Written by EasyCare HCP/Vet Dealer Representative, Dan Schroeder
At our most recent EasyCare Clinic, we visited High Plains Farrier Association in South Dakota. This is a very open group with a bunch of great guys. Big THANK YOU to Mark and Summer Jakopak for hosting the event and letting me stay with them for a couple of days.
We started the day with a discussion about different products and how they can be used along with a few shoeing theories. Many thought-provoking ideas and techniques were discussed. Once we got the ideas flowing, we got into working on some horses. First horse up, we applied the Versa Grip to the front feet, and the Versa Grip Gold to the hind feet. These shoes are very straight forward in a nail-on application, but we had plenty of ideas on modifying the shoes to adjust for different needs of our equine friends.
After lunch, we moved onto the gluing portion of the event. We applied the Versa Grip Glue to the front feet and the Versa Grip Octo to the hind feet. I have applied plenty of these shoes in my own practice and at clinics, but I am still amazed at how easy the application is. There were numerous comments about the ease of application, and many noted that they like how the horse can stand on all four during the gluing process. This is a huge plus for the horse’s comfort. We also talked about welding tabs and extensions onto a shoe for additional length.
We also observed the horse moving before and after the shoes were applied. A significant difference was seen after having the shoes on. It’s always helpful for the attendees to compare and note the difference.
It was an absolute pleasure to visit High Plains Farrier Association and have fantastic discussions. This is one exceptional group of farriers to work and talk with. Again, big thank you to Mark and Summer along with the High Plains Farrier Association on a spectacular event.
