Farrier

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Farrier

A farrier is a specialist in equine hoof care, including the trimming and balancing of a horse's hoof

Horse hoof

A horse hoof is a structure surrounding the distal Phalanx bones of the 3rd digit of each of the four limbs of Equidae species, which is covered by complex soft tissue and keratinised structures....
and the placing of shoes

Horseshoe

File:Horseshoes.JPGA horseshoe is a U-shaped item made of metal or of modern synthetic materials, nail ed or Polymethyl methacrylated to the hooves of horses and some other draught animals....
to the horse's

Horse

The horse is a hoofed mammal, a subspecies of one of seven extant species of the family Equidae. The horse has evolution of the horse over the past 45 to 55 million years from a small multi-toed creature into the large, odd-toed ungulate animal of today....
foot.

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A farrier is a specialist in equine hoof care, including the trimming and balancing of a horse's hoof

Horse hoof

Horseshoe

Horse

Blacksmith

A blacksmith is a person who processess iron or steel by forging the metal; i.e., by using tools to hammer, bend, cut, and otherwise shape it in its non-liquid form....
's skills (fabricating, adapting, and adjusting metal shoes

Horseshoe

Veterinary medicine

Veterinary medicine is that branch of medical science,which deals with the study of diagnosis,treatment and prevention of diseases in companion,domestic, exotic, wildlife and production animals....
(knowledge of the anatomy and physiology of the lower limb) to address the care of the horse's feet.

At one time, farrier and blacksmith were all but synonymous. A farrier's work in colonial America or pre-Industrial Revolution

Industrial Revolution

The Industrial Revolution was a period in the late 18th and early 19th centuries when major changes in agriculture, manufacturing, production, and transportation had a profound effect on the socioeconomics and cultural conditions in United Kingdom....
Europe would have included horseshoeing as well as the fabrication and repair of tools, the forging of architectural pieces, etc. Today, farriers usually specialize in horseshoeing, focusing their time and effort on the care of the horse's foot. For this reason farriers and blacksmiths are considered to be in separate, albeit related trades.

A farrier's routine work is primarily hoof trimming and shoeing. In ordinary cases it is important to trim each hoof so that it retains its proper orientation to the ground. If the animal has a heavy work load, works on abrasive footing, needs additional traction, or has pathological changes in the foot, then shoes may be required.

Additional tasks for the farrier include dealing with injured and/or diseased hooves

Hoof

File:Horse rear hooves.jpgA hoof is the tip of a toe of an ungulate mammal, strengthened by a thick horny covering. The hoof consists of a hard or rubbery sole, and a hard wall formed by a thick Nail rolled around the tip of the toe....
and application of special shoes for racing

Horse racing

Horse racing is an equestrianism sport that has been practiced over the centuries; the chariot racing of Ancient Rome are an early example, as is the contest of the steeds of the god Odin and the giant Hrungnir in Norse mythology....
, training or "cosmetic" purposes. In cases of horses with certain diseases or injuries, special remedial procedures may be needed for the hooves, and then special shoes may need to be constructed and fitted.

In the UK, it is illegal for anyone other than a registered farrier to call themselves a farrier or to carry out any farriery work under the The primary aim of this act is to "prevent and avoid suffering by and cruelty to horses arising from the shoeing of horses by unskilled persons".

Farrier

See also

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