No hoof, no horse

Farrier practices remain active today. The Rocky Mountain Farriers Association (RMFA) held its fall clinic at the Fred Field Center earlier this month. This was only the second farrier clinic held in Gunnison since 1981. The association organizes four clinics annually, with the fall clinic traditionally held on the Western Slope.

Local farrier of nine years, Greg Stoneburner, CF (Certified Farrier), is the newsletter editor and fall clinic chair for the RMFA. His participation with the RMFA was integral in bringing the clinic to Gunnison. He says the significance of holding this clinic in the valley was outreach.

“Our job as an association is to represent all of our members statewide and to provide services to help them better themselves, their horses, and their businesses,” said Stoneburner.

The clinic featured functional horseshoeing, foot balance and mapping, hot- and cold-fitting and shaping, live shoeing, horsemanship, and a veterinary discussion.

Blane Chapman was the clinician this year. Chapman is a certified journeyman farrier (CJF) from Texas with decades of experience. His practice focuses on western performance horses and therapeutic cases. RMFA chose Chapman for his practical approach to shoeing.

“There are many different styles and ways of going about shoeing a horse, and he is very well versed across all of them. We wanted someone who could speak to and educate hard-working rural farriers that normally may not enjoy coming to a clinic where topics outside their area or discipline are being discussed,” said Stoneburner.

Lead veterinarian and owner of Rocky Mountain Veterinary Services, Darby Sullivan, DMV, presented a section on radiographs. Vet and farrier relations are important. She says we both can bring our individual knowledge to the table and use it to work together for the betterment of the horse. After all... the old saying goes, 'no hoof, no horse.'

Chapman taught the attendees how to detect lameness in a hoof without X-rays, and Sullivan gave the attendees things to look for on an X-ray. After comparing notes, they discovered their conclusions were similar. Stoneburner says Sullivan brought decades of practical experience to the table, which underscored the importance of farrier-vet relations and ultimately led to a higher standard of care. “Dr. Sullivan’s presentation was fantastic,” said Stoneburner. “Her radiograph presentation gave us unique insight into some things to look for when we are sent X-rays by a client or the vet clinic.”

The RMFA’s goal is to help farriers across Colorado. Continuing education events are instrumental to achieving that goal. Hosting a clinic in Gunnison provided educational access to those who wouldn’t normally attend due to financial and time constraints. Stoneburner personally gained a deeper understanding of equine anatomy and biomechanics, but he also mentioned another asset of the clinic.

“The thing that most folks don’t talk about are the relationships and new friends,’ said Stoneburner. Just by being at a continuing education event and striking up conversations, you end up having access to an entire library of experience from all across the US and sometimes even the world.”