As the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris, France, kick off on Friday, July 26, American Farriers Journal caught up with the United States Eventing Team farrier Rebecca “Beck” Ratte to discuss her career, working with the team and preparing for the Olympics. Tune in to catch Will Coleman and Diablo, Boyd Marin and Fedarman B and Caroline Pamukcu and HSH Blake starting Saturday, July 27, 2024, for the first day of the equestrian games.

Q: What do you do when you’re not shoeing Olympic horses?

A: I have a full-time practice that’s mainly focused on eventers with a selection of hunters and jumpers, as well. I’m based in Ocala, Fla., and travel to Wellington, Fla., and South Carolina in the winter. In the summer, I follow the competition schedule up to Pennsylvania, Maryland and Virginia.

I’ve been working nonstop for the past few weeks to take the time off for the Olympics, but I still managed to squeeze in my last-minute wedding at my home in Coatesville, Pa. I’m sure I’ll also be busy for several weeks after I get back. Luckily, I have some supportive and talented peers to lean on if anything needs tending to while I’m away.

Outside of shoeing, I recently picked up a young horse from a kill pen sale, and he’s really brought the love of the horse back to the forefront of my working day. It’s easy to get wrapped up in scheduling, timing, client needs and a “who’s next” mentality when getting through the workday. Remembering why I chose this career in the first place starts with my deep love and respect for the horse. So I get to raise three young horses now, and I spend quite a bit of time working with them. That, combined with my love of gardening and home renovation, means I rarely have a moment when my days aren’t filled with some activity.

U.S. Olympic farrier Beck Ratte has been working with horses for over 20 years. She apprenticed with Steve Teichman, the previous U.S. Eventing Team farrier, and attributes her current success to the peers and mentors who have supported her along the way. Image: Beck Ratte

Q: Tell us about how you became a farrier.

A: I’m coming up on 10 years as a farrier, but I’ve been involved in the equestrian community professionally for over 20 years, with a Bachelor of Arts in sculpture and an equine science degree, both of which come in handy with this career. While on the West Coast, I rode for a trainer whose family happened to be farriers or upper-level riders, so we trimmed and shod all the horses on the property. When one of the family members needed an assistant or extra hands — or if they didn’t have enough horses for me to ride on the farm — then I got sent with one of them. In the winters, the family had a HITS Thermal farrier account, so I’d ride in the morning and shoe in the afternoon.

It wasn’t exactly what I intended to do, but I ended up really enjoying it. And I realized very quickly that rather than running around trying to make $20 a ride on horses throughout town, I could apprentice and develop the skills necessary to make a living as a farrier. I started to work for other farriers in the area before leaving to travel internationally for about 4 years. When I returned, I rode along with a local farrier to see if I still enjoyed the job. Luckily, my friendships in the eventing community put me in front of Hall of Fame farrier and five-time Olympic farrier Steve Teichman. I had a job offer as head trainer at one facility and a job offer as Steve’s assistant when he left Chester County Farriers. Thankfully, I made the best decision of my life in joining Steve as his protégé over the next several years.

Q: Are there any farriers you turn to for advice?

A: Steve Teichman 100%. He’s my go-to. I wouldn’t be where I am without his continuing support and enthusiasm for passing along his knowledge. I still connect with him on cases regularly for advice or just to banter back and forth about cool cases.

I’m lucky enough to have two Hall of Fame farriers in town to call on, including Pat Reilly of the University of Pennsylvania’s School of Veterinary Medicine. His knowledge of clinical cases and therapeutic shoeing has been invaluable.

Something that I’ve truly enjoyed about traveling to competitions is meeting with other professionals from around the country, checking out each other’s setups, brainstorming on corrective packages and sharing knowledge and advice. It’s a great feeling to pull up with your rig, see a line of other trucks there and know that you’re going to have a good, educational and always hilarious weekend.

I also have a great relationship with a lot of peers in all the areas where I work. I would not be able to operate the practice that I do if it weren’t for the guys who are gracious enough to tack shoes on and bounce ideas off of. I truly believe that I would not be where I am without the support of those farriers — each with busy and successful practices of their own — taking the time to encourage me.

Q: How did you prepare to become the U.S. Olympic team’s farrier?

A: Working for Steve for several years and getting to see how he managed this role was the education I needed to take it on successfully. I followed along to many stateside team events getting first-hand experience at training camps, team vet evaluations, Fédération Equestre Internationale (FEI) team competitions and group outings. A large part of my success came from being present at these outings where the riders and grooms get to see me and associate me with someone they trust. Being present, continuing to put forth my best effort and offering a helping hand has built my reputation with riders, staff and horses alike. Attending last year’s CHIO Aachen and Pan American Games in Chile was a huge learning experience for me. I added to and took away from my gear based on the knowledge I gained there.

I’m very privileged because two of the team members are my regular clients, so I know the horses quite well. However, I’ve had multiple meetings with the personal farriers of the other team members and have gone over their history and the particularities of how their farrier has cared for the horses: what’s worked, what hasn’t, etc. This communication is vital as I shod two of the horses while at training camp just a week prior to competition. They have to trust that I’ve listened to their instruction and can follow what’s best for that horse at the moment.

Ratte works closely with the horses, their riders, veterinarians and personal farriers leading up to the Olympics. With that prior knowledge and familiarity, hoof care during the games can require creative ways to treat soreness or other issues that may arise. Image: Beck Ratte

Steve really ingrained in me that I need to know as much about these horse and rider pairings as possible, that I need to be thoroughly acquainted with them for a long period of time prior to the Olympics because it’s not so much about the Games, it’s about everything that’s led up to them being there at that moment. This is about them, not me.

My partnership with the horses and their teams have been developing for several years. It’s not always about knowing the horse’s foot either. It’s me saying hello at the horse shows and seeing them at the jog. The grooms know me and feel comfortable with me, so when the time comes to do any work on them, there is an earned trust already established. This is a huge event, a life changing event, for these pairings, and everyone is a bit on edge. Knowing how to manage that and do what’s best for the horse is imperative. I work closely with the Team Veterinarian Susan Johns to follow their progress over time leading up to any event, as well as during competition. Having the veterinarians’ trust and support is crucial.

Steve has many years of experience knowing what’s needed while traveling to a foreign country — often non-English speaking — so he taught me well. While each competition provides a farrier station with anvils and forges, I travel not only with my anvil and forge but also any supplies I may need to cover any and all issues that may arise. This makes for some crazy packing and some very heavy trunks, but it’s imperative that I be prepared. Camaraderie is built between each nation’s farrier and the hosting city, and help can often be solicited from other team farriers when needed.

Now is not the time for making changes. Now is the time to work the plan. I’ve been planning these horses’ shoeing cycles, resets, trims and even how much sole I pare out — which is very, very little — for months. I’ve worked their schedules out and shod them so they will be exactly 1 or 2 weeks, depending on the horse, for cross-country day. The 2-week to 10-day time period allows for tight nails, some adjustment period post-shoeing and optimal balance on the longest, most strenuous day of competition.

Everyone has gotten a third stud hole behind to accommodate the predicted twisty course on softer footing. Two of the horses have two medial clips to compensate for shoe twisting. I’m using Warrior Specials, Libero Equilibriums and Kerckhaert Select 8’s with modified lateral heels. Only one team horse is in rim pads with Kerckhaert quarter rounds. The others are in open shoes. Nails will be retightened, heels will be glued for cross-country, and afterward, feet will be packed with an Epsom salt pack. They will receive regular icing and lots of hand walks post-cross-country. Allowing them to move around and not let inflammation build is so important for these guys.

Q: What does out-of-the-box thinking mean to you?

A: Out-of-the-box thinking is thinking on your feet, using what you have available to you, what is legal under FEI ruling and what is best in the moment. You’re traveling with a very limited selection of supplies and sometimes attend events with horses that you aren’t familiar with. Knowing what you can and can’t do, what the horse will tolerate and what you have time for is key.

For example, Steve was very innovative in using Vectran wraps. He found that nailing a rigid shoe onto the wrap allowed him to nail outside of the white line and still maintain the integrity of the hoof and strength of nailing, if necessary. It allows for multiple shoe changes without compromising the foot and providing protection if the shoe happens to be lost on cross-country. I’ve sent horses to international competitions in Vectran wraps rather than glue-ons. I don’t like the inability to make changes with direct glues or our limited options for composites and studs.

Thinking outside the box is about using materials that are available to us in a way that is not necessarily how it was manufactured to be used and adding materials, such as pads, that wouldn’t necessarily go together on a regular setup. Gluing an EasyCare over the regular shoe provides concussive protection without making any changes to the horse’s normal setup, but obviously will only stay on a short while. What we’ll do to get a horse comfortable for a jog is not always something that would work for an extended period or even a 4-week shoeing cycle. Being exposed to a lot of issues and particularities, especially in eventing, outside of the everyday shoeing cycle helps you open your mind to creative solutions. We ask a lot of these horses to gallop on a wide variety of terrain. It’s my job to foresee what might be an issue for that venue’s footing and each particular horse’s needs.

Q: Are there any hoof issues you might expect to see at the Olympics?

A: The thing is, you’re really busy preparing for the Olympics, but then you get there and hope it’s calm — that they don’t need you.

The foot contains so many internal structures that I would more likely see lower limb issues rather than hoof issues. If I see anything in the hoof itself, it could be a pulled shoe, concussive “injury” and soreness. Heel grabs can be superficial long-term but very painful in the moment. Knowing how to relieve that soreness is crucial. Even a twisted ankle could benefit from a more supportive shoeing package.

What I expect more so is to manage any ongoing or horse-specific concerns. Some horses don’t respond well to certain types of footing, and we just won’t know what we’re working with until we get there. Knowing those individual histories and peculiarities helps me manage anything that may come up during the games.

The teams know their horses intimately, so they will have strong plans for getting their horse comfortable after such a strenuous effort. They will be packed, iced, massaged and hand-walked quite a bit.

Apart from the competition, we all know horses, and we know their propensity for accident and injury. Being prepared for anything at any time, including hauling my tools and stall jack around to the detriment of my back, is a part of the gig. You never know when a horse is going to try and step out of a shoe and onto a clip!

Q: Do you have any predictions about this year’s games?

A: I have a deep love and respect not only for the riders but the horses. I’m friends with the riders, but the horses are just something else. I get very emotional watching them go. It’s a real honor and a joy to be able to see the horses that we work with on a regular basis perform, and it’s something that I’m so grateful I get the opportunity to do because it brings me such joy to see them in their prime. They’re athletes. They’re good at what they do, and they’re completely fired up. My greatest hope is that they come home safe and sound, that they get lots of carrots at the end of the day and that they get to keep going and performing and doing what they love most.

So, while I hope that we do great and win a medal, I think it’s a real honor just to be here. Caroline Pamukcu, Boyd Martin and Will Coleman are the utmost sportsmen you could hope to work with. It’s a privilege and an honor, and I predict they’ll do amazingly.

Keep up with American Farriers Journal's coverage of the Olympics here and on social media.

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