Friends at Work: Ricky Price Shoes Horses, and Lives His Own Life

This week we have a fine example of the independent-spirit brand of American horseshoer. You don't have to call him a farrier, because he is perfectly happy being a horseshoer. In fact, he seems perfectly happy, period.

Ricky Price lives in Ramona, California and has used shoeing horses as a way to live the good life in the hills east of San Diego. In this nice audio slideshow from San Diego Online, you'll see Ricky (and his fantastic mustache) and you'll hear the sounds that he hears--horses, hammer on anvil, his pickup truck, the buzz of his grinder, a steel shoe being released from the pulloff jaws with a clatter.

Somewhere, there's the Other San Diego, with all the hustle and bustle, but Ricky's beyond all that, or at least he's east of it, out past San Diego Wild Animal Park. He won't cross Interstate 15, which is sort of a dividing line between San Diego, the sprawl, and San Diego County, the place where people like Ricky Price can and do live. He starts the day when he's ready. He finishes it when he's done. He still has time and energy to ride every night when it's over. He can still hear himself think, and one thing he thinks is that he can help a horse relax and enjoy being shod.

In the "Voice of San Diego" article that goes with this multimedia gem, Ricky Price gives the reporter a Lesson in Lifestyle...as only an independent American horseshoer who has found his place on the map--or is it off the map, Ricky?--can.

Fran Jurga's Hoof Blog at Hoofcare.com 
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Fran Jurga's Hoof Blog is a between-issues news service for subscribers to Hoofcare and Lameness Journal. Please, no use without permission. You only need to ask. This blog may be read online at the blog page, checked via RSS feed, or received via a digest-type email (requires signup in box at top right of blog page). To subscribe to Hoofcare and Lameness (the journal), please visit the main site, www.hoofcare.com, where many educational products and media related to equine lameness and hoof science can be found. Questions or problems with this blog? Send email to blog@hoofcare.com.

United Kingdom Dominates Farrier Apprentice Competition; Ireland Second

Apprentice Farrier, originally uploaded by Diamanx.

Thanks to Tony Diamanx for making this photo available. I do not know the identity of this farrier.

The British apprentice team of Ben Casserly (age 21) from Uckfield, East Sussex and Ricky Hilton (age 22) from Welshpool, Powys, in Wales, scored a gold medal for their nation at the truly unique Euroskills competition last weekend in Rotterdam, The Netherlands.

Young farriers from all over the European Union were tested on shoemaking skills using gas forges.

In addition, Ricky Hilton (who is apprentice to former world champion James Blurton of Wales) won the individual gold medal and Ben Casserly (who is apprentice to his father), won the silver.

Ireland's team of Paul O'Reilly and Ruairi Brennan won the silver medal, with Paul winning the individual bronze medal.

Switzerland was third.

The competition tested apprentices who are learning all sorts of trades, from hairdressing and car repair to culinary arts and even cleaning, against one another in national teams.

The world finals will be held in Calgary, Alberta, Canada in 2009.

The winning British farrier apprentices, Ben Casserly and Ricky Hilton, were exuberant on the dais, compared to their counterparts from Ireland and Switzerland. (UKSkills photo)

Ricky Hilton, left, and Ben Casserly, right, European champion farrier apprentices. (UKSkills photo)

These photos are mirrored from the UkSkills web site, which followed the exploits of all the British teams from all trades.

James Blurton has written an article with more photos of Ricky Hilton in action on his web site. Click here to read "Probably the Best Apprentice in the World". While you're there, have a look round Jim's site; it is quite well done.