Oregon Farriers ID Wounded Horse by Its Shoes, Shooter Arrested

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KTVZ, an NBC affiliate in Oregon, has provided a video clip from their news last night that would make any amateur detective smile.

Like the rewarding finale of the wonderful 1980s film, "My Cousin Vinny", two Oregon farriers came forward this week and identified a highly publicized horse crime victim...by identifying its shoes.

For the past week, an emaciated, abandoned horse has been recovering from two gunshot wounds to its head at the Bend Equine Medical Center in Bend, Oregon. Hunters found the horse wandering in a mountainous area.

Legal authorities in Deschutes County set out to find the gunman, and to find the horse's owner. Could they be one and the same? A private citizen offered a reward. The skinny dark brown Arabian looked a lot like half the horses in the county, with few distinguishing characteristics. The vets scanned the horse, but he had not been microchipped.

There was one thing, though, and one thing only to go on: the anonymous horse was wearing shoes.

Who would care enough to pay to have a horse shod, and then abandon it, let alone shoot it?

Farriers Laura Felder and Kyle Deaver came forward and provided photographic evidence that the horse was wearing their shoes. Their shoeing business records identified the horse as one they had shod this summer for a children's camp.

Watch the video to see where this trail leads...and then put that digital camera to work recording the horses you own or work on in your business. Thanks to KTVZ for making the video clip available.

These farriers deserve a medal!

© 2008 Fran Jurga and Hoofcare Publishing. No use without permission. This article was originally posted on October 31, 2008 at www.hoofcare.blogspot.com

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