Darkhorse Farrier Service

Darkhorse Farrier Service Farrier serving the Okanagan/Shuswap region

Books are closed; I take select cases by veterinary referral. My books are currently full.

A Sound Approach

For the past 20 years I have worked with horses in the equine tourism industry; in the jungles of South America, the streets of Victoria and Vancouver and the mountains of Alberta. I am passionate about the ethics of equine partnership, and take pride in keeping working horses sound and comfortable so that they can enjoy their jobs and lead healthy and fulfilled lives. I attended

Pacific Coast Horseshoeing School, and since graduating I have had the privilege of providing hoof care for several equine tourism businesses, which has allowed me a practice of over 400 horses a year and the a diversity of practical experience that comes with seeing thousands of hooves. My work is guided by a few key principles:

* Barefoot is best, except when it’s not. Genetics, health, environment, and usage all factor into the health of a horse’s feet. Hoof care is individualized; one size does not fit all.

* Horses are people too. I am calm, patient, and fair, and take pride in giving your horse a good experience, whether it is a young horse meeting the farrier for the first time or a senior citizen who appreciates their legs held low.

* Lifelong learning. Farriery is one of the oldest crafts in the world; and the foundations stand the test of time. I continuously study, attend workshops, and apprentice with respected farriers and pass down the benefits of this learning to the horse.

04/14/2025
Some EDSS Equicast for a chronic shoe puller.Casting is a great option for horses with weak or compromised hoof walls; o...
03/28/2025

Some EDSS Equicast for a chronic shoe puller.

Casting is a great option for horses with weak or compromised hoof walls; or when transitioning from shod to barefoot.

When your truck is in the shop but a nearby client needs a tire change, you load up the John Deere and answer the call f...
03/01/2025

When your truck is in the shop but a nearby client needs a tire change, you load up the John Deere and answer the call for Roadside Assistance 😆

Another miniature horse clog built with an assortment of supplies from my favourite store of all time, Dollarama 😆The St...
02/21/2025

Another miniature horse clog built with an assortment of supplies from my favourite store of all time, Dollarama 😆

The Steward Clog application gives some relief of laminitis pain, eases the biomechanical forces on the compromised laminae, and stabilizes the hoof capsule.

Larch Veterinary Services

Winter is here, time to get a grip!I'm doing my best to stock snow pads in different colors but mostly in hot pink, whic...
11/24/2024

Winter is here, time to get a grip!

I'm doing my best to stock snow pads in different colors but mostly in hot pink, which is classic and timeless.

11/21/2024
After over a year of weekly treatments at the vet, this big fella is finally heading home! Equine canker is a relatively...
11/12/2024

After over a year of weekly treatments at the vet, this big fella is finally heading home!

Equine canker is a relatively rare equine hoof disease which is still not well understood.

Fortunately we caught his in the early stages and we treated aggressively with surgical debridement, cauterization, topical medication and supportive shoeing. We used a bar shoe to stabilize the hoof capsule and pour-in pads both to protect the healing tissues and suppress the growth of new canker.

This guy is retired and looking forward to many more happy years of enjoying turnout with his herdmates.
Cheers to his owner and his caretaker who decided he was worth it ❤️

These radiographs are a great example of what I talk about when I use the "push up bra" analogy to explain bony column a...
10/30/2024

These radiographs are a great example of what I talk about when I use the "push up bra" analogy to explain bony column alignment.

Instead of wedging the periphery of the wall, wedging the frog and palmar aspect of the hoof physically boosts the entire bony column. In the short term this immediately reduces discomfort for the horse, and in the long term it re-develops the atrophied soft tissues the horse requires to maintain this alignment.

This horse has Negative Palmar Angles (NPA) and the associated broken back Hoof Pastern Axis (HPA).
She grows a lot of foot, so we put her in an open toed shoe; to allow the toe to wear and to maintain the desired angles throughout her cycle. Once we achieve a healthier palmar angle through soft tissue development she will transition to barefoot.

Here's a great opportunity to take a deeper look at the equine limb!
08/13/2024

Here's a great opportunity to take a deeper look at the equine limb!

Join us this fall 2024 for an equine distal limb dissection in Langley, BC, Canada.

Folks, it's hot and I can't fit everybody in during the early morning hours. Your horses are going to be a couple of wee...
07/05/2024

Folks, it's hot and I can't fit everybody in during the early morning hours.

Your horses are going to be a couple of weeks overdue because I'm not actually willing to die for them.

Thanks for your patience!

Hi guys,

If you're feeling the heat in summer clothes, imagine what it's like benchpressing your horse while wearing leather and clutching hot metal.

If there's no shade at your facility, then there's no farrier at your facility. I'll be rescheduling all appointments to the early morning hours, before the sun starts ruining lives.

Remember, I can only care for your horses feet if I'm not dead from heat stroke!

My favourite question to ask my clients is if I can make it pink.3D HoofCare
05/25/2024

My favourite question to ask my clients is if I can make it pink.

3D HoofCare

It's been a busy couple of months with a large number of veterinary referrals. I've built a lot of clogs and cast a lot ...
05/24/2024

It's been a busy couple of months with a large number of veterinary referrals.

I've built a lot of clogs and cast a lot of hooves for a lot of sore horses; and I've been too busy to remember to take pictures
😆

Here's a few different setups for navicular, laminitis, and a rare case of canker.

Address

Sorrento, BC

Telephone

+12365582703

Website

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A Sound Approach

Since horses have always made me my living; I decided I wanted to make my living providing for horses.

For the past 18 years I have worked with horses in the equine tourism industry; in the jungles of South America, the streets of Victoria and Vancouver and the mountains of Alberta. I am passionate about the ethics of equine partnership, and take pride in keeping working horses sound and comfortable so that they can enjoy their jobs and lead healthy and fulfilled lives. I graduated from Pacific Coast Horseshoeing School in 2018, and have been apprenticing with a respected farrier while maintaining my own clientele. I am privileged to provide hoof care for several equine tourism businesses.

My work is guided by a few key principles:


  • Barefoot is best, except when it’s not. Genetics, health, environment, and usage all factor into the health of a horse’s feet. Hoof care is individualized; one size does not fit all.