I really love to see how blacksmithing as a skill can still have such wonderful modern applications. In addition to just knowing horse anatomy and how they are supposed to stand, you guys also have to innovate on a case by case basis. Its really fascinating to see and I am glad that your knowledge helps people do better by their animals.
Great job. That horse is so well mannered, even though he's been gimping along on two painful front hooves. Your skill probably saved him from a nasty bout of laminitis.
I love all the work you do for truly suffering horses, but this video of a horse who looks pretty happy and healthy other than the abscess was a nice change of pace!
When you compare how little you can take away from a horse's hoof with an abscess compared to what they do for cloven hoovef cows, it's quite dramatically different. There's no carving big chunks away and putting a block on the good claw, it's all custom fabrication.
You sure do beautiful work. When I was a very little girl I enjoyed going to work with my Dad. He was a builder of hydraulic crane scales and I had a tricycle to play on while he worked. Your kids toys remind me of great times bonding with my Dad 65+ years ago. The job you do best is being a Dad. Never forget that.