Forty-five years is an extensive period to invest one’s time in anything, whether it’s publishing a hoof-care magazine or shoeing horses. For the latter, it’s a nice long career. And for one farrier, the time has come to wind it down.
Brown City, Mich., farrier Paul Melcher started his shoeing practice the same year that Hall of Fame shoer Henry Heymering published the very first 8-page issue of American Farriers Journal — 1975.
When American Farriers Journal celebrated its 25th year anniversary, Michigan farrier Paul Melcher was featured in the "Shoeing For A Living" article shown at right. What made this fitting was that Melcher had started his farrier career in 1975, the same year this magazine got its start.
Experience! After seeing thousands of horses over the last 42 years, I use a straight bar for horses that have a sheared heel, an overreaching or forging problem.
We know that basic malnutrition or shortage of nutrients can be one of the key factors of poor hoof growth. Certain specific nutrients can have a very high impact on how well a hoof grows.
Horseshoes and hoof pads have a lot in common. For one thing, just as most horseshoes were once forged by a farrier from bar stock, early hoof pads were usually cut from whatever material a farrier found handy that he thought might suit his purpose.
Scheduling appointments, keeping up-to-date records and billing clients are no-fun tasks because they require time; something that farriers don’t have much of to spare.
Paul Melcher refers to himself as a “plain vanilla” horseshoer. The Livonia, Mich., farrier shown here maintains there’s nothing fancy about the way he shoes horses.
In this episode, Mark Ellis, a Wisconsin farrier who learned the ropes with Renchin, recalls Red’s relationships with area veterinarians, his legacy and the second career as American Farriers Journal’s technical editor.
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