The soaring space in the college horse arena was a perfect location for last week’s wet lab: Hands-on practice with six local farriers.
The farrier lab was sponsored by the American Association of Equine Practitioners and included a review of foot anatomy and basic trimming techniques by veterinarian Dr. Bill Brown and farrier Shane Westman. They also instructed students in the importance of good communication between veterinarians and farriers.
Then members of the student chapter of AAEP got their hands dirty trimming hooves, nailing on shoes, and pulling shoes. “My favorite part was getting to handle the tools,” says Juliana Wurzler (Class of 2016).
Assisting the students were farriers Bobby Bewley, Sean Robertson, Zach Morris, Charlie Sayer, and Kira Mollers. “It gave us a good foundation in hoof care, a tool we don’t necessarily get a lot of in our courses,” says Wurzler.
