Our farrier, Steve Sandvil, was here the other day to put horseshoes on the two Belgians, Bill and Bob. We don't typically put shoes on the blind horses, with the exception of Rosie, who occasionally needs "corrective" shoes to deal with a hoof flaring issue on her front feet. But because of the kind of work the two draft horses do, they needed to be shod.
Although BillyBob are a pleasure to work with — well behaved and responsive, easy-going and calm — they are a bit touchy about having their feet trimmed. We suspect they had some less than pleasant experiences in the past. To help the trimming and shoeing process, we got a horse stock specifically made by the Amish for draft horses. You can tell that Bill in the photo above fills the entire width of the stock; yet he's not even a large draft, so the Amish make a "super-size" version for the really big guys.
Here's Steve fitting a shoe on the rear foot:
And finally, here's an interesting shot of Steve using the grinder in his work trailer to put the finishing touches on a shoe, with sparks flying:
The small oven-like box on the left there, with the white insulation, is really just that — an oven to heat the horseshoes to red-hot temperatures so they can be hammered and shaped to fit. It's fueled by a propane tank in the trailer. It's kind of a modern version of the "farrier's forge."
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The latest Shelter Challenge started Monday, July 9 and ends at midnight on September 16. Grand prize in this round is $5,000, plus $1,000 for weekly winners and $1,000 for state winners. There are also other categories … please see the Shelter Challenge website for details.
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