Developed out of a desire to make his career as a professional farrier easier and safer, Kevin Keeler invented a unique hoof support system which he named Hoofjack®.
One year into Kevin’s career as a farrier while working on the hind foot of a horse, the horse collapsed. Kevin’s right knee was damaged to the point of having to remove the cartilage in that knee. As the years passed, Kevin worked on an idea of creating a hoof support system that would support the horse while working on the hind foot.
Then, in 1997 while being flown into the Idaho backcountry to shoe horses at a ranch, the airplane crashed. After 5 hours of hiking out in waist deep snow, Kevin and 2 other people were rescued and taken to a hospital where it was determined that Kevin was suffering from a bruised heart, broken ribs, and many strained muscles.
During recovery, Kevin redesigned the cradle portion of the stand to make it possible to support the front foot of the horse, as well as the hind. This enabled him to return to work earlier than would have been possible as it was no longer necessary to place the hoof between his knees and bear the weight of the horse.
As Kevin was soon to realize, not only had he invented a safer and easier way to do his work, but the horses loved the stable, comfortable support as well. Fussy horses settled down, and babies stood still. Truly a win-win situation. It didn’t take long before his clients began to ask for a Hoofjack®. Wanting to help horse and human alike, Kevin decided to offer the Hoofjack® to the market.
Five and one-half years after being offered on the market, Hoofjack® came to Kevin’s aid once again. The knee that had been damaged all those years before, now had to be replaced. Less than eight weeks after surgery, Kevin was comfortably back at work trimming and shoeing horses. By using the Hoofjack®, he did not have to place the hoof between his knees and therefore had no strain on his newly replaced knee.
Most farriers are forced out of their career as their bodies wear out from the strain and demands of the job. Kevin believes that the development of the Hoofjack® added at least 10 more years to his career that he otherwise would not have had.
Hoofjack® is a product for anyone involved in hoofcare. Whether it is the horse owner, trimmer, farrier, or veterinarian, there is a safer, easier way to support the horse’s hoof.
In 2020, The Royal Kerchaert Horseshoe Company purchased Hoofjack® and is committed to continuing the tradition of high-quality hoof care tools that Kevin Keeler started so many years ago.