Tom Alphonse (Williams Lake, B.C., Canada)
It takes a special person to care for horses. It takes a very special person to care for horse’s feet. I call that hard work in a danger zone. Facing an animal that outweighs you tenfold, holding what are essentially the horse’s weapons inches away from your face, protected only by a pair of chaps is heroic. Mr. Tom Alphonse is my horses' hero. He arms himself with knowledge, experience and most importantly, compassion and a gentle way of communicating with horses and humans. I credit Tom for giving my horses a new lease on life. My idle horses could no longer tolerate being on rich pasture and were foundering. While searching for a farrier, I was given his name. Of course, I had heard of him because he is known and respected for kilometers around. I did not expect it, but he came to work on the horses. It was no easy task, as they are not good with foot handling. He was patient and went way beyond the call of duty. But after that first visit, the horses were on their way to recovery. Tom has been very good to us and has helped on other horse issues as well. The horses and I thank him for answering the call of the horse. He does it well.
— Liz West (Big Lake, B.C., Canada)
It's hard to say what makes Tom special. He's a farrier, through and through. He cares about the animals he works with and cares about the people connected to them just as much. He's not afraid to tell you if you're messing up, but is quick to teach and support, so you can make better choices next time. He's busy, but he always has time to talk horses. He's often run off his feet, but he always finds a way to make sure things get done. He's trustworthy and trusting, knowing that sometimes the trim needs to happen before payday and that you'll catch up to him when you can. He's retired, but still looks after the people that count on him. He's quiet and calm and has a way with horses that is rare to see, even in other farriers. He's someone I can trust with my animals, someone whose opinion I value, and someone I'm happy to know.
— Heidi Wikene (150 Mile House, B.C., Canada)
I started shoeing in the mid-1980's. My dad was a third generation farrier on his dads side of the family. Horses have been a big part of my life from an early age. In around 2000 I signed up with Pacific Coast Horseshoeing School to get upgraded to all the new things happening in the horse world. Being around and working with horses is good for my soul and keeps me young at heart. These are few of the draft horses I have been lucky enough to work with over the years.
— Tom Alphonse (Williams Lake, B.C., Canada)
