Kids didn’t have career choices in the 1800s. Children were expected to follow in their parent’s footsteps, often in a family business. Blacksmiths of the time, like other tradesmen, relied on their sons to learn the skills and backfill the ranks as their elders retired. Most daughters weren’t offered an option back then.
Working under a horse all day is hard on the body — especially the back. And there are always risks for a wreck. With close to 30 years of shoeing, 18 of those full-time, Jacob Manning of Roosevelt, Utah, wishes he had taken better care of his back.
Each year, six American farriers are selected to represent their country in forging competitions around the world. The 2016 team will have an element that it never has had before.
There are still plenty of horseshoers out there who see their business drop off considerably during the winter months. Some farriers deal with this by trying to make sure their shoeing book includes as many horses that will be used year-round as possible. Others put in long hours during the peak-riding season, reasoning that every extra horse they work on during that period takes the place of one they don’t see during the slow winter months.
Cool mornings, Utah and June don't seem to belong in the same sentence, but it's a cool June morning in Roosevelt, Utah, as Jacob Manning pilots his shoeing rig from the parking lot of a local restaurant where he and his nephew, Dennis, met me for breakfast before heading to their first shoeing stop.
No one can guarantee that a child will grow up to become a horseshoer, but families in which the farrier trade has been handed from one generation to the next share remarkably similar memories.
Greg Martin, CJF, of Boerne, Texas, takes the unique approach of marketing his hoof-care practice with a Christmas parade float in Boerne and Comfort, Texas. The award-winning float boasts a variety of surprising features.
Life Data Labs Inc. is a dedicated product manufacturer committed to producing premium quality animal nutrition and health products through continuous product improvement and new product development. First-class ingredients, fresh products, consistent high quality and scientifically proven effectiveness are the principal features of Life Data Labs animal health products. And that's why they've produced the #1 recommended hoof supplement by farriers for 12 consecutive years.
Kawell develops and produces copper alloy horseshoes and inserts, giving horses the care that they need to fight issues associated with white line disease, seedy toe and thrush.
From the feed room to the tack room, SmartPak offers innovative solutions to help riders take great care of their horses. SmartPak was founded in 1999 with the introduction of the patented SmartPak™ supplement feeding system. The revolutionary, daily dose SmartPaks are custom-made for your horse, individually labeled and sealed for freshness.