Advancing farriery techniques are developing in response to the need. Many of today’s horse-owners wish to ride and keep in work all year round with little or no holiday, such as the hunter or polo ponies had to rest and recoup for a few months. The desire to do it ‘naturally’, i.e. live out, does not always help, particularly if the horse is a light thoroughbred living out in wet conditions! So the farrier can either give up or devise new ways of meeting this incredibly demanding task of keeping the horse sound and on the road.