Richard Albrecht (LaGrangeville, N.Y.)
For National Farriers Week, I would like to pay tribute to a very meaningful mentor, my father, Richard Albrecht. He has been a successful farrier for over 30 years and graduated from Cornell University Farrier program. Rich has helped thousands of horses through the years from mini-donkeys to draft horses. Some horse customers he has had for their entire lives from being yearlings, throughout their show careers and injuries through their retirement years. "I'm not sure who has more arthritis now, some of the horses I shoe or me!” he often jokes.
Luckily, I have had the opportunity to be his apprentice for the last three years and recently graduated from Pacific Coast Horseshoeing School. I am grateful to be able to learn from him and all his experience in the field. It has been fun to introduce him to a few "new" things I learned at school and he is always open to trying something different if it will help a particular horse. Rich attends several clinics a year to keep on top of all the new ideas and supplies to use. He never stops continuing his education.
So, now, even in his 70's, he is still going strong. He is one of the hardest working people I know. One of the most honest and trustworthy too, which is hard to come by these days. I'm proud to work with him and to carry on the family business that he built through a lot of hard work, sweat, blood, not too many tears and probably a few curse words through the years.
— Elke Albrecht (LaGrangeville, N.Y.)
