The Pocket Anvil Shoe Shaper isn’t exactly a new product — it’s been around for more than two decades — but Janet Bernson, who manufactures and markets the device with her partner, Max Middleton, think it is a tool that may become more popular as horseshoers age and look for new ways to save wear and tear on their bodies.

Leverage Vs. Power

The Pocket Anvil is the invention of Leslie Emery, a farrier who also wrote the book Horseshoeing Theory and Hoof Care. The Pocket Anvil was conceived as a tool that uses leverage to shape shoes while they are cold. Master it, Emery says, and you can shape shoes to fit any hoof, eliminating the need for hammering cold steel.

Emery first came up with the Pocket Anvil in 1985. He manufactured it himself at first, but eventually turned manufacturing and marketing over to Bernson, who continues in that role through her business, The Horseshoe Store, in Sherman Oaks, Calif.

Two Sizes

The Pocket Anvil was designed to handle the size of horseshoes used on most saddle horses. A newer model, the Shoemaster, is somewhat larger than the Pocket Anvil and can shape shoes from pony-sized to those for large warmbloods. Both products are part of the Advantage Line of tools that Emery developed.

Bernson says Emery first got the idea for developing his shoe shaping…