EXPLORING THE MYTHS
	Some of the topics that will be discussed in this section will be HOT/COLD SHOEING, HOW HIGH THE NAIL, FROG PRESSURE, WINTER TIME HOOFCARE, STRAIGHT HAIRLINE, BLACK HOOF VS. WHITE HOOF. Still under construction. More topics will be added eventually.

HOT SHOEING

The facts are that hot shoeing offers no advantage whatsoever to the horse. This is not just an opinion either. There has been research in this area and nothing has been found to support that theory. Its always been believed that hot shoeing seals the bottom of the hoof to prevent it from becoming overly moist during prolonged wet weather. True it does seal the portion of the hoof that it touches, but thats only a very small area on the outer edge.What about the rest of the hoof? It consists of the same material and is just as absorbent as the sole. So that said, it is an advantage only to the Farrier. It makes it easier to shape the shoe and when doing the large footed horse such as draft breeds it is always necessary.

HOW HIGH THE NAIL

You've heard or been told that all nails should exit the hoof wall at about half inch above the shoe and all nails should be on an even line around the wall. Any skilled Farrier knows this simply isn't true. This theory implies that all hooves are healthy and being cared for on a regular basis, that there is no such thing as hoof disease, that the hoof is a static object, that it never grows or under goes changes. Believe me, the reality is that nothing could be farther from the truth. Nails must be driven into solid healthy wall or there's no sense driving them in at all. On improperly cared for hooves the wall is more often than not in such an unhealthy condition that you can't even drive a nail into it. I often can place only one or two nails on one side and maybe three on the other side simply because there just isn't any healthy hoof wall available to hold a nail. And on many occasions I left one side without any nails at all. And while on the subject of nails, its very easy to get a nail to close to the sensitive area on unhealthy hooves. Keeping your horse on regular hoof care by a skilled Farrier has many advantages. Don't wait till the day before a show or a ride to have your horse shod. Shoeing at least a week before a scheduled event is highly recommended.

FROG PRESSURE

This is a subject that is very controversial and has been debated for decades. The theory is that frog pressure should come from the ground which is supposed to create a pumping action inside the hoof increasing blood flow. Recent research has found this to be untrue. Also this theory implies that there are no forces coming down from above. The reality is that all the forces at work when the horse is standing or in motion are coming down from above. If you've ever been stepped on by a horse then you know what I mean. The same forces that are at work when you walk are the same for the horse. The laws of physics don't change from one species to another. To many times I've seen hooves that could not recover from neglect on injury simply because the frog wasn 't being trimmed correctly. The hoof was under more stress than it could tolerate and simply could not heal itself. I've demonstrated this to my self literally hundreds of times by trimming the frog out as much as possible to reduce the amount of contact with the ground and gotten immediate results from the horse, meaning the relief was visible immediately when observing the horse in motion and seeing the ease at which it is able to walk. I can also see the relief in the eyes and behavior if the horse. "I Have Spoken."

WINTER TIME HOOFCARE

This is another subject that has been debated for decades. However having been a Farrier for 24 years I can assure you that year round hoof care is essential to maintain a healthy hoof, which in turn helps keep your horse healthy and optomizes performance. I see thousands of hooves each year, many of which have been neglected all winter and its these hooves that are the hardest to correct and cause the horse many problems. Neglecting the hooves all winter to let them "recover" from the care they were getting in the spring and summer implies at best that everything your Farrier was doing during the spring and summer was harmful and destructive to the hoof. Are you really letting that happen?

STRAIGHT HAIRLINE

Many "experts" believe that the hairline ,when viewed from the front, should be level. This is a myth of "epic proportions " folks. It ranks second only to the 55 degree pastern angle theory [another myth] and is responsible for just as many crippling injuries. Any skilled Farrier will not fall victim to this and can easily demonstrate that this is harmful to the hoof. Many times a hoof must be trimmed with one side shorter than the other to achieve balance and to make the hoof land flat. If you are requesting your Farrier to trim your mature horse back to a straight position you are setting the horse up for an injury. Correct some of the problems when the horse is still growing not when its mature.

BLACK HOOF VS. WHITE HOOF
	After 24 years of seeing thousands of hooves I've seen nothing to convince me that a white hoof is less healthy than a black hoof. There has also been research in this area and nothing has been found to support this theory. The health of the hoof is directly related to the care it receives and the overall health of the horse.

THE NAIL
	Perhaps you been told that placing a nail in a certain location of the shoe is supposed to some how alter the gait of the horse. I really have trouble with this one. If that theory is true then it stands to reason that you could tape the same nail to your shoe and alter your way of going. Try it and let me know your findings.