Dan the Horseshoe Man

Dan is the horseshoe man.

Dan prefers this title over “farrier” because his purpose is to create a balanced shoe and healthy foot condition for each horse, rather than to do specialty and corrective work for leg and foot problems. He is the “preventive-medicine” man, the “well-being” man.

I doubt there is a single person walking around who doesn’t appreciate the value of a properly fitted pair of shoes or boots. Well, horses feel the same way. And Dan believes that a proper, balanced trim for good shoe fit is the #1 consideration for the horse’s foot health.

Dan started working with horses and shoeing at a dude ranch when he was 15 years old. He continued working on cattle ranches in Colorado and Wyoming until about seven years ago when he started his own business. Dan is now highly regarded and in demand throughout Colorado, Wyoming, and Nebraska. Here at the ranch the focus is on healthy-horse maintenance, so Dan visits weekly on Thursdays and Fridays.

Horses are shod on a regular seven-to-eight week rotation. A good set of feet takes about 45 minutes to re-shoe, but the occasional problem can take up to three hours.

I was watching Dan work on a horse while we talked. He appeared totally at ease with 1,000 pounds of power, the leg between his legs and inches from his face.

The horse seemed at ease, also. Dan is fully aware of the potential for pain at any moment—even a fly bite could trigger a kick from a hoof full of sharp, untrimmed nails. His arms bear witness to the possibilities. But Dan’s way is calm, patient, and respectful of his “sons”.

So, the process…Dan carefully explained his steps as he worked. My reporting may not be so accurate, but I’ll try.

The work space needs to be calm for horse and Dan’s concentration. Visitors must be aware to not startle or disrupt horse or ‘shoer.

Assuming a routine shoeing, Dan starts by fly spraying the horse, making sure it is comfortable, then doing a visual check of the feet and legs for balance.

To his side is his anvil, tool box, foot stools, and shoes. For the Flying X, Dan has about seven sizes of pre-shaped shoes: more round for front, more oval for hind.

He uses steel specifically for the ranch’s rocky, demanding terrain which would easily bite through other metals, such as aluminum.

Foot by foot, Dan picks up the hoof with his hands, holds it between his legs, loosens old nails, pries off the shoe, cleans the sole carefully and thoroughly checking for problems, and then eyes up the excess growth for a healthy cut line—a skill that comes only with experience and intuition.
Dan’s goal: a good cut of the hoof to keep weight on the hoof wall outside of the
foot, not on the sole.

Dan uses a mega clipper to trim the nail growth and a mega file to smooth the hoof.
He measures the new pre-shaped shoe, bangs away at the anvil, refits, re-bangs, until the correct shape and fit are assured. With hoof again inches from his face, he nails the shoe into the dead part of the hoof, clips off and files down excess pieces on the outside of the hoof.

One down, three to go.

Dan pointed out the difference between the old and new shoeing. Proper clipping of the nail reshapes the hoof to optimum balance.

Since the front edge of the hoof grows faster than the rear edge, nail growth shifts the balance of the hoof and leg, bones and tendons (obvious at the pastern). This shift is similar to a person going from sandals to high heels.

The untrimmed, extended nail growth also contributes to less stability and compromised stride as the extra length at the toe drags in the dirt and is more susceptible to injury and disease.

The improvement of the trim is obvious to me, a total greenhorn, for the well being of the horse and safety of the rider.

I ask Dan about wild horses’ feet? Dan explains that horses in the wild travel 12-20 miles a day over rough terrain searching for food. Their nails are naturally worn down.

And, unfortunately, a horse in the wild that does develop foot issues simply doesn’t survive.

So there I stood in awe of how easily Dan worked his way through the heat, dust, flies, four feet of a 1,000 pound horse with a lineup of more horses waiting their turn, and he still kept smiling and chatting with folks. I had only watched and I was ready for a toffee ice cream bar break.

You will see Dan around the ranch, barn, and office. He’s the one who keeps our horses on their toes, happy and healthy.

Thanks, Dan.

-- Bev Flaven