For this month we are back to our book review series, this time the book is for horse owners rather than farriers. Heather Beauchemin CJF TE has just published the best book on hoof care for horse owners I have ever read. Heather is a Certified Journeyman Farrier with her Therapeutic Endorsement and works in northern Illinois. (For those that have been asking about how Shih-Ling is doing, this is her new mentor.)
No book for horse owners will ever replace a well educated farrier looking at your horse, however there are things that horse owners should understand about horses’ feet, farriers, and shoeing in order to find the best farrier they can as well as take good care of their horses. Written in a very easy to read conversational style, The Hoof Book is appropriate for a wide range of readers. 4-H and Pony Club members as well as the average horse owner will benefit greatly from reading this book and then asking their farrier questions.
The Hoof Book – A Horse Owner’s Guide to Demystifying Hoof Care begins in the right place with a section on anatomy. Since all that we do is founded on our knowledge of anatomy, we must have a good foundational understanding before moving on to other concepts of care. Since this book is designed for horse owners, it does not go into great depth but does cover the basics that owners need to understand. After covering basic anatomy, Heather goes into the common questions about farriers: how to find a farrier, farrier qualifications, and how to be the best client a farrier can have. Additional sections deal with shoes, factors that affect hoof health, pathologies, and first aid.