A horse's hooves need contact on different surfaces
Thomas Von Troil is a renowned Finnish farrier who has lots of experience with special shoes for horses. When he works, he likes to look at the whole of the problem at hand, and then try to find the best solution for each individual horse
Thomas Von Troil has worked as a farrier for 24 years, but believes that there is always more to learn. Being a farrier involves much more than just shoeing horses – you have to look at the horse as a whole and try to find out what is best for each individual animal.
"I work a lot with vets because I am interested in the whole horse and want to find out the very origin of the problem in question. In the biomechanics of a horse, there are many different factors that come into play if an injury occurs. I have always found collaboration between vets, coaches, and instructors to be interesting as well as important to my work as a farrier", says Von Troil.
"90% of my job is old knowledge, but it can always be combined with new knowledge", he adds. "Your training is never finished."
What is therapeutic farriery?
"Therapeutic is perhaps a slightly misleading word. In fact, the best therapeutic shoe for most horses is a good, old-fashioned regular shoe. Up to 80% of problems are solved, or at least alleviated, with ordinary shoes. In contrast, 20% of diseases are associated with, for example, lameness, hoof abscesses, or hoof bone fractures. For some, a regular support shoe can also be a therapeutic shoe."
What is the most important thing when it comes to good equine hoof care?
"The basics are key. Proper, good-quality feeding, clean stables. Regular shoeing and hoof maintenance. Products can be used to treat the surface of the hoof, but little moisture will be absorbed from the surface into the hoof. The hooves should definitely be inspected daily. It is also important to find a farrier that you can trust. Communication between farrier and owner is essential."
What are the most common mistakes you encounter in your work as a farrier?
"A horse's hooves need contact on different surfaces. It is very important that the horse receives regular training to speed up the blood supply to the hooves. Pain in the heel area is very common, as it causes some lameness. Wet conditions also help to make the hooves bad. It is important to minimize large humidity fluctuations. A horse's life should be as stress-free as possible, and although there is no scientific research on it, stress can affect the condition of the hooves."
"It is also very important that professionals continue to seek new knowledge, become more skilled and want to develop in their profession."
Von Troil also has a small appeal to horse owners and grooms;
"Do not lubricate the horse's hooves with cod liver oil. It does not do much good, and in return the farrier has to struggle with the bad smell during his work!"
