whitebear

Agreed chris, all of this non-sensical banter is jsut a couple peer farriers having a bit of fun! tip for an upcoming farrier...? hmm... study your master...don't jsut watch...STUDY! study the way he moves around the horses, study his working positions, at the horse and at the anvil. study how he carries himself around clients, study how he holds himself at the anvil to be the most effective. study how he sights feet, study how he maintains his tools, study how he uses his tools, study how he keeps himself and his vihichle clean! STUDY EVERYTHING!! the absolute best way to learn this trade is to learn one on one, but not only that but to study a proffesional. ask as many questions as you can think of. and write down the answers so you can STUDY them later on. ask questions ranging from anatomy, to pathologies, to making pritchles and headstamps, to business management. i hoep this helps! Son

I've met Chris and Cody, Cody started shoeing before he was 6 years old. Wesley, i was not trying to offend you or anyone else at kentuky. To say to go on competition record in my opinion is ludecris. For the simply fact that it's NOT i'll repeat IS NOT!! everyday shoeing. Guys will train and train and train for competitions, only to fall down into the same everyday rutts they were in priveaously. this is a short paragraph a friend wrote for a school paper years ago: Competition has grown dramatically in the past 20 years. It was once a small group of farriers who got together to practice and has friendly contests. Now it has become an internationally recognized sport, with trophies and different categories and groupings. Although the majority of horseshoers would be of the same opinion on the significance and need for practice and peer critique, few would support the importance of egotistical games intended to make some believe they are superior and others to feel as though their skills are inadequate, and walk away with a disappointment which is difficult to alleviate. Calgary Stampede in Canada is the leading horseshoeing competition in the world. With categorize ranging from basic shoe making, to building and fitting a pair specific shoes within a given time period. Over 5,000 farriers attend from all parts of the world to try their hand at besting the challenger, which is in fact a fellow shoer. Once a large ego sets in to a farrier

i would reccomend Heartland Horseshoeing School in Lamar, MO Chris Gregory is rated the number one farriery instructor in the world. along with his wife Kelly and his son Cody. Cody learned from Chris and is the youngest person (at 16) to pass the AFA cirtified journymen exam. I;m not trying to offend anyone here. but between Chris Gregory and Mitch Taylor (instructor at kentuky) MItch Taylor has very poor work. I've bee nshoeing horses for about 33 years. i pride myself on having a very high standard for my shoeing. personally i think Mitch Talyor has very low quality shoeing. Another no-offence comment. Doug Butler is a fanominal vet...but a poor quality farrier. i would consider him in there with Mitch Taylor in the catigory i would call "cowboy shoeing" Now i've never been to either of their schools. but i've seen alot of their work. and it's not to great. it would be my understanding that if you were wanting to be the best at the profession, or at least strive for it, you would want to work hard. and you would want to learn from the best! that would be Chris Gregory. right now. i would suggest getting (if your serious) "PRincipals of Horseshoeing P3", "Adam's Lameness in Horses", and if you can find it "The Anatomy of the Horse" ...not only get them and read them, but memorize them. Anatomy knowledge is 75% of horseshoeing. i hope this helped. and again i'm not trying to offend anyone, i'm simply stating my opinions. Good on you Chris! and everyone! Son

Jonah is a kid of all kids. a 16 year old trying to wor kand survive liek an . still gonig to school and ocming home every night to help me in the forge! He is trying to cram years and years of blacksmithing knowledge into his mind instantly. he has dreams and plans of his own shop with everything a smith could ever want. he took some 2X4s and built him self a little lean-to off the back of my shop to say he had his own shop. dug a pit and stuck a pipe down in it. thats his own forge that he made himself. for an anvil he uses a brake drum he found. i told him he could borrow my equipment seeing as i have a full and worknig shop. but he said "Mr. Daughtry, not that i'm not grateful for your offer, it's jsut...i want all this to be mine. my own doing!" that made me proud. so...whether he's deserving of this or not is up to you. but i think he is. He's not my son, or my grandson...he's a freind and a darn good helper! a kid who wants to be a blacksmith with everything he's got! i love this Kid! Son

my aprienttice. His name is Jonah! he's 16 now. been with me for a while only started hammering about a year ago ..hoping to take over my business when i'm gone! i nominate Him! Son

are there plans somewhere

how the heck are those made of wood?? i want to know! so i can make one! Son

"I fell in love with the forge, I can't get the ring of the anvi. out of my ears, or the smell of iron off my hands, I love it and wouldin't have it any other way!" i came up with this one long before i ever started smithing. i loved watching them work. when i became a full-time smith i adopted it as my personal saying! Son

ello everyone, this past monday my 49 year old wife was diagnosed with celiac (severe gluten sensitivity) she can no longer eat any gluten at all! please pray for us! thank you Son

it looks like an industial door stop to me...i've seen them alot at places with big swinging doors such as loading docks and the like. just plain steel. would be a decent starter anvil though... son

i actually havn't seen that one. i would still go with the nimba. TFS are cast. nimba are forged. if you can get the TFS now go for it brother. let me know how it works i would love to get a new anvil. $1700 ain't to bad son

you must understand these two brands are completely differnt! Nimba is an anvil spesifically for blacksmithng. TFS is an anvil spesifically for farriery. are you plannnig on shoeing any horses any time soon. or find your self needing a horn heavy anvil. with a very thin heel. the prices may be differnt. but the quality is aboutthe same when you perform the inteded job on the inteded anvil. i have a TFS and i love it...but i'm a working farrier. i've used nimba and i love them. again they are made for two differnt purposes. if you're a blacksmith i would save up for the nimba glatiator. Son

is there a way to reprodue that at home? son

other than the ovbious fire pot...what can be used as a firepot? such as a brake drum or a 55 drum something other than a premade firepot or a self fabricated "firepot" son