Most horses at The Shea Center wear conventional horseshoes, but there are many shoe types including therapeutic shoes that help distribute a horse’s weight and help with balance issues or arthritis.  Although horses typically wear steel horseshoes, special lightweight aluminum shoes can also be used.

Horses wear shoes primarily to strengthen and protect the hooves, keep them from chipping and cracking, and to prevent the hooves from wearing down too quickly.  Horseshoes are also used to help aid in the durability of the hoof.  Much like our fingernails and toenails, a horse’s hooves will continue to grow and need to be trimmed every 6 – 8 weeks.  At that time, the horse’s shoes are also replaced.

Trent and Vic Sebring

The name for a person who shoes horses is farrier.  A farrier is a specialist in equine hoof care, including the trimming and balancing of horses’ hooves and the placing of shoes on their hooves, if necessary.  A farrier combines some blacksmith  skills (fabricating, adapting, and adjusting metal shoes) with some veterinarian skills (knowledge of the anatomy and physiology of the lower limb) to care for a horse’s feet.  A good farrier will also carefully inspect the hooves and feet to ensure that the shoes provide the best fit, and that the horse is comfortable and healthy.

The Shea Center is fortunate to work with two expert farriers to shoe our horses.  Rick Rabin has been shoeing our horses for 35 years!  Rick comes every six weeks and trims and/or shoes the majority of our herd.  For the past 18 years, Vic Sebring has been a farrier partner working with The Shea Center horses as a specialty orthopedic farrier.

Rick Rabin

As our equine veterinarian for the past 23 years, Richard Markell DVM frequently consults with our farriers regarding any health issues such as lameness or hoof disease.  This extraordinary team of experts work in conjunction with each other and Shea Center professionals to maintain the health and soundness of our horses and their feet.

Vic Sebring