2021 Farriers Week: Farriers Spotlight
Welcome to the 23rd annual Farriers Week Farriers Spotlight!
(Note: This online feature requires a FREE AmericanFarriers.com website login to view. Please scroll to the bottom of this page where you will be prompted to either log in or register.)
Farriers work hard year-round to provide quality hoof care for horses worldwide. To honor their dedication and service, American Farriers Journal created Farriers Week. In its 23rd year, Farriers Week is an opportunity to recognize farriers for their contributions to the equine industry.
American Farriers Journal started the "Farriers Spotlight" in 2012, which is an online-exclusive compilation dedicated to showcasing some of the many farriers in the industry. The farrier tributes featured here were either submitted to us by farriers who want to thank their mentors and instructors or members of the equine community who want to express their gratitude to the farriers who care for their horses. If you submitted a tribute, you can jump straight to any farrier's dedicated page by clicking on their name in the list of submissions below.
There are plenty of photos and anecdotes for you to read and see. Be sure to share this with your family and friends, and give your own "thank you" to our beloved farriers in the comments section here or on any of the individual farrier pages that follow. If you'd like to submit a 2021 Farrier Spotlight, you can do so now. (Allow 24 hours for your tribute to be shared.)
Thank you, farriers, for all that you do for the industry. Happy Farriers Week!
—The American Farriers Journal team
Farrier Tributes, in alphabetical order by last name:
- Shannon Cole Veloz
- Justin Foss
- Don Light
- Ken Norman
- Clayton Wilbur
- Jesse Eastman
- Shane Westman
- Beth Lewis
- Sonny Pistilli
- Kyle Carlson
- Alisha Quinn
- Tom Galassi
- Holly Ford
- Chaise Cantrell
Shannon Cole Veloz (McKinney, Texas)
Shannon is amazing at maintaining my horses as well as all of our riding school lesson horses! One of my geldings struggles with hoof tenderness and she was able to find the perfect combination of supplements and trim schedule to keep him comfortable and still working! She is a godsend.
— Sara Kenyon (Garland, Texas)
Shannon is amazing! My horses are happy to see her when she arrives. She is kind and patient when she is working on the horses. I always have questions and she answers them fully and reassuring. I am proud to call her my farrier and friend.
— Kim Swanson (Lucas, Texas)
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Justin Foss (Monroe, Wash.)
Justin has both my appreciation and gratitude. Justin shows his care for my horse Karma with his knowledge and calm demeanor. He is gracious in answering my questions. At times, because the love we have for our 4-legged BFFs and sometimes become junior farriers armed with internet know-how, he still calmly explains reasons for why without making me feel I’m a nuisance. From my side, a farrier needs knowledge and skill of their profession, respect for the animal and the ability to communicate with me. Being personable is a benefit. Karma and I are lucky enough to have just that person in Justin Foss. THANK YOU JUSTIN.
— Nancy Hedges (Woodinville, Wash.)
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Don Light (Binghamton, N.Y.)
Don Light has been my farrier since 2012. He never missed an appointment at my barn. He has been there for me through abscesses, white line and corrective shoeing. Has never let down on his advice with any of my horses. He has worked well with each and every horse I have had at my barn. The man is amazing.
— Chavonne LaPlant (Cortland, N.Y.)
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Ken Norman (West Pawlet, Vt.)
The only farrier I ever wanted to work on my mare is Ken Norman. He handled her chestnut mare issues with authority and sensitivity, and she loved him for it. When she’d hear his truck pull in the drive, she’d gallop down the pasture to the fence, roaring her love for him at the top of her voice. His head, neck and back would be lovingly and thoroughly washed by the time he was done with her feet.
— Kitt Hazelton (Sandgate, Vt.)
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Clayton Wilbur (Oxford, Fla.)
Let me start by saying we have been using Clayton for over 7 years. We have always kept him on his toes with my Hanoverian mare jumper to my husband’s team roping Quarter Horse, he’s always up for the challenge. This past year though he saved my horse … no, really saved her. Capella suffered a deep digital tendon injury that had her pretty much three-legged. When my vet teamed up with Clayton, they came up with a game plan and he quickly implemented it. Step one was to get her in a wedge to relieve the tendon. He hand-crafted this amazing piece of work that put her in a 6-degree wedge and gave her all the support she needed. She went from barely being able to walk to being comfortable. We called the shoe her “Louis Vuitton.” Next was stem cells. We did those the following week. Lots of TLC, hand grazing, stall rest, icing, wrapping all contributed to progress. She stayed in that shoe for two rotations and after a positive ultrasound we lessened the wedge and she continued to show improvement. We now have her in a 1-degree leather wedge pad. Her latest ultrasound has shown tendon fibers healing from about 10% to 80%. She is getting daily turn out and I have just been cleared to get on her. She has been called the miracle girl, but I know it’s this amazing team she has behind her. Thank you Clayton for loving my girl and for all your hard work on being part of this miracle girl’s success.
— Aurelia Riley (Rockledge, Fla.)
Clayton is by far the best farrier and the most accommodating person I have worked with in years. He commonly takes the time to educate me on proper angles, shape, and what I can do to help better the foot and care. Clayton is always willing to answer my 5,000 questions and I truly am grateful for his time and efforts. He specializes in special shoeing but is somehow the only farrier who can keep my 2 tender footed thoroughbreds sound. 10 out of 10 recommend him and all he does for the horse community.
— Diana Husband (Cocoa, Fla.)
I feel like the word farrier is so lightly thrown around like it’s just someone who horses go to on a mundane schedule, but it’s so much more than that. These men and women are worth their weight in gold, especially when you find one as passionate, knowledgeable and dedicated as Clayton. This man goes above and beyond to keep our horses sound and feeling great so they can perform to the best of their ability or just be a horse and run wild and free in the pasture. He also spreads his knowledge to his clients so we have the awareness as horse owners to care for our horses hooves. Clayton is truly a hoof doctor. I would say I’m one of his easy clients, but the work I’ve seen him do is truly incredible. Completely repairing hooves cannot be an easy task, but he does it in stride. He gives horses second chances and horse owners hope and peace of mind that they get more time with their partners, best friends, teammates; the list goes on as we all know. As for me and my herd, we are absolutely blessed to have Clayton of Florida Farrier Service be our farrier.
— Beth Damiano (Webster, Fla.)
It is only by the grace of God and Mr. Clayton’s expertise that my mare Sister is still running. Sister is 21 and has always had challenging feet, but Clayton’s knowledge and skill have kept her sound. I am immensely grateful for all that the Wilbers do for us!
— Lacie Brownless (Fellsmere, Fla.)
When the podiatrist looks at your horse’s X-rays and asks if the horse is still alive and your farrier answers, “Yeah, man, she rides him every day,” you know you have the right person helping with recovery. My Grand Prix dressage horse became semi-retired in 2017 after a bout of founder. He is now barefoot and back in work, living his best life here at Brevard Equestrian Center!
— Lisa Smith (Grant, Fla.)
We have been so blessed to have Clayton Wilbur and his team from Florida Farrier Service. He has been our farrier for almost 6 years and we have learned so much from him. I don’t know too many people who work as hard. He is always in the forefront of anything new to his trade. He teaches not only his apprentice, but owners as well. I have personally witnessed some incredible recoveries with Clayton and vets working together! We are so honored to be a client and appreciate all you do!
— Tammy Cheng (Melbourne, Fla.)
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Jesse Eastman (Aiken, S.C.)
Jesse Eastman is the farrier for our rescue Spurs and Latigo Ranch. He came to our ranch to see the horses and see what kind of work our horses needed on a wet and rainy night. We were expecting him to cancel, but he said, "Nope, I’m coming." As soon as he saw a few of our horses hooves, he immediately stated what was wrong with their hooves and how he could fix them. We chatted for a bit and decided that we would give Jesse the chance to be our farrier. We have been through so many farriers in the past and we were hoping Jesse was going to be reliable and dependable. Not only has he been reliable and dependable, he has helped us get our rescue out in the public eye. We were new and not many have heard of us. Jesse has been an awesome farrier and he is full of knowledge! He has helped so many of our rescues hooves get the care they deserve! We are grateful that Jesse took us on. Jesse you are talented and full of wonderful knowledge! He is kind, dependable, compassionate, caring and we are so happy to call you our farrier! You have been great and we hope to have you on board with us for many many more years!
— Amanda Fisher (North, S.C.)
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Shane Westman (Davis, Calif.)
Shane Westman, APF, has served as the farrier for the University of California, Davis veterinary hospital since 2016. As a lifelong horseman and a farrier for 28 years, Westman has brought a wealth of knowledge and experience to UC Davis’ Large Animal Clinic.
While growing up riding and working with horses in his home state of Washington, Westman decided to turn his horse hobby into a career, and attended farrier trade school in 1992. He joined the American Association for Professional Farriers (AAPF) in its inaugural year as a founding member and has since served on the board of directors. Westman is especially passionate about promoting professional development through continued education to help all farriers to constantly improve their practice. In addition, he has moderated roundtable discussions at the International Hoof-Care Summit, demonstrated at the AAPF Hoofcare Essentials Clinic, presented at UC Davis’ esteemed Heumphreus Memorial Lecture, and served as a farrier field representative at various equine trade shows.
Westman credits International Equine Veterinarian Hall of Famer Dr. Ric Redden’s annual laminitis symposium, which he first attended in Louisville in 1994, for getting him hooked on professional development events. He has shared this passion for learning by volunteering at several events, including the Northwest Horse Expo, the Washington State Horse Expo, the Northwest Washington Horse Expo, and many local riding organizations and charity groups. Additionally, Westman spent 5 years presenting to students in the veterinary assistant program at Skagit Valley College (WA), which included classroom lectures and live demonstrations.
Westman’s dedication to animals extends beyond his professional farrier duties. He is the co-founder and former board member of Skagit Animals In Need. The Washington nonprofit was established to assist animals in the care of the Skagit County animal control officer. When county resources become depleted, Skagit Animals In Need steps in with further assistance.
“I am very proud of helping to get that program off the ground,” Westman said. “We helped many horses and other animals over the years, and assisted a very hard working and dedicated animal control officer in Skagit County.”
For the entirety of his career, Westman has emphasized a team approach between veterinarians and farriers. This, in combination with his lifelong interest in therapeutic work, makes his position at UC Davis an ideal fit. Working alongside a team of world-class equine specialists, Westman’s services are an integral part of providing superior diagnostics and cutting-edge therapeutic services to UC Davis clients.
— Rob Warren (Davis, Calif.)
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Beth Lewis (Ossipee, N.H.)
A few years ago I found my eventing gelding struggling with his health in several ways. He was getting older, yes, but for some reason his health was declining far more rapidly then I felt it should. I quickly discovered a lot of his health problems stemmed from a poor diet, something I thought was fine. He had been on a highly-recommended performance horse feed, so I assumed it was fine. It was vet recommended, so it must have been fine. Sadly, years of poor diet caught up to him before I was able to meet my current farrier Beth Lewis, but he is happily retired and healthier then he’s ever been thanks to the knowledge Beth shares. Lucky for my current dressage horse and every future horse, I found Beth and continue to learn from her everyday! Beth focuses on feeding the hoof, as well as balancing it to the hoof structure rather then to the shoe. She looks at each horse as an individual and trims them in whatever way is best for their comfort and long-term soundness.
I found that when we focus on feeding the hoof, we also in turn feed the athlete. Since meeting Beth, I have learned about each important vitamin and mineral required to form a healthy hoof. I have also learned about how to balance these in my horse’s diet to ensure he gets the right amount of everything he needs. Once you find the right balance for your horse, they transform into a new healthier, stronger and happier version of themselves. Even my 23-year-old looks like he’s 13 again! Beth’s method of feeding the hoof may not be the conventional way of feeding yet, but quickly people are discovering how much healthier their horses are. I know I will never go back to managing horses the way I used to.
Not only is Beth a wealth of knowledge to anyone who seeks her help, but she’s also incredibly kind and willing to help in anyway she can. She truly cares about her clients and wants to see their horses become happier and healthier. Beth backs up all of her information with years of experience and research. And if she doesn’t know the answer to a question she has a plethora of nutritionist, vets, specialist and her fellow ferries that she will reach out to in order to get an answer.
Beth has also started to teach me how to trim my own horses and to know how well a trim was done. I have gained so much knowledge from Beth and hope to share what she has taught me with all of my future students and clients.
I am so proud to say my young dressage horse is shod in composite shoes by Beth Lewis!
— Kathryn Phair, (Dover, N.H.)
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Salvador (Sonny) Pistilli
I would like to give tribute to my teacher/mentor Salvador (Sonny) Pistilli of Far Hill Forge. He is 83 years young, strong, wise and encouraging. I first heard of Sonny when I became interested in being a farrier. I asked a local farrier if he could tell me what to do to be a farrier. He said, “If I wanted to learn to do it the the correct way, search out Sonny Pistilli if he still around.” So, I did and I found him in Hellertown, Pa. I am so appreciative and thankful for Sonny taking a complete newbie to horses and giving me a chance to learn the proper way of trimming and shoeing horses. The way Sonny teaches is unlike any other. I had no experience in shoeing, forging, trimming, even holding a horse’s foot. There was times I questioned being a farrier. Was it worth? The physical stress on my body. Can I do this? As I tried time after time to shape a nice shoe, I made something else completely. Sonny Pistilli’s voice will always be in my head 40 years from now with his ways of shoeing and working on horses. He was strict, but understanding knowing the little I knew. He was patient showing me to shape the same shoe over and over again, giving me different at-home workouts to strengthen my core, legs and back, and encouraging words to keep pushing and trying. “Rome wasn’t built overnight.” He says this business is about learning. Just when you think you have it figured out, something new happens or new methods become available that clients want you to try. With the help of Sonny and his past students, I became a certified journeyman. I never felt like a student at Far Hills because Sonny treats everyone like family. Since then, I have worked with many other farriers but no one comes close to Sonny's technique or drive for helping horses. At 83 years of age, Sonny is still getting under horses and doing what needs to be done. I just hope to be half the farrier Sonny Pistilli is in my career.
— Cesar Aponte (Lake Harmony, Pa.)
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Kyle Carlson (DeQuincy, La.)
Kyle works so hard and stays on top of continuing education to take the best care of his clients.
— Kristie Carlson (DeQuincy, La.)
I contacted Kyle when the local veterinarian said I should euthanize my horse due to mild foundering. After several months and who knows how many different shoes, my horse is perfectly normal again thanks to Kyle and Foundation Hoof Care. Now there are no signs of foundering and he can be ridden at any time or even compete in local competitions. Before we contacted Kyle, my horse Bob could not stand for more than 30 minutes at a time and definitely would not run. Now Bob runs across the pasture all the time and is back to a normal horse!
— Shane Fontenot (Sulphur, La.)
We absolutely adore our farrier Kyle Carlson (Foundation Hoof Care). All of our horses come off the racetrack and as Thoroughbreds don't always have the best feet to start with. Kyle’s vast knowledge of equine hoof care and treatment plans, etc., are extremely important to the success of our horses’ future careers and health. I don’t know what we would do without him! In addition to being an incredibly knowledgeable individual in his field, Kyle is also a very genuine, good person.
He and his lovely wife, who assists the office side of FHC, spend most of their weekends at the rodeo with their two adorable boys watching and cheering on the older of the two.
We feel extremely blessed to have found such wonderful people to help care for our horses and to be able to call friends.
— Rachel Ginaven (Pitkin, La.)
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Alisha Quinn (Clifton Park, N.Y.)
Alisha is a game changer! My horse Dexter was diagnosed with navicular and was really lame. She came out to me hours after the vet left to fix up some shoes to make him comfortable. He’s a totally different horse because of her. Alisha takes her time with skittish horses. She does the job calmly and keeps the horses safe and relaxed. She always makes sure her clients are happy and healthy. I wouldn’t trade her for the world. I can’t say enough good things about her. I consider her family to me and my horses. Alisha is very knowledgeable. She gives me mini “lessons” on the hoof and how it grows, etc. She always answers my crazy questions with real life knowledgeable answers. She definitely knows her hoof.
— Kaylyn Degroat (Mahway, N.J.)
Alisha Quinn is my farrier and is absolutely amazing. She catches things I would have never seen, and is so kind and patient with my mare who can sometimes be hard to work with. Alisha always aims to please and never leaves without fully communicating and making sure I understand everything she is doing with my mare’s feet. Since meeting Alisha and having her start doing my mare’s feet not even 7 months ago, you can see a great difference in her feet. Overall, using Alisha has been my personal best experience with any farrier I’ve used thus far. I am beyond grateful to have such a kind and knowledgeable farrier who is always there when my mare needs something or if I have a question.
It takes trust and commitment to have someone work with my personal horse’s feet, like they say, “No hoof, no horse.” There is no one I’d rather use than Alisha to care and correctly trim and shoe my horse without a worry in the world.
— Sarah Mitchell (Mechanicville, N.Y.)
Alisha goes above and beyond to continue her professional development to take the best care of her clients. When my foal was born she came out the next day and 2 weeks after just to be sure the foal was developing normally. She is intelligent, kind, caring and confident. My ponies love their farrier visits!
— Miranda Nagell (Sharon Springs, N.Y.)
Alisha is an amazing person. She great with the horses, always takes her time and genuinely cares about all of her clients. She always goes above and beyond and I am very grateful to have her as a farrier. She’s young, but so motivated and smart! She is a truly talented young farrier. She deserves to be recognized.
— Ash Presley (Amsterdam, N.Y.)
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Tom Galassi (Kalispell, Mont.)
Tom has been our farrier for over 6 years and he is hands down the best farrier I've ever used. He's caring, gentle and my horses love him. In all this time, my mare has thrown one shoe and it wasn't anything Tom did.
— Hilary Naleway (Kalispell, Mont.)
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Holly Ford (La Vernia, Texas)
Holly came to me in December 2018 after going through several farriers in my area that were unable to commit to the single mare I had on my property. She drove to my farm religiously every 5-6 weeks to work with the mare that at the time could hardly walk due to sore feet. It wasn’t long before she was once again pasture sound and comfortable. Not long after I acquired two more retired geldings for her to work on, a pony, and my show horse with terrible stereotypical Thoroughbred feet. Her willingness to lend her time to a single barefoot trim turned into getting my whole barn as my facility grew. She’s always on time and I never had to worry about her not showing up. When she took on my Thoroughbred, he was in a 2-degree wedge that had crushed his heel so severely he had the imprint of the wedge in his frog for 8 more weeks after it was removed. She’s never been afraid to think outside of the box. Not only has she managed to keep him sound but she’s made him so comfortable that it translated to his performance in eventing. What I thought were training and behavioral problems under saddle were simply just discomfort in his feet when we were jumping and galloping cross country. He brought home his first blue ribbon at a USEA recognized event, which qualified us for the American Eventing Championships. None of this would have been possible without her.
She has saved horse’s lives that were destined to be euthanized because of the poor prognosis of their hooves. She trims a three-legged mini horse and supports his body weight all at the same time. She takes extra care for the old arthritic painful horses that do their best to stand for her. She drives all over Texas upwards of 6 hours just to make sure her clients are taken care of. She’s super woman in a male-dominated industry and I’m proud to have her not only as my farrier but as my friend.
— Miranda Gallegos (La Vernia, Texas)
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Chaise Cantrell (Greenville, S.C.)
Chaise isn’t just simply a blacksmith, he is everything that you could ask for in a farrier. Despite his young age, he has taken the time to learn from the best in the business and applies his practical and professional know-how to every aspect of his business. He has helped my horses through thick and thin, keeping them at their peak performance and trouble shooting with the vet through injuries. He has sacrificed nights and weekends for my equine teammates and treats them with so much love and respect. I count myself lucky to know him as an individual, but even luckier to know him as a farrier. Thank you Chaise for your dedication to your profession and for always being there!
— Nicole Carlson (Greenville, S.C.)