Any other Farriers out there??

[rfoust]

It seems that a majority of farriers around here drive CTD's so just wondering if there were any other shoers on the board. Personally, I can't see any other vehicle to drive than a Dodge with a CTD with the miles per year I put on going from farm to farm.

 

[TPCDrafting]

Paying a farrier to come to my place was eating into my bombing funds so I took a basic shoeing class at the comm. college and started doing my own. After buying a basic set of tools ($800 ), paying for the class, etc. I should brake even in about a year. I have a lot of respect for you guys doing it for a living. It's hard on the body not to mention dangerous. The shoer we used prior drove all ferds. He had a '97 PSD with nearly 400k miles.

 

[SRadke]

One of my best friends is a farrier and he sold his CTD to go to school for it. Now he's driving a Ram gasser and turns green with envy every time I pass him on the road in a mighty smoke show.



-Scott

 

[ToolManTimTaylor]

A few years back I saw what had to be the most INSANE Ferrier rams EVR up at Massdiesels. Full body like a Roach coach (cater wagon) that had his compressor , welder , and a SERIOUS inverter in the center portion completely out of sight. the sides and rear opened to reveal 20 or so basic shoe sizes all neatly laid out , a press, vise , and jig all slid out on a bench , all the doors when open made a canopy like setting with full 110V flourescent lighting , the works! Even had a quenching basin. Absolutly an awesome display of a very well planned out rig ... . With "Ahem" HORSEPOWER as well... . pretty bombed up if I remember. All things loose had a retension system to it. shoes , wrenches , hammers , awls , punches ... . everything stays in place no matter what the conditions are whilst driving.

 

[rfoust]

yeah, I looked at buying one of those beds but they are over 10,000. 00 so I figured I would continue to work out of my commercial toppers. Those beds are made by Stonewell and are very popular around here. Maybe in a few years.

 

[QRTRHRS]

The farrier we used to use had a custom gooseneck trailer built in New York state that he pulled with around a 95' Ram diesel. I don't know what he shelled out but it had to be plenty. Guess that's why he charged so much. He used to let that truck idle forever. He just shrugged when I told him it was bad for it.



My present farrier looks like he spent his life on the range. He drives a Toyota a works for cheap.

 

[mcoleman]

My past farrier drove a ctd. I do mine own sometimes but most of the time I let a guy down the road that is a Casey certified farrier and is trained in shoeing gaited horses do my stuff. I'll stick with clipping and pulling shoes off. My back stays happier that way.

 

[HEMI®Dart]

Quick Question

How come horses need to have shoes? In other words what is the main reason?

 

[2broke2smoke]

good freind is a farrier and has a belgium team and a cummins he uses to pull them around to shows and civil war reenactments ...

 

[rfoust]

How come horses need to have shoes?

---cause humans ride them and therefore require more than normal protection. Pasture horses rarely need shoes unless they need correction or have conformation problems in the lower leg.



IMHO---people have made it a practice to breed horses for looks, speed , temperment, or any other number of abilities and forgot about hoof health. Many of todays horses have weak feet and hoof and need correction or adjustment in addition to protection during riding, driving, pulling etc.



I, personally, like to keep things as simple as possible and keep shoes off until necessary.



Ginghus Kahn(sp?) used blacksmiths to make and apply shoes to protect horses feet during raids. He knew the phrase "no foot ,no horse". Shoes have actually been found in archeological digs in egypt. Native Americans used rawhide "booties". My point---- throughout history, where horses worked or carried people into battle, they needed hoof protection.

 

[Shoer1]

I never could afford a truck like my CTD when I was full time, but that was back when we charged $35. 00 per head (hot/cold/corrective, didn't matter). Sure is the perfect rig for it though, only thing I gripe about is the height. It's hard to throw a 170 Lb anvil in and out of that monster all day.

 

[rfoust]

I hear ya. That's why I swapped to my 100 JHM anvil----a lot easier to toss around. I have often looked for a way to lower the truck and maintain the load carrying capacity.

 

[Shoer1]

I just can't give up on my Hay-Budden! I should do like you, and use the big one as a shop anvil-mount it on a stump. One day I'll go ahead and build a trailer. Hope you're keepin busy down there!

 

[TPCDrafting]

Hey Saratogee!

I'm over that way quite a bit during the summer months pullin' horses to the trail. I just bought a 70 lb NC at the Boardwalk in Laramie. They had a great price on'em and for the do-it-yer-selfer it works pretty well.

 

[rfoust]

Pretty dang busy down here---and I'm only 1. 5 years into starting a business in the CO Springs area. Ran a business up in Ft. Collins for 6 years and loved it up there but the wife got a job down south so I had to follow. Used to run up to WYO quite a bit to shoe in Cheyenne and Laramie---used to be a nice break to get up there every 6-8 weeks.



With all of the wind today I got cow kicked TWICE today by usually very good horses----sometimes I wonder why I do this job!!??

 

[SRadke]

Originally posted by rfoust

With all of the wind today I got cow kicked TWICE today by usually very good horses----sometimes I wonder why I do this job!!??

I saw a commercial yesterday with a horse and a farrier. The farrier sat down behind the horse and it kicked him right in the side of the head :--) He shook it off and went right back to work. Don't even remember what the commercial was for but it was something being advertised as "tuff". You can imagine. I've got a lot of respect for what you guys do.



-Scott

 

[HEMI®Dart]

Another stupid question...

Does Smarty Jones use shoes like all of the regular horses, or does he have "race" or lightweight or hightech shoes?

 

[TPCDrafting]

Many racing horses run on aluminum "racing" shoes. I have seen a few that run faster with steel. It should be what ever works best for the particular horse.

 

[Shoer1]

I don't even want to talk about the WIND that won't stop howling day after day! Turns the best of them into broncs sometimes. Have a good weekend everyone!

 

[TPCDrafting]

You guys ever shop at OLEO Acres?? - near Berthoud? It's a shoers candy store. My former shoer turned me onto them. They don't have a web page that I know of, but you can get their catalog and order over the phone.