Millwater Books In Print 2025...

 

Millwater's Farriery:
The Illustrated Dictionary of Horseshoeing and Hoofcare:
Encyclopedic Reference for Professionals, Students, and Horseowners.

The encyclopedic dictionary of the art and science of farriery, designed for cross-referencing. Well illustrated with appendices of full-page illustrations, historical reference material, and resource guides.
This is the culmination of out farriery lexicon project started in 1994.

Paperback $22.50     Hardcover $36.50    Kindle eBook $9.95
https://www.amazon.com/dp/1466444819/




Shoe Your Own Damned Horse!

 SYODH! is comprehensive but good-humored primer for horse owners who want (or need) to learn how to trim or shoe their own animals, written by a veteran professional farrier and horseman.

Well illustrated, and with emphasis on practical economy.

Sections on hoof and limb anatomy, essential biomechanics, hoof handling, trimming for barefoot, tools and their functions, horseshoe choice/modification and application, cold and hot shoeing, managing common faults and pathologies, and even how to build a forge.  Lots of practical, insider hints sprinkled throughout.

Paperback $9.95
https://www.amazon.com/Shoe-Your-Own-Damned-Horse/dp/B0DGF3CZVD





The New Dictionary of Farrier Terms and Technical Language.
The 9th and final "New Dictionary" of the series before the jump to MILLWATER'S FARRIERY. 

Paperback $18.12
https://www.amazon.com/Dictionary-Farrier-Terms-Technical-Language/dp/1449594689/






The New Dictionary of Farrier Terms and Technical Language.
The tenth anniversary edition, coil-bound, no-less.  For the completionists out there.

Coil bound $13.42
https://www.lulu.com/shop/dave-millwater/new-dictionary-of-farrier-terms/paperback/product-1k9gr6.html




MILLWATER'S FARRIERY:
Deluxe Hardcover.
The AMAZON hardcover is a bit less expensive, and pretty nice.  But, as of the production of my proof copies, the LULU production quality was a little better.  (Amazon's hardcover printing might have improved, it was in beta then.)  Though they did manage a humorous SNAFU by sending me one copy with our cover wrapped around a completely unrelated book.  They make good on such errors quickly though.

Hardcover $50.00
https://www.lulu.com/shop/dave-millwater/millwaters-farriery-the-illustrated-dictionary-of-horseshoeing-and-hoofcare/hardcover/product-1wzpq4rz.html


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Guild of Professional Farriers Publications.

   The Guild has been dormant for some time now, but was an influential player in American farriery in the '90s and first part of this century.  These booklets are maintained for historical reference.  The .PDF downloads are free.  (Sorry about the hassle of checkout.  That's the PoD service's hang-up.)  The printed versions are at the PoD production cost.

   Note:  URLs an mail addresses in these old publications are out of date.




Registered Journeyman Farrier Exam Guide

$4.72 Paperback
https://www.lulu.com/shop/dave-millwater/rjf-exam-guide/paperback/product-1zdrpk.html

Free Download
https://www.lulu.com/shop/dave-millwater/rjf-exam-guide/ebook/product-1rgy5d8v.html

New Guild Chronicle #1

Includes the content of the RJF Exam Guide, other Guild material, and articles from Guild President Henry Heymering on the Strasser barefoot trim fad and weight-bearing mechanisms of the hoof.
 
$7.53 Coil bound
https://www.lulu.com/shop/dave-millwater/guild-chronicle/paperback/product-1jzpw6.html

Free Download
https://www.lulu.com/shop/dave-millwater/guild-chronicle/ebook/product-1qzp6zjn.html

New Guild Chronicle #2

Includes the Guild's constitution and bylaws as they stood in 2005.

$5.88 Paperback
https://www.lulu.com/shop/dave-millwater/new-guild-chronicle-2/paperback/product-1qvwjr.html

Free Download
https://www.lulu.com/shop/dave-millwater/new-guild-chronicle-2/ebook/product-1gv6rnwd.html

. . .

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Black Friday Coming...

 

   Okay...  The big political circus has wound-down a bit, now we look-up and see that the holidays are coming at us fast!

   So let's get a head-start on Black Friday sale pricing by knocking Millwater Publishing's newest release "SHOE YOUR OWN DAMNED HORSE!" down to $11.50 on Amazon.

   All Amazon Prime delivery, reward points, and other discounts apply.

https://www.amazon.com/Shoe-Your-Own-Damned-Horse/dp/B0DGF3CZVD

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Handy Tool for Farriers!

 FARRIERS!

   Do you have some of 'those' clients?  Always thinks you're doing it wrong, because of something a trainer, vet, riding instructor, Social Media expert, or random person at the tack shop said? 

   Here is a succinct way to reply...

   Hand them a copy of, or at least forward them a link to...

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0DGF3CZVD

   Maybe they'll take the hint.  ;)

#farrier  #hoofcare  #horsecare
.

Why would you want or need to shoe your own horses?

 Excerpt from Shoe Your Own Damned Horse!

Why would you want or need to shoe your own horses?

   I'd be the first to agree that a good, professional farrier is worth twice his fee.  But, with things going the way they are, a lot of horseowners are liable to have trouble coming up with half of what a pro farrier has to charge to stay in business, or may not have the option of hiring one at all due to career shoers needing to consolidate their services to the most lucrative stables.

   It's been said that equines are a luxury in modern times.  So, if folks can't afford to pay for essential things like hoof care, they just shouldn't have horses at all.  But I'm not too crazy about the idea of restricting the Horse World to just the wealthy elite as the Middle Class withers away.  Heck!  With petroleum prices as volatile as they've become, ordinary Americans might just be back to horse and buggy anyway.

   Even during the boom years of the 1990s, when I was an officer of a national organization of professional farriers, I frequently received calls from horseowners telling me that there were no real farriers available in their areas.  Sometimes what these callers really meant was "Nobody wants to come shoe for beer money."  But often their claims proved true and I couldn't find a decent journeyman taking on clients within a hundred miles of them.

   The ever-increasing standards of pro farriery, as well as the advancements in the science, have since contributed to the stratification of the trade between expensively equipped, trained hoofcare technicians and jackleg shoe-horsers. 

   So horseowners may find themselves with few options:  Expending considerable effort and treasure to haul their horse to the nearest qualified farrier willing to take them on...  Settling for the local Cheap John horseshoer and hoping for the best...  Or resorting to one of the magic barefoot trim or horseshoe alternative fads.

   Or you could learn to do it yourself.  Of course, no collection of printed pages can teach you to do that without some real world training.  But this book may give you some idea of what you're getting into.

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Fire... So easy a caveman can do it?

 

Excerpt from SHOE YOUR OWN DAMNED HORSE!

   At our regional farrier group's first public clinic, one of our
guys broke out his most recent acquisition. An antique, but fully
functional roll-out coal forge. Like most horseshoers circa 1990,
his experience was almost entirely in gas forges. He poured the
pan full of green (uncoked) coal, stuffed some paper in over the
grate, lit it, and started cranking away.

   In a few seconds the paper was blown away as ash and the
forge was still cold.

   So he tried again. With more paper, harder cranking. After
several attempts with no success, he got a bit frustrated and
went for the gasoline.

   I backed up several steps.

   Coal got soaked with gas, match was tossed-in, and our guy
cranked the blower like a madman, resulting in a spectacular
pillar of flame straight out of The Ten Commandments... For the
twenty seconds or so it took for the gas to burn away. Then our
intrepid blacksmith was left with non-burning coal, singed
beard, and a smoldering cap brim.

   At this point he seemed ready to accept assistance, so I got a
scoop of burning coke out of my forge, put it over the grate of
his, mounded-up the coal around it, wet-down the outer stuff,
and cranked easy 'til we had a proper fire going.

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SHOE YOUR OWN DAMNED HORSE! Release.

 

Press Release

MILLWATER PUBLISHING
Dave Millwater
SYODH@MillwaterPublishing.com

For immediate release.

SHOE YOUR OWN DAMNED HORSE! LAUNCHED.

Comprehensive yet good-natured paperback primer for horse owners who want (or need) to learn how to trim or shoe their own animals.  Written by a veteran farrier and horseman. Well illustrated, and with emphasis on practical economy.

[Dateline: Albemarle, NC, September 23, 2024]  --  Sometimes there really isn't a professional around when you need one.  Social and economic trends are likely to make it difficult for many horseowners to access the services of competent farriers.  SYODH! is designed to be a light overview of what is involved to adequately service one's own horses, as opposed to a heavy textbook intended for aspiring professional horseshoers.  It includes basics of hoof and limb evaluation, hoof trimming for barefoot or shoeing, shoe selection, modification, and application.  Also covered are tool selection and production. 

Millwater Publishing was started thirty years ago to release the first modern lexicon of farriery, The Pocket Dictionary of Farrier Terms and Technical Language (LCCN 94158685), which was followed by eight, ever-expanding editions of The New Dictionary of Farrier Terms and Technical Language, and finally culminated in the illustrated, encyclopedic Millwater's FARRIERY.  (Dave Millwater's extended bio is available on his Amazon author page, linked from the aforementioned book pages.)

Shoe Your Own Damned Horse!
ISBN: ‎ 9798338547410
Amazon link:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0DGF3CZVD

###

Download Press Release PDF.

How SYODH! Came To Be...

 

   Okay...  It may seem strange that, after so many years of promoting farriery as a proper profession with a high standard of practical competence, I would publish a primer for horseowners wishing to shoe their own animals.

   This project actually didn't start out that way.  You see, one of my primary interests for decades has been "doomsteading".  Basically, setting up and living on a rural farmstead designed to withstand the various social, economic, and natural disasters that happen from time-to-time.  I was part of some of the Internet's discussion forums on the subject of coping with broad collapse, and was bemused by how much nonsense some "Doomers" were throwing around.  Especially when it came to hippie-dippy wishful thinking about self-sufficiency from a tiny garden and reliance on a "community" of similarly clueless people.  Especially (and irrationally) optimistic was the notion that they could wait until AFTER some apocalyptic, civilization-ending event to start their doomsteads.

   Having been on our own doomstead since Y2k was the upcoming End Of The World threat (no, we weren't really worried about that one), we'd figured out a good bit of what did and did not really work.  So I decided that my next book would be on low-nonsense doomsteading. 

   I soon realized that the book was becoming a full set of encyclopedias.  Real world derailments and health crises made me realize that it was likely that either myself, Western Civilization, or both, were going to go belly-up before I could get the thing finished and published!  So I scaled the project down to my general field of expertise, horse keeping...  Then again to my professional bailiwick, horseshoeing.

   It doesn't take a nuclear war type KABOOM to create a situation where lots of horseowners will be unable to hire competent, professional farriers.   You don't have to be too geriatric to remember times when folks simply didn't have the money to pay fair prices for horseshoeing, and journeymen farriers couldn't afford to drive all over the countryside doing small-time stops.  It is probably no coincidence that magical "barefoot horse trimming" snake oil  blossoms in popularity when there is even a moderate economic downturn.

   Considering how much some people vying to rule the country loathe fossil fuels, it might not be a bad idea for folks to learn to shoe their own damned horses.  Just in case they become involuntarily Amish!

.

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'Tis the Season...

   Well, the Thanksgiving Feast is done.  Hope this season found y'all well and in good company!

   Now it's for those turkey sandwiches, midnight pumpkin pie raids, and (of course) the start of the holiday shopping season!

   For those of you with tech-inclined horse-folks on your shopping list, Millwater's FARRIERY, the encyclopedic reference of hoofcare and horseshoeing, is now available in Kindle Edition for less than half the trade paperback price.  This ebook version includes all the content of the print edition, and has hyperlinks for cross-referencing with a tap or click!

   For the Christmas season, I'm activating Amazon's "Matchbook" feature that allows folks who buy the paperback to add the Kindle Edition for $2.99.

   For Black Friday / Cyber Monday you can also get the trade paperback version of Millwater's FARRIERY for one-third off the list price by ordering direct and using code ZT7855DA .  This code only works for direct order, not on Amazon.

   Of course, Amazon will be running various promotions of their own.

   You can follow Millwater Publishing on FaceBook and Twitter for the various discount sales of the Hardcover Edition and eBay promo copies.

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. . . 

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Millwater's FARRIERY: Getting Modern...

.

   I published the 2010 version of the lexicon of farriery to (then still fairly new) Amazon Kindle e-reader using Amazon's online system to convert it from the original PDF file of the print edition.  I was never that happy with the results, but it actually sold some 'copies'.

Quick revisit of the final "New" Dictionary of Farrier Terms.

   I wanted to do it better with the current Millwater's FARRIERY, so the conversion was done in-house, much of it manually.  Which is why the Kindle (and other e-reader) port has taken so long to release.

   Cross-referencing has been a big part of the design since the first Pocket Dictionary in 1994, relying not only on SEE:, SEE ALSO:, and similar instructions, but on typesetting cues within the definitions and articles themselves.

   With the Kindle version, we can take that a bit farther with hypertext.  Instead of just seeing words defined elsewhere in the book printed in boldface italics, you'll actually be able to tap/click on them and go directly to their entries.

   Aside from the magic of hypertext, the content of the new e-reader version is identical to the trade paperback and hardcover editions...  Even though the Amazon page count is over 100 pages higher.  That's due to the very tight formatting in the physical print editions getting a lot of content onto each page.

   The text content is "flowable", so you can change the size smoothly...  The graphic elements have been reformatted for best display on base Kindles while staying withing the data size limitations of the format.  On some of the higher resolution new models, these element may initially display small, but you should be able to blow them up and still have good viewing resolution.

   At around half the price of the trade paperback, there are some advantages to this newfangled age.

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. . .

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Prophet's Thumb Farm: On Horse Rescue...

   In recent years, there has been a push to discourage folks from buying pets from breeders and dealers.  With millions of stray or discarded dogs and cats being put to death in pounds every year, it seems wrong to encourage breeders to produce more rather than giving homes to the ones already here and in dire need.

   Some people try to extend that line of thought to horses.  Why breed more horses when there are so many already being abandoned, going to slaughter, etc.?

   But horses aren't dogs or cats...

   Give a typical dog the run of a suburban back yard, a spot at the foot of the bed, a collar, leash, tennis ball, the odd bowl of kibble, and he's a happy camper.  The cat is cool with an apartment, sand box, and some Friskies.

   They keep us company.  Entertain us a bit.  Alert us to anything out of the ordinary.  Assist with our diets by eating a share of our cookies for us.  Maybe dispatch the occasional rodent.

   Most of us have no need for a specific breed/type of dog or cat.  When I needed a new farm dog, I had a general idea of what we wanted... Age, size, gender, personality.  Went to the pound and found what I was looking for.

Chompy!

   So I agree...  Outside of folks who need specially-bred dogs for specific work or hunting uses, it makes little sense to breed dogs or cats when the pounds are full of perfectly suitable candidates.


    Horses are so much more demanding...  They require acres of turn-out with miles of fences to maintain.  Stables that have to be cleaned.  Tons of oats and truckloads of hay.  Expensive tack.  Competent training and daily care.  Farrier service.  Worming.  Etc., etc., etc...

   In return, we justifiably expect more from them...  We ride them.  We drive them.  Miles and miles down country roads, mountain trails, and sandy beaches.  Maybe we use them in show or athletic competitions.  It can become a way of life.  An awesome way of life!

   But, contrary to what you may have seen in Hollywood movies over the years, you can't just grab any horse out of the kill pens at the dark end of the sale barn and make it into a Wonder Horse with a little TLC.  Sad fact is, most of them are there for a reason.

   The old, sick, lame, untrained, poorly bred rescue horse is going to require more investment of time, treasure, and resources than a healthy, sound, broke horse in his prime...  And is still likely to be a pasture ornament, companion, or limited use mount at best.  It's hard to maintain enthusiasm for pouring ever-increasing investment into an animal for ever-decreasing return, year after year after year.  Especially in the face of the various hardships and tough changes that may be encountered in the rescuer's life along the way.  Rescued horses often wind up needing to be rescued again.

   Overall, the horse world is better-off if people select the horses they need, rather than the horses that need them.  Horses that encourage their owners to actively use and enjoy them,  inviting owners to get more involved in the equestrian world.  To share them with friends and family.  Creating more horse people and more homes for horses in the process!

   Another way horses differ from dogs is lifespan.  Horses live twice as long as dogs.  While the typical dog owner's requirements are fairly constant over the years, active equestrians have evolving needs when it comes to horses.  So the whole "Furever Home" thing isn't really applicable to horses.

   The perfect horse for an eleven year-old beginner will be holding her back when she's a teenager with countless lessons and hours in the saddle to her credit.  She really ought to pass him down to a new beginner while she moves-up to a horse she can ride to the next level...  That way the beginner's horse gets a new home, the new girl gets a perfect beginner's horse, and teenager stays in the game, and the advanced horse gets a home too!  Developing riders are supposed to "outgrow" their beginner horses and move up. This is NOT a bad thing!

   So someone does need to be producing next-level horses above and beyond what can be salvaged from the dark end of the sale barn.

   Am I saying that no one should rescue horses from the kill pens?  Certainly not!  But we have to face the fact that we can't rescue them all.  There are only so many homes for horses to go to.  Only so many people to take them on.  And burning those people out with high-upkeep, low-use animals does nothing to promote horse ownership and create more homes for horses tomorrow.

   I think we need to think more in terms of Rehab than Rescue...  While the emotional inclination is to save the most hopeless and pathetic horses, the greater good would be achieved by saving the ones who have the best chance of becoming fully useful mounts, especially for new horseowners.

   This used to be the stock-and-trade of horsetraders.  Outbid the killers on horses that were a few months' TLC away from being sold for decent money.  One thing they used to say was "Never buy a horse based on sympathy."  There are things you can't reasonably expect to fix.

   Old age...  A healthy twenty year-old might have a lot of use and life left in him.  But a poor horse over sixteen is likely to require a lot more time and care to get back into flesh than a younger animal.  He's also likely to need more dental care.  And, if he's not already well-trained, it's pretty late in the game to be green.

   Crippled...  I've known a lot of supposedly crippled "navicular" cases that came sound with proper shoeing and nutrition.  But horses with limb deformities, chronic laminitis, popped knees, and assorted other maladies may only be kept tolerably sound with drugs and perpetual therapeutic farriery.

   Size...  Nope. That 13-2 three year-old is NOT going to make 16+ hands.  I don't care if your cousin's room-mate's sister-in-law says her horse grew a foot after four, it ain't happening!

   Breeding...  Poor conformation, half-gaits, and other congenital weaknesses.

   Yes, you may be able to salvage a geriatric, unbroke, lame pony with a crooked spine and inclination to pace...  Expending time and resources that could have made three or four better candidates home-worthy in the process!

   But you don't have room for three or four more horses?  That's the great thing.  Good candidates, after rehabilitation, may be great entry-level horses, ready to go to new homes!  The horse world needs more good beginners' horses, and the kill pens are a good source for them...  But rehabilitating  rescue horses really isn't a good job for a newbie.  With the horsetraders of old in short supply, we need more established equestrians to create a return path from the kill pens to the beginners.

Some of these horses may have the potential to fill an essential role in the horse world.

We just have to figure out which ones, and give them the chance.

.

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