Shoeing the Modern Horse

Steve Kraus is an American Farriers Association Certified Journeyman Farrier who, since 2010, has been Head of Farrier Services, a Senior Lecturer of Large Animal Surgery at Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine, and the instructor of the Cornell Farrier School. Prior to that, he had over 40 years in his own farrier business in Central New York, shoeing many breeds of horses participating in diverse disciplines. He started his career in 1965, learning to shoe summer camp horses. While attending Cornell University, College of Agriculture, Kraus shod horses part-time to support himself, eventually earning a bachelor's degree in Animal Science in 1971. In his career, Kraus has shod horses used for dressage, jumping, endurance racing, polo, eventing, driving, and flat and harness racing, as well as draft horses. He is known for troubleshooting lame, injured, and underperforming horses. In 1976, he became the first farrier consultant hired by the Mustad horse nail company. He redesigned their US nail line, created the combo series, and initiated Mustad's clinician and sponsorship programs. He has lectured to farriers, veterinarians, and horse owners all over the United States, Canada, South America, and Europe. He has been a featured speaker at the International Hoof Care Summit, Laminitis Conference, Equine Affaire, Werkman Spring Games, and the American Farriers Association Convention. Kraus has written many articles published in the American Farriers Journal, The Horse Journal, and The Professional Farrier. As a horse owner, he trains and plays his own string of polo horses and trains beginning polo players at Cornell University. He is a past president of the Western New York Farriers Association and a former American Farriers Association Board of Director of Region #5. In 2016, he was inducted into the International Farriers Hall of Fame. In 2018, he was the first farrier inducted into the Cornell Veterinary Honor Society, Phi Zeta Alpha.

Katie Navarra grew up in western New York where she enjoyed an early introduction to horses. At eight, her first pony stepped off the trailer right onto her sneaker-clad foot, initiating her into the joys and pains of horse ownership. Today, she is an award-winning writer who has developed a specialty covering hoofcare and the farrier industry. Navarra is the author of Horses In Action! and The Horse Show Read-and-Play Sticker Book. She also serves on the American Horse Publications executive committee. Writing is just one chapter of her lifelong involvement in the horse industry. She provides custom leadership development coaching experiences in partnership with horses. She is an accredited coach through the International Coaching Federation and a certified E3A Equine Facilitator. Within her coaching practice, she asks questions that lead them to define what they really want out of life (katienavarra.com).