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I have been shoeing horses for over 15 years. After
attending Colorado Horseshoeing School, I moved back to Missouri to begin my
career. I shoe a variety of horses, from Quarter horses, Saddlebreds, Tennessee
Walkers , and Morgans to Arabians, plus many more. My main focus is in the
Arabians. I also work closely with several vets in the area to help with
soundness issues. I am also active in the farrier programs in this area.
A few years ago I completed the American Farriers Associations
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level of Certification. This ranking is CJF, or Certified
Journeyman Farrier. Recently I just took some seminars learning how to
become an AFA Tester. I plan on becoming a tester so that I may help
other farriers earn their Certified status as well. For the year 2008,
I am the current president of the Missouri Association of Professional
Farriers. I have been very active in putting on seminars to further the
continued education of these members. I am striving to bring the best
farrier work that I can to Kansas City, so I am very adamant about the
continuous education for farriers. This will bring the best farriers
to you and hopefully create some of the best farriers in the country.
I live outside of Garden City, Missouri with my family. My wife is
Chrissy Norris and I have two daughters, Mackenzie and Shelby. We have
a small farm with 11 arabians and 2 ponies. We enjoy showing our
horses, boating, fishing and spending time outdoors.
Sincerely,
Mike Norris CJF |
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| Ask-a-Farrier with Mike Norris of
Garden City, MO will be a monthly column. You can submit your
question to Chris Norris at
shoey@fairpoint.net.
Look for the answer in the coming months! |
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Q: Since winter is approaching, this is a
question I am often asked. Is this a good time to take off show shoes
and go barefoot or stay with plates?
A: I feel that it is very good for the horses
foot to take off all the pads and let the foot breathe for the winter. I think
this is an excellent time to shorten your feet, go back to plates and try to fix
any problems that might have come about during the show season. If you are not
working your horse very much for the winter, this would be an excellent time to
leave your horse barefoot. Do remember that you will need to start shoeing and
preparing the foot for show season in Feburary. I have many show barns that
currently do this and we have much healthier feet come springtime. There is less
thrush, and the feet aren't brittle and don't crack easily. I find that the
horses enjoy this and perform better with the break. By doing this you are
letting tendons and ligaments relax to a more normal position than when they
have the pads and weighted shoes. |
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