Life-long rider and horse owner Alvin Blench seeks to bring craft of farriery in line with current horseshoeing needs essential for modern-day breeds of horses
LONDON, Nov. 8, 2013 /PRNewswire/ — "Reclaiming the Farrier's Soul" is aimed at horse lovers everywhere as well as those interested in horse welfare. It provides the equestrian community with modern principles to build their knowledge about shoeing, enabling them to communicate better and more productively with their farrier.
To achieve this it contains 85 color photographs illustrating both current practises and new principles to help horse owners gain valuable insights.
Farriery is one of the world's oldest crafts. It has acquired a special mystique down through the centuries, but this ancient history also increases resistance to change. Parts of the farriery process now need a modern perspective.
This has become more evident especially since WWII, now that working horses for farm and transport have been replaced by pleasure/riding/sport horses, which have totally different hooves and shoeing requirements.
Changes in breeds of horses means that some farriery techniques are outdated, but there are also a number of key areas where shoeing improvements need to be made, to improve a horse's performance capability and comfort.
One example is hot shoeing which can have a profoundly negative effect on the horse's welfare, as these two photos demonstrate:
(Photo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20131108/PH13219-a )
(Photo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20131108/PH13219-b )
There are other potential problem areas, such as incorrect hoof angles, poor trimming and nailing which can lead to lameness and discomfort.
While these issues are a fundamental part of the farrier's job, they also need to be better understood by horse owners, to improve their dialogue with farriers, to get a better shoeing standard, and so to improve the horse's welfare and performance. The book is a must for all horse lovers. The book can be bought at Amazon.com.
About the Author: Alvin Blench
He has competed internationally in jumping, dressage and eventing. He brings his extensive knowledge of horses, horse owners, farriers, vets, trainers and riders to bear in this impactful book.
He is also an economist, lives in England, and has worked in senior executive positions for multinational FMCG companies in various countries.
Contact: Alvin Blench
(44)1-784-438812
Website: www.reclaimingthefarrierssoul.com