your farrier if he or she has been to a shoeing school? Maybe you’ve wondered if it is important that they went. If so, where did they go? How long did they attend? Are all shoeing schools the same? When a...
It Pays to Pay Attention
It Pays to Pay Attention Have you ever seen something or someone in life that was constantly taking on more than it or they were supposed to handle? For example, taking on more work, pressure, stress, etc. until one day they find they cannot take anymore and either...
What does your horse do all day?
How long do you spend riding your horse each day? How much time does he spend turned out in a pasture? How many hours is he kept in a stall each day? The answer to these questions play a definite role in your horse’s hoof health. The correct footing is uber-important...
Annual X-Rays
Have you ever considered getting x-rays taken of a sound horse’s feet? Crazy thought, isn’t it? Why would anyone want to waste money when there isn’t anything wrong? A lot of farriers have a good eye and can keep a horse on the right track. However, getting annual...
Meet your hero
Have you ever wondered what it would be like to meet your hero? The famous movie star, a professional athlete or a master of your craft? Then go for it! Take a step out and meet your hero, one of the leaders you admire within a specific field. I don’t care who they...
Join us at the 2019 International Hoof Care Summit!
The 16th annual International Hoof-Care Summit, to be held January 22-25, 2019, in Cincinnati, Ohio, gathers the largest group of hoof care professionals each year for the top continuing education event in the country. Sponsored by the American Farriers Journal, the...
