Shoeing for Dressage - Haydn Price

Hosts Jay Tovey and Mark Trussler welcome farrier Haydn Price to discuss dressage shoeing and his career. Haydn explains starting farriery at 14, restarting his apprenticeship with Tim Rooney, and how conversations with farrier Alan Bailey led him to question traditional UK “follow the foot” concave hunter-style shoeing. Influenced by Continental shoeing seen with David Broome’s horses, he adopted longer, wider, more symmetrical shoes and focused on function over aesthetics, gaining performance-horse clients through results and rider feedback. He describes dressage as an ideal discipline for analysis because it’s controlled and movement-focused, and notes hind feet can change shape through training, requiring proactive management such as impression material and thermoplastic pads to reduce heel compression. The group discusses angular limb deformities, emphasising forces and hoof capsule evidence over appearance, and proximal suspensory desmitis, linking it to training, surfaces, and load behind; Haydn favours appropriate support, packing, and clear exit strategies rather than “one condition, one shoe.” He supports barefoot where conditions allow and advises young farriers to talk, collaborate, and seek help.