EquiServices

08/29/2026

Here's what I've seen countless times:

Legs, hooves, pasterns, hocks, fetlock joints are NOT filled with glamour. They don't make the heart race. Rarely do they have “the look of eagles”. They aren't Appaloosa or palomino, or buckskin or any “favorite color” that enters into the prospective buyer's decision to purchase or walk away.

All they do is hold the horse up and provide the majority of the locomotive power. Which, one might think, would make buyers subject them to the most minute scrutiny. And, miracle of miracles, some few actually do. BUT the mass of buyers do NOT. They want a pretty face. Or a pretty color. Or flashy markings. Or a certain pedigree or breed or long mane or little ears or some other relatively less important feature than long term soundness and durability.

Which is one reason the world is filled with so many pasture ornaments, eating every day, costing thousands a year, and never being actually used in any athletic endeavor.

Interesting.

~Denny Emerson

08/13/2026

08/12/2026

On the other hand (regarding getting smashed up) if you live your life in constant trepidation of what might happen, you will probably not live a very exciting life.

For many, that is just fine. But if you want more than caution to rule your life, there is this old Biblical saying about contemplating bad events in the future,

"Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof."

In other words, why worry over and over and over about what may lie ahead. Worry when it happens, which is no fun either, but for many is better than half living, while waiting.

07/08/2026

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.*

06/05/2026

Just gonna leave this here forever and ever.

05/03/2026