BROOKFIELD, Wis. — January 7, 2026
International Horseshoeing Hall of Fame member Steve Kraus recently announced his retirement following 15 years of teaching at the Cornell University Farrier School. Yet, after more than a half-century of hoof care, Kraus isn’t ready to step away from the industry he loves.
Kraus is teaming up with American Farriers Journal (AFJ) as its new technical editor.
“Steve is a well-respected farrier, educator and innovator,” says Jeff Cota, editor of AFJ and director of the International Hoof-Care Summit. “We are thrilled he is continuing his distinguished hoof-care educational career by joining the AFJ team.”
As technical editor, Kraus will regularly write articles, host podcasts and webinars, and play integral roles in the editorial planning and execution of AFJ and the Summit.
“Being able to continue my career, working with the American Farriers Journal, is an exciting opportunity,” Kraus says. “AFJ founder, Henry Heymering was a friend of mine, so this is an honor for me to be part of what he started. I am looking forward to providing content, but also learning from the many great farriers in our great profession. It is also an honor to follow Red Renchin as the technical editor.”
Shoeing horses since 1968, while attending the College of Agriculture at Cornell University, Kraus has been the head of farrier services at Cornell University since 2010. He became senior lecturer of large animal surgery in 2010, the highest farrier teaching position in the U.S. In the 1970s, Kraus joined Delta Mustad as a consultant, testing and developing new shoeing and hoof-care products.
Kraus is no stranger to AFJ readers or Summit attendees. He has written dozens of articles since 1977, including the award-winning, “Is the Saddle the Problem.” He authored the award-winning Shoeing the Modern Horse with Katie Navarra, a frequent AFJ contributor, in 2022. The book features several images captured by AFJ photographers.
Kraus is also a frequent speaker and returns to the upcoming Feb. 3-6, 2026, Summit as a panel discussion expert for the “VIP Heel Pain Workshop” with Hall of Famers Dr. Renate Weller of the University of Calgary and Patrick Reilly of Rowan University.
He has served as president of the Western New York Farriers Association and a member of the American Farrier’s Association Board of Directors for Region 5.
Over his more than 50 years of hoof care, Kraus has been honored with several accolades.
A long-time polo player and farrier of the Cornell polo ponies, Kraus will be honored with a commemorative brick paver at the main entrance of the Museum of Polo and Hall of Fame in Lake Worth, Fla. Cornell University also announced the creation of the Steven E. Kraus Horsemanship Award. It recognizes “the Cornell polo team member who exemplifies exquisite care and horsemanship, to include riding for polo, quality of horse management and care, and utmost respect for the Cornell string of polo ponies.” The first recipient will be recognized in May 2026.
The International Association of Professional Farriers recognized him with the Red Renchin Leadership Award in 2024. Renchin is a Hall of Fame farrier and AFJ technical editor until his passing in 2015.
In 2018, Kraus was inducted as an honorary member of the Society of Phi Zeta, the national honor society for veterinary medicine in the U.S. It recognizes superior academic achievement, scholarship and research in animal health and welfare.
In 2016, his industry peers inducted Kraus into the International Horseshoeing Hall of Fame, which was created in 1992 by AFJ and has a permanent home at the Kentucky Derby Museum in Louisville, Ky.
“It’s a great industry and profession we have,” Kraus said during his induction. “It’s been a long, but great ride. Getting into the Hall of Fame is such a great thing for me because so many of my good friends who have taught me and helped me are in the Hall of Fame, and I’m standing on their shoulders. Some of them are no longer here, but I feel their presence today.”
About American Farriers Journal
Based in Brookfield, Wis., and published by Lessiter Media, American Farriers Journal provides the most comprehensive and vital hoof-care information via its print and digital platforms, as well as the International Hoof-Care Summit, which is conducted annually in Cincinnati, Ohio.
Media Contact:
Jeff Cota
jcota@lessitermedia.com