Without the dedicated and valuable work of horseshoers, horse owners would be in trouble.

It’s like the old adage in the farrier industry: No hoof, no horse. Thousands of hard-working horseshoers keep the animals healthy, comfortable, functional and in full service for their owners.

To recognize the physically challenging and valuable work horseshoers do, the American Farriers Journal is sponsoring the ninth-annual National Farriers Week July 10-16. This is the one week during the year that horseowners are encouraged to celebrate the efforts of the farrier.

“Trimming and shoeing the hooves of 1,000-pound animals has always been hard physical labor, but it also requires an ever-increasing level of technical knowledge,” says Frank Lessiter, editor and publisher of American Farriers Journal