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Day in the Life of a Farrier - John Dunn
FOX 17 News – By: John Dunn
Southern Middle Tennessee is walking horse country, and that means plenty of business for local farriers.
They’re the people responsible for taking care of a horse’s feet, and we met one man who turns foot care into an art form.
John Schmidt takes his business on the road.
His clients would rather be horsing around, but at the Chad Williams stables in Shelbyville, there’s work to be done.
"After a while they just kind of know the drill," says Schmidt.
John Schmidt is a farrier. He shoes horses for a living. For the last 18 years he has helped walking horses…walk.
In the walking horse world, the farrier’s job is vital.
“That's the only breed of horse that every horse is inspected before they show," says Schmidt.
His work will affect how each horse performs. It all starts with some basic foot care.
A horse’s hoof will grow about a quarter to 3/8 of an inch each month.
Every six to eight weeks it requires some serious trimming. There are rules about how long a horse’s hoof can be.
"Obviously the health of the horse’s foot is first, but we combine that health along with performance," says Schmidt.
Think of it as a pedicure on steroids. There’s lots of scraping, and filing, even some buffing, and a little polish at the end.
“Just more for protection than anything," says Schmidt.
John Schmidt is following is his fathers footsteps.
"It's kind of genetic I think, you know, it's in your blood, you know," says Schmidt.
His dad worked as a farrier for 45 years, and John says he tries to keep up his father’s high standards.
"If the average person walked up, they might not be able to tell, but if my dad looked at it and he knew I skipped something, that would be the biggest let down," says Schmidt.
A farrier’s job is part podiatrist and part craftsman.
Walking horses wear large pads known as buildups on their front feet.
John must make sure each one fits just right.
The way a walking horse moves its feet determines who wins and loses.
Day in the Life of a Farrier - John Dunn
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