clydsdale horses

[hdwarner]

24 inches that is long , so if you divide 24 by pie {3.1416} it is a 7and 5/8 circle
thats just rudimentary math to give myself an idea how big those hoofs really are
thanks for the info

[tzonoqua]

I've got one of those big old shoes out in the workshop- it was given to me by my local farrier who donates his shoes to me (well, not HIS shoes, but the ones he pulls off horses)

It was completely covered in rust- apparently had been sitting in someone's barn for years. I put it in some preparatory rust remover to clean it up and forgot about it for a few days. (Very silly of me.) I will take a pic tomorrow, its definitely made of wrought iron as the grain has been etched - wow what a texture!

It is a shame that these heavy breeds are in decline, such beautiful things.

My grandfather, a Friesian Farmer, used to make miniature replica wagons similar to the one pictured earlier. We used to play with it when we were kids, hitch the "team'' of china horses to it and get into BIG trouble from my grandma!!

-Colleen

[irnsrgn]

I hate to rain on your parade Nett, but the Studebakers were building wagons before the one brother went to Calif. The Shop built a wagon for the wagon train and traded it for the brothers passage on the train, The Studebaker wagon had no break downs on the way but many others did and the brother kept a record of the breakdowns and sent them back to the family shop, so that the wagons could be improved.

When the train got to Calif, Someone asked if there were any wagonmakers among them, the brother said he was, and was offered the job of makign wheelbarrows, he said no he came to hunt gold, and older gentleman told him to take the job as very few ever got rich hunting for gold, whereas making wheelbarrows was the way to go as it would assure him of making money. He took the advice and the rest is history.

Did you know that the British Army picked a stock Studebaker Wagon as their military wagon of choice and they sent a representitive to the US to OK the design and supervise there construction, by the time he got here, there were only a few wagons needed to be made to complete the order and he accepted them on the spot.

[nett]

Yes, John was a wagon maker. John Studebaker came from a long family of wagon makers. His father was a wagon maker, his grandfather was a wagon maker.

His father trained all five sons in the trade.

John's $8,000 nest egg from California, allowed for expanded operations and formation of the Studebaker Wagon Corporation; they begin building wagons on a large scale.

John was named president when they incorporated, and his business savvy coupled with a superior product landed government contracts. I did not know about the British contract, that's cool.

California gold greased they ways to allow Studebaker to become what is was back in its halcyon days, and that stout little Studebaker wheelbarrow helped it happen.

It has never rained during our parade. Before and after, but never during it.

[Thomas Dean]

A few years ago I had the pleasure to be 'up close and personal' with one of the teams that had shown up at Christmas time for the "Lighting of the Courthouse" in Marshall, TX. I was totally blown away at how large and yet gentle these wonders were. I was 10yrs old all over again! And yes, I did ask for one of the used shoes explaining that I was a blacksmith and would just like to have one. The handler told me that one family does all of the farrier work now. IIRC, he said they are out of San Antonio, TX. When one of the horses needs a shoe, no matter where in the world they are, the farriers are flown out of San Antonio to do the horse. The shoes that are removed are sent to St. Louis, MO to be distributed from there. Most going to dignataries, polititians, and other "important" folks. And no, I didn't rate high enough to get one of the shoes.

[ThomasPowers]

Quad-State Blacksmith Round-Up used to be held at the Studebaker Family Homestead near Tipp City OH. They had one of the original Studebaker blacksmith shops there---hewn log construction as well as a collection of Studebakers that was very nice indeed. They even had a working weasel---a half tracked vehicle used in WWII (that particular one made in sweden under license).

Emmert Studebaker was still alive then and even into his 90's he still did a bit of smithing and was a true gentleman. He was also instrumental in founding of SOFA and is missed by every smith who knew him!

One of my memores of the first Quad-State I went to was lying in my tent at night and hearing 4 triphammers running as people worked on projects, a little 25# LG---ding ding ading; a 50# LG---bang, bang, bang; a 100# LG---Whomp Whomp and an airhammer---auhhhhwhap auhhhwap auhhhwap all at the Studebaker homestead.

[Rich Hale]

If anyone want a good forging exercis take a piece of half inch thick by 1 1/4" and about 19 inches long and forge a shoe from it. It is possible alone, but even better if you have a striker. The striker come in real handy when the shoe is fullered,,creased and the nail holes driven in. Most every large city has a shoeing contest of some sort and at those it is common to have a draft shoing competition that usually has three person teams. On work on the feet two make the shoes. You can check at a local horseshoe supply house to get info on your area. And if you are handy at times they may need a striker. In any case it is an opportunity to see metal worked hot by others. Always a good thing for me.

[Bentiron1946]

A few years ago I bought a Jim Keith cross peen hammer in New Mexico and Jim asked me if he could demo any thing for me as he is a former national champion ferrier. So I asked him to make a draft horse shoe. It took him less then six minuets to make it form bar stock. He apologized for taking so long as he was out of shape. He said at the nationals you would never know what they would give you to shoe in the final round, anything from a Shetland to Clydesdale and the year he won he had both. He markets a great line of hammers and anvils. The hammers he makes in his own shop.