Dean Moshier knows that it seems a little odd to hear him greet a client with, “So how’s the horsey doing today?”

But the Ostrander, Ohio, farrier has an explanation for his use of the affectionate phrase.

“You’ll hear me say that a lot today,” says Moshier, as he gets ready to begin a July day of Shoeing For A Living. “It’s a grounding term. It harkens back to when we were all kids and when seeing or getting to be with a ‘horsey’ was a thing of wonder and amazement. I want to keep that same feeling, to remind me of how fortunate and privileged I am to be able to make a living working with these wonderful animals.”

It’s also a dream that Moshier and his wife, Jennifer, have been pursuing together ever since they met in college. That was at the State University of New York at Morrisville, where they were both pursuing associate’s degrees in equine management. They soon began dreaming of building careers together in the equine business. The pursuit has taken them to show rings, to racetracks, to training barns and – for Dean – into the horseshoeing business.

9:31 a.m. It’s a Monday and Moshier is right in the midst of his busiest time of the year. He’ll be shoeing 7 days a week throughout the summer season, often from early morning until late at night. The first horses he’s seen have been at a show and are a little past their due…