Farriery is the specialist practice of equine hoof care, encompassing the trimming and balancing of a horse's hooves and the fitting of shoes when shoes are needed. A farrier combines the blacksmith's skill of fabricating and adjusting metal shoes with knowledge of the anatomy and physiology of a horse's lower limb, applying that combination to routine hoof maintenance, to protecting hooves under heavy work or on abrasive ground, and to the care of diseased or injured feet. Long a male dominated trade, farriery has opened substantially to women in the United Kingdom, Australia, Canada and the United States in recent decades.
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Central QuestionHow does a farrier combine a blacksmith's skill at fabricating and fitting metal shoes with the separate knowledge needed to trim and balance a horse's hoof correctly? 1 Sources
1. Farrier (Wikipedia)
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A farrier is a specialist in farriery: equine hoof care, including the trimming and balancing of horses' hooves and the placing of shoes on their hooves when necessary.
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