A few years back, there was a small book that was a big hit titled, “Everything I Ever Really Needed To Know, I Learned In Kindergarten.” Author Robert Fulghum expounded on  the importance of some of the basic rules for life that most of us learn at a very young age; rules such as, “Share everything. Play fair. Don’t hit people. Put things back where you found them. Clean up your own mess. Don’t take things that aren’t yours.”

Farrier Mike Ehlert may never have read the book, but he’s found that taking a similar approach when working with the grooms and staff of boarding barns makes his shoeing work go easier, faster and better.

“The folks who work in these barns don’t get enough credit for all the work they do,” says the farrier from Hartford, Wis. “I make a point of becoming friends with the barn help. When they’re my friends, they make my work more efficient.”

Ehlert is a naturally gregarious type who clearly enjoys taking a few moments to chat with staff and…