Aaron Myall Farrier

10/07/2026

It's a rasp, not a magic wand. 🔨

Every farrier has felt it. The horse with the conformation no amount of skill will straighten. The chronic case you can hold steady but never "finish." The owner who wanted it solved by Tuesday - ideally before the insurance ran out.

Here's your reminder, from us to you:
You manage conditions. You don't perform miracles. And that is still good, skilled work.

Keeping a navicular horse comfortable for years. Balancing a foot that fights you every cycle. Buying a horse time, soundness and quality of life it wouldn't have had without you. That's not failure to "fix" it - that's the job at its best.

So when the expectation lands that you should've waved it better in one visit, take a breath. You did the thing that actually matters: you managed it well, within the limits of everything you can't control. The genetics, the field, the diet, the workload - none of that's in your toolbox. Just a rasp.

Here's the bit that saves you a world of grief: manage the expectation before you manage the foot. Tell the owner honestly what progress is realistic. Set the expectation early and you turn a frustrated client into a patient partner and an upfront farrier is valued for years.

You're not a magician. You're a professional managing a living, growing, ever-changing foot.🔨

Be honest with your clients, be kind to yourselves, and remember - it's a rasp, not a magic wand. And in the right hands, that's more than enough.

07/07/2026

Ergots - what are they?

Those small, hard, pointed lump found at the back of your horse's leg, under the fetlock.
a small callosity on the underside of the fetlock

🦴 Leftover from evolution.
thought to be a vestige of part of the ancestral foot a remnant from millions of years ago, when horses had multiple toes rather than the single hoof we know today.

✋ It's made of the same stuff as the hoof.
The ergot is keratin — the same fibrous protein as your horse's hoof, mane and tail (and your own fingernails).

💧 It may still do a small job.
Ergots are thought to help guide water away from the heel of the hoof - excess moisture can cause instability of the hoof or create ideal airless conditions for thrush to thrive.

🫧 Underneath the ergot sits
Attached by ligaments that attach to the connective tissue of the pastern
Could it offer some incidental protection to the soft tissue behind the fetlock, given it's a hardened keratin
the deep and superficial digital flexor tendons run down the back of the cannon and over the fetlock; the distal sesamoidean ligaments and the proximal sesamoid bones sit at the back of the joint; and the digital flexor tendon sheath, plus a network of nerves and vessels, all converge here

📏 They vary hugely. Coming in all shapes and sizes.

Do they need anything doing to them? For the most part, no. If they become overgrown, your farrier can trim them as part of routine care.

06/07/2026

It’s not just about whether they need a trim. It’s about spotting any issues as early as possible, helping them become comfortable with being handled, and giving you peace of mind that everything is as it should be.

Some of the most important work a farrier ever does is on a foal, long before there's any thought of a shoe. 

Those early weeks matter more than almost any other time in a horse's life:
🌱 Foal hooves grow incredibly fast. A foal's hoof grows at around twice the rate of a mature horse's, meaning small issues can develop quickly, but it also means there's a precious window to correct them too.

⏳ There's a window that doesn't stay open. A foal's lower limbs are still forming and the growth plates in their bones close as the foal develops after which very little can be changed by trimming. 
"Understanding growth plates is not an academic exercise. It is the foundation for a horse's long-term soundness and athletic potential." Dr Carol Shwetz, DVM

🦵Catch a minor deviation early, and careful trimming can encourage the limb to grow straighter. Miss the window, and you're stuck with that conformation for the rest of their life. 
Hoofcare for foals shapes the soundness of that horse for the next twenty years.
Regular monitoring and trimming of a foal's hooves can go a long way toward helping the rest of the limb grow straight and strong.

🤝 It's a team effort between the vet, farrier and owner. Spotting issues early and acting quickly while it still makes a difference.

🤲 Owners start handling on day one. The earlier a foal gets used to having its legs and feet touched, picked up and held, the calmer it will be for every farrier visit of its life. Gently rubbing down the legs and handling the feet from very young, and cleaning out the feet each time the foal is handled, accustomed to having its feet held. Little and often makes all the difference.

A foal that learns young that feet-handling is nothing to fear becomes a horse that stands quietly, stays safe, and is a pleasure to shoe for the next twenty years. The opposite can make every future visit harder and more dangerous, for horse and farrier alike. 

Between the farrier's skill and your handling at home, you're shaping the soundness and the temperament of that horse for life.

06/07/2026

Regular shoeing/trimming really does matter!

Why regular shoeing matters:
The angle of the hoof directly affects the load on tendons.

Stretching your farrier schedule to "just another couple of weeks" isn't the saving it looks like. That routine appointment protects some of the most important structures in your horse's leg.

A UK study (Leśniak et al., 2017) measured horses' feet before and after farriery found that regular trimming improved the hoof's alignment, reducing the dorsal wall, correcting angles and easing the strain on the structures at the back of the foot.

As the hoof grows, hoof balance gradually shifts. The toe lengthens, the breakover moves forward and the load on the deep digital flexor tendon increases.

Researchers concluded that a regular farriery interval of no more than 4 - 6 weeks can reset the foot before tendon load builds into something harmful.

The deep digital flexor tendon runs down the back of your horse's leg and under the foot. When it's injured, it can be serious and one of the hardest to rehabilitate problems a horse can face.

Prevention is always better than a cure - a few weeks isn't worth a year of rehabilitation.



*Always follow the interval your own farrier recommends for your horse, it's tailored to your horse's specific needs.*

05/07/2026

05/07/2026

Why Do We Shoe Horses?
It's one of the most common questions we get asked. And whilst plenty of horses thrive barefoot with good, regular hoofcare, some horses benefit with shoes, here's why:

🛡️ Protection
Horses ridden on hard, abrasive surfaces or over long distances can wear their hooves down faster than they grow. Shoes take that wear instead of the hoof. The extra depth a shoe gives can also give clearance for the sole over stony ground and allow the addition of pads or pour-ins to give extra protection for the sole.

🏇 Grip & traction
Shoes can help prevent slipping on a variety of surfaces whether it's a simple groove in the shoe or extras like studs, road pins, heels or toe grips. Adequate grip for the terrain and work is essential to the safety of horse and rider.

🩺 Support & correction
Therapeutic shoeing forms a significant part of the treatment for lameness. Shoeing can stabilise, realign and protect hooves as they recover. Less than ideal conformation can be managed with support to compensate for uneven loading and extend horses' working lives.

💼 The job they do
A horse carrying a rider or working long hours puts far more load through the hoof than nature intended.

So shod or barefoot? Which is right? It depends on the horse. Workload, terrain, hoof quality and health all play a part. Not all horses are not created equal, and neither are their feet. Speak to your farrier about what's right for yours.

🔨 Whether your horse is shod or barefoot, regular hoof care helps keeps them sound.

28/01/2026

Every horse owner should be able to remove a shoe. If you are going to the National equine show make sure you come and have a go.

🔨 🐴 Have a go removing a horseshoe with us at The National Equine Show 2026!

Whether you want to know how to in an emergency or you want to become a Future Farrier - we'd love to teach you.
Everyone is welcome to have a go!

Chat with us about all your hoof & farrier questions or pick-up more information about becoming a farrier yourself 🔥

We can’t wait to see you there!

P.s. Don't forget to grab your "I ❤️ my farrier" stickers too! (Bonus points if you stick it on your farriers tool box at your next appointment 😉)

15/01/2026

Definitely feel like this today.