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Farrier Focus Podcast

The Farrier Focus Podcast releases an episode each week with inspiring tips, techniques, and strategies to help farriers unlock the secrets to succeeding in their business. With informative interviews, stories, and ideas, you’ll hear real advice on what it takes to succeed in today’s competitive environment.
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Now displaying: Category: general
Feb 15, 2024

In this episode, Dr. Frank Gravlee of Life Data Labs and Dr. Doug Butler discuss the treatment of founder. You'll get a lot of great insights from this informative discussion from a previous Farrier Focus conference.

Nov 2, 2023

In this episode, Dr. Doug Butler explains how drawing helps you learn to see so you can do a more efficient shoeing job. He talks about the mind shifts successful farriers make and outlines exercises that can help you be more efficient in your work. He also discusses balance and which dimension is easiest and most difficult for farriers to learn. He also shares stories and experiences about how he learned to see better and the path he took to better understand balance. By understanding the principles outlined here, you will be a better farrier.

Sep 22, 2023

In this talk given at a Farrier Focus Conference in 2005 in Indiana, Dr. Doug Butler discusses Cushings disease and some principles for treating the laminitis and founder that often follow.

Cushings disease is a hormonal imbalance caused by a tumor on the pituitary gland in the brain that causes a horse to produce too much ACTH (Adreno Cortico Tropic Hormone) which regulates cortisol levels in the horse. Often, these horses develop long shaggy coats, lose weight and develop laminitis. Treatment often involves veterinary care and mechanical application of heart bar shoes.

If you would like to contact us with questions relating to your business, specific cases, general horse hoof care questions, or suggestions for future podcasts, please email us at farrierfocuspodcast@gmail.com. We might even feature your email in a future episode.

Apr 27, 2023

In this episode, Dr. Doug Butler explains laminitis and how a farrier can recognize its symptoms, diagnose, and treat it. He also explains how farriers and veterinarians should work together to explain the treatment and care to horse owners. In this episode, you'll hear valuable tips, stories, and techniques that will help you treat this condition. You'll also learn how to classify laminitis cases, things you should pay attention to on radiographs, and the best way to discuss treatment options with concerned horse owners.

Feb 24, 2023

In this episode, we're privileged to talk with Steven Beane, FWCF of North Yorkshire, England. Steven is a five-time World Champion Blacksmith, three-time European Champion and three-time British National Champion. He has been selected for the English farrier team 16 consecutive years and is a renowned judge and clinician. 

Steven talks about how he got his start as a farrier, his practice regimen, and why he is so good as a competitor. He shares tips for farriers who want to be better in competitions and the sacrifices and price someone must pay to be at the top.

He shares numerous lessons from his time on the British farrier team, his thoughts on the value of certification, lessons on learning to see shapes, how he got into making tools and his thoughts about the future of farriery. This is an extremely insightful look into mind of an incredible champion and what it takes to achieve excellence and remain at the top.

Feb 2, 2023

In this episode, Dr. Doug Butler discusses what it takes to build a farrier business that consistently produces six figures plus each year. He discusses highlights from his book Six Figure Shoeing and shares stories and insights into what makes farriers successful in their business. 

This episode shares valuable insights on the mindset, business systems and skills necessary for farriers to succeed in today's competitive marketplace.

Jan 19, 2023

In this episode, Dr. Doug Butler shares ways you can increase your value and double your income as a farrier. This is from a talk Dr. Butler gave several years ago at a Farrier Focus conference. We hope you will consider the questions and ideas he shares here to improve your skills and increase your value so you can double your income in the next twelve months.

Dec 15, 2022

In this episode, Dr. Doug Butler shares principles for shoeing gaited horses. He shares numerous lessons he has learned throughout the years of shoeing these horses and specific applications when dealing with club feet and quarter cracks. You'll get a lot of insight from this talk given at a previous Farrier Focus conference based on Dr. Butler's failures and successes with these horses over the years.

Nov 7, 2022

In this episode, Dr. Doug Butler shares seven strategies to help you prosper in your farrier business. He uses the acronym of PROSPER to go through seven specific areas of your business that you must consider and pay attention to in order to grow a more successful and prosperous business. This was given at a talk at a previous Farrier Focus conference several years ago.

Oct 20, 2022

In this episode, we talk with Fran Jurga of Gloucester, Massachusetts. She is the founder of Hoofcare Publishing, which was established in 1985 to fulfill a growing global demand for information about the horse's foot that could be accessed by equine professionals, especially farriers and veterinarians, around the world.

She is also the creator, publisher and editor of Hoofcare and Lameness Journal and her articles can be read at hoofblog.com. You can find over 1700+ articles there that she has written over the past twelve years. 

Fran has won many awards and honors for her work and today offers high-quality reference material for sale and individual consultation services. Fran talks about many of her favorite memories from her career as a journalist (including her start as an editor of the American Farrier's Journal), stories about farriers she has worked with over the years, and her thoughts about the future of farriery.

 

Oct 13, 2022

In this episode, we talk with Certified Journeyman Farrier and past president of the American Farriers Association, Margie Lee-Gustafson. She and her husband Don are based in Palo Alto, California.

We talk about her beginnings as a farrier, lessons and mistakes she made when starting, the value of a multi-farrier practice, her experience as president of the AFA, and numerous experiences from her career. Margie is a fantastic example of service and she shares her perspective about the importance of giving to the industry and impacting the lives of the horses she works with on a daily basis.

Sep 22, 2022

In this episode, we talk with Pat Burton, CJF, of south Fort Worth, Texas. He has been shoeing horses since the late 1970s and shares his insights on the fundamentals of horseshoeing, some of his early mentors, his experience of becoming certified, and experiences he has had as a certification tester.

You'll gain a lot of valuable advice from Pat on what it takes to build up a successful practice as well as several lessons he learned the hard way that you can use to be successful in your farrier business.

Sep 8, 2022

In this episode, we talk with Allie Hayes of HorseScience.com about how she got started as a farrier, her interest in horse anatomy, and how she began processing horse feet and limbs to help farriers, veterinarians and horse owners see what is really happening inside the foot structures of the horse.

She shares some of the lessons she has learned from studying, processing, and teaching anatomy through these invaluable resources. She also details some of the trial and error experiences she has had in learning how to best process these models to showcase anatomy in the best ways. Learn more and get a hoof model for your practice by going to www.HorseScience.com.

Sep 1, 2022

In this episode, we talk with Certified Journeyman Farrier and AWCF, Gerard Laverty. He is the instructor of the Farrier Program at Kwantlen Polytechnic University in British Columbia. He has been shoeing horses for more than 40 years in several different countries.

Aug 25, 2022

In this episode, we talk with Walter Varcoe about his work as a farrier and his interest in equine skeletons. 

Walter was a professional rider and equine manager for the New York State Department of Corrections as well as their only farrier until his retirement in July 2006. In addition to his normal duties Walter also served as their equine instructor, teaching inmates the proper care of horses as well as teaching many of the inmates the art of farrier work. This not only allowed the animals to receive better care, but taught a valuable skill that those men could use throughout their lives.

During his tenure, Walter also ran the commercial composting operation at the Otisville Correctional Facility where the first horse to become a skeleton was processed. A patrol horse on duty had been kicked by another horse and had it’s leg broken. Unfortunately the injury was so devastating that the patrol horse had to be euthanized.  It was from this incident that the first skeleton came to be. With the help of his crew the carcass was placed in a static aerated compost pile and allowed to compost for several months and over the following winter the first skeleton mount was built. That first mount still proudly stands today at the Otisville C.F. Horse Barn office, teaching others the value of equine skeletal anatomy. Later, another mount was crafted by Walter for the New York City Police Mounted Unit and it stands at their Remount Training Facility in the Bronx, NY.

After his retirement from the Corrections Department Walter began a full-time career as a farrier.   At the prompting of many of his NYPD friends Walter began doing small educational seminars using his skeletal displays. Those seminars were well received and Walter began to get more requests for speaking engagements and for the purchase of his unique articulated mounts.

The demand for his expertise and his skeletal mounts has grown rapidly and has taken Walter all over the country as he lectures about equine anatomy. By using his unique mounts Walter can let participants lay their hands what others can only diagram in books or on posters. From schools to barns these mounts are being used to help people care for their horses better than ever. Walter continues to put what he has learned from these skeletons into daily use as he maintains his farrier business for select clients. You'll get a lot of insight from this episode about horse anatomy and from Walter's experiences as a farrier that can help you in your daily work.

Jul 1, 2022

In this episode, Dr. Doug Butler shares insights to a group of farriers and veterinarians how to look and see conformation deformities and what can be done to help horses that have these different conditions.

Dr. Butler shares numerous experiences and techniques on observation that will help you better assess the horses you work with on a daily basis.

Jun 23, 2022

In this episode, we talk with Certified Journeyman Farrier, Jim Quick of Niwot, Colorado who has been shoeing horses for more than 27 years.

Jim shares his start as a farrier, his education at Colorado State University including studying with Dr. Doug Butler in Colorado, his beginnings into competitive shoeing, and lessons he has learned through numerous mentors he has had over the years.

He shares insights into what it takes to be the best at this craft in terms of time and practice and his perspective now that he has had the opportunity to judge as well as compete. Jim shares numerous stories and lessons from his career that farriers can learn from especially when it comes to insurance for your shop and business.

Jun 9, 2022
In this episode, we talk with Certified Journeyman Farrier, Peter Butler about his experiences in becoming a farrier, getting certified, competing, and training horses. Pete shares lessons about teaching students, how students learn differently, the value of understanding the origin of words in mastering anatomy, and experiences with horses over the years.

He also shares his experiences of working with and observing horses in Mongolia when he was there fifteen years ago. You'll get a lot out of this interview with a farrier educator who is deeply interested in the process of learning and what it takes to master the skills of farriery.

May 5, 2022
In this episode, we talk with certified journeyman farrier Nate Allen. He studied under Dr. Doug Butler at Northwest Missouri State University and Colorado State University. He taught as an instructor at Mesalands Community College in Tucumcari, New Mexico for many years. He currently serves as an administrator at Central Community College in south central Nebraska. 

He has been shoeing horses for more than thirty years and shares lessons he has learned throughout his career, his insights into how farriers learn, and the best methods he has found work when teaching anatomy and the skills of farriery. He also shares insights on how he recovered from a serious injury and his thoughts about the future of the farrier business.

Mar 4, 2022
In this episode, we talk with farrier Bryan Farcus of Athens, Ohio. Bryan was a director/instructor of a farrier program at Meredith Manor Equestrian Centre in Waverly, WV for 14 years. In addition, Bryan was an adjunct farrier instructor for Hocking College in Nelsonville, OH for 6 years, and breifly served as a guest instructor for an Equine Science program at Salem International University in Salem, WV. Bryan's other accomplishments include both a Master of Arts degree with a specialization in equine education and also a Bachelor of Science degree in the area of business.  

You'll gain some great insights from Bryan's experience on how to relate better to horse owners, the importance of farrier/client communication, and some of his most memorable experiences.

Jan 15, 2022

In this episode, Dr. Doug Butler shares his observations about the early history of horse training. Many of the misconceptions that exist in the minds of horse owners about horse training have arisen in recent years.

Dr. Butler talks about how to effectively train and work with horses and key horsemanship skills that all farriers must develop. You'll get a lot out of this discussion on the nature of horses and principles and steps you can take to stay safe when working with horses.

Dec 30, 2021

In this episode, we talk with Certified Journeyman Farrier and AWCF Doug Russo, who is the resident farrier at the Lloyd Veterinary Medical Center at the Iowa State University College of Veterinary Medicine. He has been shoeing horses full time for the past 15-16 years.

He shares insights from his career, memorable cases he has worked on, his observations about the future of veterinary and farrier relationships, and his thoughts on certification and research.

Dec 4, 2021

In this episode, we talk with Dr. Simon Curtis, FWCF, PhD. He has been shoeing horses for 46 years. He is a Fellow of the Worshipful Company of Farriers by examination. Based in Newmarket, Simon has been a farrier since 1972. He is a 4th generation farrier. His family have been farriers and blacksmiths on the Cambridgeshire and Suffolk border for the past 150 years. He is a Past Master of the Worshipful Company of Farriers (2001-2002). He has been awarded an Honorary Associateship of the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons. This is the first time that any farrier has received such an honour. He has published 3 text books and has been published in numerous journals. In 2005 Simon was inducted into “The Farriers Hall of Fame” in the Kentucky Derby Museum, Louisville, USA.

In this episode, Dr. Curtis talks about his apprenticeship, early mistakes he made and what he learned from them, his association with Dr. Doug Butler, experiences with shoeing the Queen's horses, and other experiences throughout his career. He also shares his views on the importance of business training for farriers, how farriers can prepare for certification and exams, the importance of continuing education, and findings from his PhD research. You'll get a lot out from this interview about the many lessons Dr. Curtis has learned throughout his career.

Nov 12, 2021

In this episode, we talk with Certified Journeyman Farrier Dennis Manning of Roosevelt, Utah. He shares his beginnings as a farrier, lessons he learned from studying with Dr. Doug Butler, the beginnings of the AFA and the history of certification from his years of being on the certification committee, stories from his career of shoeing horses, his interest in making tools, guns, and hobbles.

He also shares valuable insights into how farriers learn from his years as a teacher and principal. You'll gain great insight from this farrier legend who has been shoeing horses for more than 45 years.

Nov 5, 2021

In this episode, we talk with Dr. Doug Butler about how he got into horseshoeing, stories from his career, and thoughts about the profession of farriery.

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