Communication between farriers was few and far between when Henry Heymering published the first issue of American Farriers Journal in 1975. Many shoers of that era recall counterparts packing up their tools when they arrived at a barn out of fear that their techniques might close the expertise gap. As a result, experience and ingenuity were largely relied upon to improve everyday work and efficiency.

New Jersey farrier Bruce Daniels was a frequent contributor to AFJ and made an indelible mark with his knowledge in the infancy of the magazine, Heymering says.

“His articles were always good and always interesting,” he says, noting that Daniels reached…