Here’s a little background on our feature pro, Mitch. A member of the American Farrier Association’s (AFA) International Hall of Fame, Mitch Taylor began his farrier training in 1975, has been an AFA Certified Journeyman Farrier (CJF) since 1982, and earned the Associate Worshipful Company of Farriers (AWCF) in 2013. After receiving his primary farrier training at Colorado Mountain College, Mitch completed his apprenticeship in Southern California, specializing in jumping and dressage horses. As a professional farrier, Taylor has shod horses across the USA, and the world in a wide variety of disciplines. Combining his academic background with his passion for farriery, his practice ultimately specializes in the treatment of lameness and foot imbalance in horses.
Mitch received his Bachelor of Science degree in Biology and Chemistry from Western State College of Colorado and did his post-graduate work in Equine Physiology at the University of Kentucky. While working on his master’s degree at UK, Mitch worked as an assistant to James Rooney, PhD, the former Director of the Maxwell Gluck Equine Research Center and noted equine biomechanics author. Taylor’s Master’s Thesis was published in the Journal of Animal Science. Since that time, Mitch has continued to pursue his interest in equine research by continually investigating equine biomechanics and how that is affected through various shoeing modalities.
Since 1989, Mitch has been the Executive Director/Owner of the Kentucky Horseshoeing School in Richmond, Kentucky, and in 2007 and 2011 received the AFA’s Educator of the Year award as well as the Clinician of the Year award for 2012. Notably, Mitch was named the Rising Star Instructor by the Kentucky Association of Career Colleges & Schools for 2015. Adding to his accomplishments, in 2017 Taylor served as the Director of Equine Podiatry at the Equine Veterinary Medical Center (EVMC) of Al Shaqab in Doha, Qatar.
Founded in 1978, the Kentucky Horseshoeing School is continually focused on primary and continuing education, drawing upon the best of traditional practices as well as the newest research to become the premiere farrier education center in North America. The curriculum, staff, and facilities continually evolve to reflect state-of-the-art shoeing methods and materials. Additionally, the latest insights into balanced shoeing. Beautifully set on 40 acres of rolling pasture, includes 23,000 square feet of classrooms, shops and instructional areas along with beautiful energy efficient dormitories, puts Kentucky Horseshoeing School among the best of the farrier education facilities operating today. Click here to learn more about what all the School has to offer.
Ask a Pro Q1: A Farrier Set up and Stand Up
When chatting with professional Mitch Taylor, owner of the Kentucky Farrier School, he said there’s a lot that a horse owner or a barn manager can do to make the shoeing process proficient. It all begins with a great set up and stand up. What is a “Set Up and Stand Up”? Mitch was happy to oblige in going into detail on this…click here to see his thoughts.
Ask a Pro Q2: Hoof Packing
With varying opinions out there, we decide to chat with our featured professional, farrier Mitch Taylor, to learn his thoughts and ask whether he could provide some insight on hoof packing protocols.
Ask a Pro Q3: Wound Care
As horse owners, we typically see our farriers on a routine basis. With the multitude of things we horsey folk chat about, wound care is bound to come up. Naturally, we asked our featured professional, farrier Mitch Taylor of the Kentucky Horseshoeing School, for his recommendations.
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