Green Mountain Forge & Farrier

09/03/2026

The struggles and joy of pulling your first shoe!

This client is so awesome. She jumped right on the chance to work on her own horse with such determination and enthusiasm!

07/27/2026

THE SYMPTOM IS IN THE FOOT. THE CAUSE IS OFTEN SOMEWHERE ELSE.

A horse becomes footsore.

The natural assumption is that the problem must be in the foot.

Sometimes that's exactly what's happened.

An abscess is in the foot.

A puncture wound is in the foot.

A crack is in the foot.

The problem and the symptom occupy the same place.

But not always.

A horse lands toe-first.

What you see is in the foot.

The cause may be hock arthritis.

A horse starts wearing one foot faster than the others.

The symptom is in the foot.

The cause may be a change in how the horse is loading its limbs.

A horse repeatedly loses a shoe from the same foot.

The symptom is in the foot.

The cause may be a movement pattern that has changed because the horse is uncomfortable elsewhere.

A horse develops bruising in the same area over and over again.

The symptom is in the foot.

The cause may be altered movement from joint disease higher up.

A horse develops contracted heels.

The symptom is in the foot.

The cause may be persistent avoidance of loading part of the limb because something else hurts.

A horse grows noticeably uneven feet.

The symptom is in the feet.

The cause may be asymmetry elsewhere in the body changing how those feet are loaded.

A horse struggles on hard ground.

The pain shows in the feet.

The cause may be endocrine disease affecting the lamellae.

A horse develops laminitis.

The pain is in the feet.

The damage is in the feet.

Yet the process often begins with insulin dysregulation or other hormonal disturbance long before the foot shows it.

A horse develops recurrent abscesses.

The symptom is in the foot.

The cause may be chronic lamellar damage that has been present for months or years.

A horse struggles to turn.

The symptom may look like foot pain.

The cause may be the hocks.

Or the stifles.

Or somewhere else entirely.

A horse doesn't want to go forward.

The feet may be blamed.

The cause could be orthopaedic pain.

It could be gastric disease.

It could be respiratory disease.

It could be something else altogether.

The point is not that the feet are unimportant.

Quite the opposite.

The feet are often the first place the horse reveals that something is wrong.

But they are not always telling us where the problem started.

One of the most valuable habits in equine healthcare is learning not to stop at the first thing you can see.

The foot matters.

But it is attached to a whole horse.

And sometimes the foot is not the problem.

It's the messenger.

07/07/2026

Hope everyone’s staying as cool as this lovely mare is during these warmer days!

05/25/2026

This Memorial Day, we honor the brave men and women who gave their lives in service to our country, whose courage and sacrifice will never be forgotten.

We also reflect on the legacy of Sergeant Reckless, the remarkable mare who served with the U.S. Marines during the Korean War. Carrying ammunition into battle and bringing wounded soldiers to safety, she became a trusted and beloved companion to those around her. In recognition of her extraordinary courage, Sgt. Reckless was promoted to Staff Sergeant and awarded two Purple Hearts, along with numerous other military honors.

Today, we remember and honor every hero🇺🇸🐴

05/14/2026

Last week I had the opportunity to take part in a hands on mini clinic with Bodie Trnka hosted by Northeast Farrier Supply!

Learned some handy forging tips especially for taking measurements and building bar shoes!

We can never stop learning and improving in this trade!

05/06/2026