Farriers at War: How Many Men Does It Take to Shoe a Horse?

Farriers, originally uploaded by Crafty Dogma.

This photo is completely unidentified; all the owner knows is that it was taken on February 2, 1918, presumably somewhere in Europe during World War I. Perhaps some blog readers will be able to provide some additional details or guesses, based on the dress and uniform details?

New DVD "The Balanced Horse" Offers Hoofcare Advice from Two of the World's Most Respected Farriers

28 February 2010 | Fran Jurga's Hoof Blog

Now ready for shipping from Hoofcare Books: The Balanced Horse by Jim and Allan Ferrie. 60 minutes; This DVD is designed to be played worldwide on PAL systems; in North America, this DVD will play on computers and laptops with DVD capabilities. Cost is $49 per DVD plus $5 post in USA; $8 post to other countries. To order call 978 281 3222; send email orders to books@hoofcare.com; fax to 978 283 8775. Click here to send a direct Paypal payment. Mail checks to Hoofcare Publishing, 19 Harbor Loop, Gloucester MA 01930 USA.

The whole horse world is the classroom in this easy-to-watch magazine-style briefing on hoofcare and farriery topics from Jim and Allan Ferrie. The Ferries' new DVD is broken down into easy to understand, bite-sized chapters which explain assessment of the hoof and limb (both standing and in motion), the use of studs, remedial shoeing, emergency shoe removal and much more. It is perfect for classroom use, library collections, personal study, or general enrichment.

Farriers at work: Allan Ferrie (right) and an apprentice work on two of the Clydesdales stabled in a park in Glasgow, Scotland; originally uploaded by jascmorgan; thanks for sharing!

This DVD is highly recommended as a basic building block of any educational library on hoofcare, farriery or horse management and is a companion to their successful first DVD, Shoemaking and Shoeing for Heavy Horses: Secrets of Success (80 minutes, available in North American format from our Hoofcare Books department; also $49 plus $5 post in USA). Click here to read a review of the first DVD and learn more about its contents.

Jim and Allan Ferrie run a multi-farrier practice and train apprentices in Newmilns, Ayrshire, Scotland. Both brothers are Fellows of the Worshipful Company of Farriers and examiners in the British system administered by the Worshipful Company. They have also both excelled in international farrier competitions all over the world and have represented Scotland as team members. They are consummate teachers with a strong dedication to improving the level of care provided to horses.

Allan (left) and Jim (middle) Ferrie were recently honored by the Scottish Equestrian Association in recognition of their contribution to the equine industry at a reception at Scottish Parliament. At right is Scottish Minister for the Environment, Michael Russell.

While Allan and Jim are known the world over for their work on the hooves of the great Clydesdale horses of Scotland, their practice is quite diverse and includes all sorts of horses, competing in all sports and disciplines. The practice also supplies farrier services to the University of Glasgow's veterinary college hospital and to many veterinary surgeons in the Ayrshire region of Scotland. Both brothers are members of the International Horseshoers Hall of Fame.

Jim and Allan also own J and A Ferrie Farrier Supplies, one of the leading farrier retail companies in Europe; their firm, managed by Alan Murdoch, is the European distributor for GE Tools. Should I even mention the salmon fishing guide business, the guest cabin for fly fishermen, the well-bred gun dogs and that stunning splashy-colored crossbred colt in the front paddock?

Where and how the Ferrie brothers found time to make a video is anyone's guess but you'll be glad they did when you watch this DVD. Both DVDs flew off our booth's table at the recent American Farrier's Association convention; people didn't even ask what was on the DVDs. They saw the Ferrie name and that was all they needed to see to know that this was something they wanted and would find valuable.

Note: Return to top for ordering information.
Click here for order form for fax and mail orders.

Farrier News: AFA Convention Elections, Awards, Contest Results

28 February 2010 | Fran Jurga's Hoof Blog at Hoofcare.com

The 39th American Farrier's Association Convention was held in Portland, Oregon. This image is another classic from the creative eyes and hands of British farrier Gary Huston.

The sun has set on the 39th convention of the American Farrier's Association Convention, held this week in Portland, Oregon. The combination of a lovely, friendly, snowless and warm (by 2010 east coast standards) city with a shiny new convention center and transport system made the convention easy to navigate and enjoy.

As usual, farriers came most of the 50 states and seemed to be enjoying themselves immensely. Having the convention in the northwestern corner of the USA brings a chance to renew acquaintances with old friends and subscribers from that region, as well as western Canada and even intrepid travelers from Alaska and Hawaii.

Many thanks to everyone who commented on their addiction to this blog!

More coverage from the education and commerce sides of the convention will follow, but here are some bulletins from the final day of the convention. I was flying home but New York's Steve Kraus took some notes. These are just notes and should not be considered official. The AFA will publish the official record of the convention and all the elections, awards, and contests in their magazine.

But in the meantime, the winners are deserving of some congratulations and the curious minds at home may want to know who won what.

Elections: AFA vice president: Buck McClendon. Steve couldn't remember all the Board of Director elections results except that he was re-elected to represent the northeastern USA. He did recall that Margie Lee-Gustafson was elected to the Board to represent the California region.

AFA Achievement Awards: Jim Linzy Award-Chris Gregory; Educator Award-Dusty Franklin; Edward Martin Award-Margie Lee-Gustafson; Journalism Award-Danvers Child; Walt Taylor Award-Doug Workma.

AFA Competition: Delta Specialty Forging-Gene Leiser (USA); Journeyman-Billy Crothers (United Kingdom); NACC-Billy Crothers (United Kingdom); National High Point-Gene Leiser (USA); Two-Person Draft Horse Shoes - Gene Leiser and Alan Karson (USA); Vern Hornquist Class-Mike Miller (USA); Overall High Point-Stephen Beane (England).

2010 American Farriers Team will be Mike Augustine, Ben Mangen, Dusty Franklin, and Brian Osbourne, with Bob Slansky as alternate.

Again, please wait for the American Farrier's Association's official results as things do sometimes change. These results are very unofficial, as is the spelling and order of listing.

Many thanks to the AFA for a wonderful week in a wonderful city!

© Fran Jurga and Hoofcare Publishing. Please, no use without permission. You only need to ask. Fran Jurga's Hoof Blog is a between-issues news service for subscribers to Hoofcare and Lameness Journal. 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.

Bob Skradzio: The Horseshoer's Horseshoer

19 February 2010 | Fran Jurga's Hoof Blog at Hoofcare.com

Bob Skradzio at one of his last farrier clinics, at Skidmore College's equestrian center in Saratoga Springs, New York. Notice the size of his hands. That's a big anvil; it just looks small under his hands.

Bob Skradzio died today in a hospital near his home in Ambler, Pennsylvania. He suffered a stroke on Monday.

A funeral will be held on Thursday, February 25th at 10 a.m. at the Jarrettown United Methodist Church, 1460 Limekiln Pike, Dresher, Pennsylvania, with a viewing on Wednesday evening from 6:30 to 9:30 p.m. at the Ciaravelli Funeral Home, Condolences may be made at a memorial page for Bob at www.ciavarellifuneralhomes.com.

If you didn't know Bob, you certainly had plenty of chances. He shod horses in the Philadelphia, Pennsylvania area for more than 60 years and lived for most of his adult life in Ambler. He is probably one of the most famous farriers in America, but is equally famous for his unique personality and genuine interest in people as he is for his outstanding skill as a horseman and as a horseshoer.

Bob began an apprenticeship as a horseshoer in Philadelphia while he was in high school. He worked after school and on weekends and finished his apprenticeship in 1946. Philadelphia had large stables of work horses used for delivery, that were shod by contract; horseshoers were in great demand in the wealthy suburbs on weekends. "I was a rich man, when I was a very young man," Bob used to recall. "No one was making the kind of money that I was making back then."

Out in the foxhunting and horse-showing suburbs, Bob built up a loyal clientele, some of whom he kept for decades. He trained many apprentices, including his son Bob Jr., Ron Palmer, and others. Bob and Ron worked to bring the American Farrier's Association Convention to Valley Forge, PA in 1982.

I think Bob must have given more educational clinics than any other farrier in North America. During the 1990s, he worked on weekends with St Croix Forge, giving low-key presentations all over the country. His goal was not to directly sell shoes (Bob wasn't good at commercials) as much as to bring horseshoers into the fold, and to show them that going to clinics was not a threat. It worked because Bob could and would talk to everyone in the room. Maybe he'd never see them again, but they'd never forget him. Clint Carlson believed it was good for business to send Bob Skradzio as his company's first clinician out to the remote parts of the country, and he was right: As far as I know, Bob never showed a slide, didn't have a laptop and didn't know what PowerPoint is. He used his hands and his head and the tools from his box. It worked.

The last official event I did with Bob was one of our Hoofcare@Saratoga Tuesdays. I made sure Bob was the headliner; Mike Wildenstein took second billing, with a wink. When Bob saw Jim Santore's beautiful shoeing shop at Skidmore College's equestrian center, his eyes lit up. He could work there all day. And he did; the farriers who showed up that day had a treat. And then there was a talk that night at the Parting Glass. He just kept going.

You can double click on this image to see an enlarged picture of two of Bob's most famous assets: his hands. These hands were on the Hoofcare & Lameness/St Croix Forge wall calendar one year; many farriers told me they saved this picture. This is an ad from one of Bob's last farrier clinics.

Bob was the "booth magnet" at the Hoofcare & Lameness booth at the American Farrier's Association Convention for many years. People would line up to shake his hand or to remind him of the one time they had met (of course he remembered). He stood there to help the magazine, maybe, but he did mostly because he knew that a lot of people traveled a long way, spent a lot of money and they might not get to meet and shake hands with the famous farriers. But he'd be there and he'd talk to them as long as they wanted. He understood the shy ones and the quiet ones who didn't know anyone. And it gave him something to do. Bob didn't like hanging around with nothing to do.

Bob has a done-it-all resume. He served on the AFA board, was president of the Pennsylvania Guild, represented the USA--not once, not twice, but three times!--on the North American Horseshoeing Team in international competition, he won all the contests a farrier could win, and showed up for a few extra ones, too. I remember fondly when he competed in the raceplating and crab-eating contest at the Preakness the one time that was held, not because he plated racehorses but he thought it was worth a shot. Another time, he and Bruce Daniels re-created the scene of Norman Rockwell's toe-and-heel contest painting and went at it welding toe and heel calks on a hot September day. Just for the fun of it.

Bob Skradzio had a home life too. His wonderful wife Alene often traveled with him. He has three daughters and his son, Bobby Jr., is a horseshoer who actually employed Bob the past few years. Many people marvel that Bob was the former father-in-law of farrier Dave Duckett, who still lives down the road from him. Bob has a beautiful, classic home and collected sports cars. When I took him through the car museum in Saratoga, they quickly learned that he could be giving the tours. "I used to have one of them..." he said over and over. "I never should of sold it."

Bob was inducted into the Horseshoers' Hall of Fame in 1997 alongside Dr Doug Butler and the late Eddie Watson. I'm sure that he succeeded at everything he attempted to do in his profession, but his very best skill was in encouraging people to stick with it: keep trying, he'd say. You'll get there, what do you need to know? I know this first-hand because he's been coaching me for years. His support and encouragement have made a huge difference in my life. His friendship meant the world to me.

It's great to be good at what you do, or even to be the best. I'm sure that meant a lot to Bob. But how much more does it mean when so many people say spontaneously, "Oh! I will never forget that guy!" and really, truly mean it? How much more meaningful to be a legend for the humanity and the humor you brought to your profession and the horse world around you?


© Fran Jurga and Hoofcare Publishing. Please, no use without permission. You only need to ask. Fran Jurga's Hoof Blog is a between-issues news service for subscribers to Hoofcare and Lameness Journal. 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.

Canadian College Expands Farrier Program to Two-Years

18 February 2010 | Fran Jurga's Hoof Blog at Hoofcare.com


The following is a press release from the farrier program at Olds College in Alberta, Canada:

Responding to industry demand, Olds College will be changing its already acclaimed one-year Farrier program to a two-year program in October of 2010.

The college’s new Farrier Science diploma will see students emerging with increased knowledge of equine anatomy, horse handling and horse husbandry. As well, emphasis will be increased on welding, basic blacksmithing and advanced corrective and therapeutic horseshoeing. In keeping with the college’s emphasis on real-life, hands-on learning, program completion will now require a total of 8 months of Directed Field Study, split into five-month and three-month sections respectively.

Mark Hobby, President of the Western Canadian Farriers Association, believes that new farriers today need more training than can currently be found on the continent. “Olds College is to be commended for its current one-year program. It is the best in North America by far,” says Hobby. “It is still not long enough, however. The proposed two year program is essential if we are going to be fair to equines, owners and students.” Hobby adds that Europe, generally considered to hold farriers to a higher standard, requires four years of training for farriers and requires them to be licensed by law.

Traditionally, the number of applicants for the Olds College program has exceeded its capacity, which caps at 16 students. Existing familiarity with the farrier profession and horse and tool handling are just some of the areas of competency students will need to demonstrate prior to acceptance into the program.

“Olds College already graduates some of the best farriers in North America but today’s industry needs them to be even better,” says Dean Sinclair, Olds College Farrier Science Coordinator. “Horses now represent a significant financial investment for most owners and there is also a heightened awareness of animal welfare and how it is achieved. This program will set a new standard and we are quite proud of it.”

Sinclair’s sentiments are echoed by the American Farrier’s Association (AFA). “All too often, farriers don’t survive their initial entrance into our profession because they arrive ill-prepared for success,” says AFA President Richard Fanguy. “By providing students with ample opportunity for both classroom instruction and practical experience, Olds College is helping to provide stability and professionalism within our industry.”

(end of press release)

Editor's note: Mark Hobby was probably misquoted in this press release. He may have been referring to the mandatory four-year farrier training program in Great Britain, which ends in an examination, rather than all of Europe. In other countries in Europe, the qualifications and education for farriers vary widely from formal to informal to non-existent although efforts by the EFFA hope to make standardized farrier training a reality across Europe in the future. Note that trimming and soft-shoeing (boots and non-steel shoes) do not require training or registration in most countries, but farriery (defined by the application of steel shoes) often is a regulated trade with a lengthy mandatory apprenticeship.

© Fran Jurga and Hoofcare Publishing. Please, no use without permission. You only need to ask. Fran Jurga's Hoof Blog is a between-issues news service for subscribers to Hoofcare and Lameness Journal. 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.

The Strong Man Hangs On

17 February 2010 | Fran Jurga's Hoof Blog at Hoofcare.com

Maybe you could take a minute and think a few kind thoughts for a very strong man who is in a very helpless place tonight. He'd do that--and more--for you.