Your farrier gives your horses’ feet some love every 4-6 weeks. This keeps the entire horse healthy and comfortable - no hoof, no horse as they say. Being a company focused on horse health, every year Team Absorbine rubs elbows with farriers from around the world at the International Hoof Care Summit in Cincinnati. Here we learn the latest in hoof care from the farriers and veterinarians who make healthy horses their life’s mission. Now we’d like to share some of that experience with you our Absorbine Farrier Spotlight!

Sydney Kotow, Feet First Farrier Service, Kansas City, Missouri

Absorbine: What made you decide to become a farrier?

Sydney: I always wanted to be one. Mom made me go to university and when I was done I was like ‘mom I’m going to shoeing school!’ I’ve been forging since I was like 13.

A: Do you have any hoof care tips you’d like to share?

S: Pick their feet out, don’t let them poop around the round bale. Don’t get a horse, I don’t know haha

A: What are some things you’d like your customers to do/remember before your visit and inn between visits?

S: Have a clean area to shoe, have clean horses and work them or somehow make them quiet. Sometimes people forget the farrier is coming and when they bring their horses in they’re covered with mud, I can’t work with that. Or it’s like you get the clay balled up around the hoof wall and you have to scrape it off.

A: What is your most memorable hoof recovery story where you helped solve a hoof issue?

S: I’ve got a little POA and she’s always been lame in the winter. Now she’s sound for the first time.

A: What are your favorite Absorbine products and why did you start using them?

S: I use ShowSheen A LOT. I go through gallons of ShowSheen with the carriage horses. I’ve even used it instead of Armor all, on my daughter’s hair even. I use the Hooflex and Magic Cushion all the time, I keep it in my trailer.

A: What is the funniest thing a non-horse person has said to you about horses?

S: Chasing horses down when the owners didn’t tie them is always funny. I had a kid with me doing a career day ride-along. We had to chase the horses from Sweet Springs over to Sedalia. She looks at me and says ‘is this normal?’ and I said, no, no it is not! 

You can see more of the great work Sydney does here: facebook.com/FeetFirstFarrier