Two farriers have taken their work a step further, and developed their own hoof-care products that have become hits in the horse world. These farriers are Paul Heller, developer of Farrier’s Fix, and David Kimbrough, developer of Spurr’s Big Fix.
Farriers’ Fix
Paul Heller, developer of Farriers’ Fix Hoof Oil, is a working farrier in Westchester County, New York, but his ties to the mid-south go back to 1973, when he first learned horse shoeing from Lim Couch. He’s still actively shoeing “almost full time,” he said. His primary clients are USEF A circuit hunters and jumpers, upper level dressage and event horses, as well as trail, hunt horses, and backyard horses.
Heller’s other main business is making and marketing Farriers’ Fix Hoof Oil, which he developed in 2000. It all started when a friend of his found an “old recipe” in Canada, using a combination of ingredients beneficial to hooves. His friend gave him some to try. “I really noticed a difference in the horses’ feet,” he said. So he started tinkering with ingredients, making batches of hoof oil in his garage. He used it on all the horses he worked on and his clients liked it so much – there was such a high demand for it – that he never had enough!
He knew it would take a lot of work taking it to market, but that’s what he decided to do. Now Farriers’ Fix is available at numerous stores all over the U.S., and some in Canada.
Heller’s website states that “Farriers’ Fix is made with only high quality, natural ingredients that provide vitamins A, D & E – all essential for good quality hooves.” Each of the four ingredients, Venice turpentine, cod liver oil, wintergreen oil, and safflower oil, serve a specific purpose.
The benefits to the hoof are numerous, all under the main umbrella of “balancing the moisture content in hooves,” Heller explained. “It works as well on dry hooves as it does on moist hooves. It also draws out soreness and toughens hooves, so is especially good for barefoot horses.”
Recommended usage is approximately three times per week for maintenance.
Spurr’s Big Fix
Spurr’s Big Fix is an all-around hoof care, wound care, skin antiseptic, and “anything else you can think of product,” said owner and developer David Kimbrough, who has been a farrier for 41 years. He and his wife Kathy created it for their own horses “and it turned out to be a great wound product, too,” he said. “This one product works so well on many different things. I truly believe God has blessed it. Some of the stories we’ve received about its healing are miraculous! But I’m still pushing it for hoof care.”
Kimbrough won’t reveal all of the seven ingredients in it, but he did say they are all natural antiseptics, and each works on something special. He did reveal five of the ingredients: tea tree oil, alcohol, iodine, thymol, and menthol.
“There are lots of products for horses’ feet,” he said, “But people don’t use them because they’re messy. This isn’t messy. You just spray it on; it’s clear; it doesn’t stain. So people actually use it.”
“One of the things we’ve found with its use is that we have seen no proud flesh. Wounds heal from the inside out,” Kimbrough said.
Kimbrough has also used his new product to help others.
“We have teamed with Easter Seals to do all our bottling and packaging. This gives handicapped people, veterans, etc. jobs.”
Spurr’s Big Fix is named after a miniature horse, Spurr’s – with two r’s. It is sold at Mid-South Farrier Supplies and highly recommended by Mary Ann Couch. She says, “It’s an awesome product. I’m very impressed with it!”
Farriers’ Fix
Paul Heller, developer of Farriers’ Fix Hoof Oil, is a working farrier in Westchester County, New York, but his ties to the mid-south go back to 1973, when he first learned horse shoeing from Lim Couch. He’s still actively shoeing “almost full time,” he said. His primary clients are USEF A circuit hunters and jumpers, upper level dressage and event horses, as well as trail, hunt horses, and backyard horses.
Heller’s other main business is making and marketing Farriers’ Fix Hoof Oil, which he developed in 2000. It all started when a friend of his found an “old recipe” in Canada, using a combination of ingredients beneficial to hooves. His friend gave him some to try. “I really noticed a difference in the horses’ feet,” he said. So he started tinkering with ingredients, making batches of hoof oil in his garage. He used it on all the horses he worked on and his clients liked it so much – there was such a high demand for it – that he never had enough!
He knew it would take a lot of work taking it to market, but that’s what he decided to do. Now Farriers’ Fix is available at numerous stores all over the U.S., and some in Canada.
Heller’s website states that “Farriers’ Fix is made with only high quality, natural ingredients that provide vitamins A, D & E – all essential for good quality hooves.” Each of the four ingredients, Venice turpentine, cod liver oil, wintergreen oil, and safflower oil, serve a specific purpose.
The benefits to the hoof are numerous, all under the main umbrella of “balancing the moisture content in hooves,” Heller explained. “It works as well on dry hooves as it does on moist hooves. It also draws out soreness and toughens hooves, so is especially good for barefoot horses.”
Recommended usage is approximately three times per week for maintenance.
Spurr’s Big Fix
Spurr’s Big Fix is an all-around hoof care, wound care, skin antiseptic, and “anything else you can think of product,” said owner and developer David Kimbrough, who has been a farrier for 41 years. He and his wife Kathy created it for their own horses “and it turned out to be a great wound product, too,” he said. “This one product works so well on many different things. I truly believe God has blessed it. Some of the stories we’ve received about its healing are miraculous! But I’m still pushing it for hoof care.”
Kimbrough won’t reveal all of the seven ingredients in it, but he did say they are all natural antiseptics, and each works on something special. He did reveal five of the ingredients: tea tree oil, alcohol, iodine, thymol, and menthol.
“There are lots of products for horses’ feet,” he said, “But people don’t use them because they’re messy. This isn’t messy. You just spray it on; it’s clear; it doesn’t stain. So people actually use it.”
“One of the things we’ve found with its use is that we have seen no proud flesh. Wounds heal from the inside out,” Kimbrough said.
Kimbrough has also used his new product to help others.
“We have teamed with Easter Seals to do all our bottling and packaging. This gives handicapped people, veterans, etc. jobs.”
Spurr’s Big Fix is named after a miniature horse, Spurr’s – with two r’s. It is sold at Mid-South Farrier Supplies and highly recommended by Mary Ann Couch. She says, “It’s an awesome product. I’m very impressed with it!”
