SHOEING A HORSE
The sound of hammers tapping and smell of sweat can only mean one thing, soon legs will be sore and backs will feel broken. For the horses it is spa day, only it drags on for hours, is NOT relaxing and signals long days of work ahead.
Buckets of tools sit at the feet of cowgirls and cowboys as they slowly find their way around a horses foot. Identifying the 'frog' measuring the foot, and rasping it down some. Then some more again. Just as you think you have it flat someone will walk past and tell you to keep trying.
Be slow and be kind they tell you, pick up the foot kindly and put it back on the ground softly. Don't leave your mate standing there too long, let him rest every once in a while. But if he stomps his foot down you best pick it straight back up for you will start losing battle.
Over at the anvil shoes are being bent, shaped and flattened. Tested on the foot and then shaped some more. Creating the perfect shoe is tedious but crucial.
Shoeing a horse in under an hour seems a unicorn in this world, as lunch rolls around having a horse finished is a solid effort. Driving the nails in slowly, ensuring not to prick the foot, fold the end over softly and buff the rough edge. Don't put that foot back down until you have checked it twice.
With the shoe in place you know the end is near, bringing that foot forward to the hoof-jack you do some finishing touches. Before checking it over well to ensure its perfect and softly putting your mates foot back on the ground.
Standing back up tall and straight hurts every muscle in your body, clothes cling tight sticking to your skin and dripping of sweat. You feel a sense of achievement, similar to the one of running a marathon.....
"if you are comfortable he is not comfortable, you need to be uncomfortable for him to be comfortable and yes it sucks"
Written with love
Jaz x
