However you choose to interpret the word, farriers are indisputably fit. And we’re slightly in awe of them.
Hours of (seriously) hard graft means that they use muscles that most of could spend a lifetime looking for (those guns for starters…) — and no rowing machine or cross-trainer could offer us that kind of strength and stamina.
Anyone who has bagged a farrier who turns up on time, knows what they are doing and is grateful for your often dubious cup of tea, knows that they are worth more than any fancy bit of tack or flashy lorry.
We thought it was about time we celebrated Britain’s fittest and favourite farriers and so we asked you to send in your nominations…
Fred Sampson
“I couldn’t ask for a better farrier!” says Janey Jackdaw, who has four horses and a Shetland called Spike.
Fred’s favourite on the job snack: a bacon sandwich with brown sauce.
Fred’s favourite on the job radio station: any local station.
Dean Hogan
“Dean is also my partner and best friend — so I am somewhat biased but I still feel he deserves some attention!” says Abigail Allen.
Matt Housley
“Matt also happens to be my boyfriend, so I may be slightly bias!” admits Lucy Francis. “We live in Somerset, and Matt is known locally as ‘The Somerset Farrier’.”
Steven Green
“Our farrier Steve is a real attraction on the yard,” says Jean Edwards, who keeps her pony at Barn Close Farm Livery, Worcestershire. “He always insists on taking his shirt off to ‘ top up his tan’ so you can imagine the girls, young and older, taking their seats, eating cake and drinking tea while he is shoeing!”
Steven’s favourite on the job snack: cake.
Steven’s favourite on the job radio station: Radio One.
Yogi Sharp
Yogi Sharp shoes Brighton-based Roberta Hofmann’s 15-year-old Arab cross Welsh section B, Secret.
Yogi’s favourite on the job snack: Biltong.
Yogi’s favourite on the job radio station: Kiss FM.
Richard Slater
Anna Adams is the girlfriend of Shropshire/Staffordshire-based farrier Richard Slater, who shoes her hunter Nina.
Richard’s favourite on the job snack: a pie.
Richard’s favourite on the job radio station: Radio One.
Connor Morrison
Connor Morrison works at the army’s largest forge, at the King’s Troop Royal Horse Artillery’s Woolwich barracks in south-east London.
Continued below…
8 things we unquestioningly do, even though, thinking about it, it’s a bit weird
Alex Hunter
Alex Hunter is pictured shoeing Kira Simpson’s 13-year-old Norwegian Fjord Maddison — “a fantastic mare who is always on perfect behaviour for Alex”.
“Alex is incredibly patient and calming with horses and always comes armed with treats and licks, meaning my horse loves her,” says Kara.
Alex’s favourite on the job snack: Chocolate, with Jaffa Cakes being a firm favourite alongside Maltesers.
Alex’s favourite on the job radio station: She doesn’t tend to have the radio on (when shoeing Maddison) as she likes to concentrate on what she’s doing.
Becky Parker
Becky’s favourite on the job snack: squash and chocolate.
Becky’s favourite on the job radio station: Radio One.
Megan Urell
“Megan is quite simply the most outstanding farrier,” say Emma-Jayne and Cherish Rothwell. “Based in Cornwall she travels across the county shoeing horses big and small with astonishing knowledge and expertise. She has an innate passion and understanding of horses, carefully studying each of her clients and their needs and responding accordingly to each individual horse with the utmost care.”
Megan’s favourite on the job snack: “squidgy” cake.
Megan’s favourite on the job radio station: “She’s a disco queen who loves to party, so when she visits our yard to attend to our show ponies we often end up turning up the tunes on Radio Two or Magic FM, dancing round the yard and singing into a rasp or file microphone!” says Emma-Jayne.
Graeme Smith
“Graeme is truly the best farrier you could wish for and a genuinely nice person,” says Anna Cockburn at Hay Farm Heavy Horse Centre.
Graeme’s favourite on the job snack: He has a sweet tooth for a stroopwafel on top of his brew.
Graeme’s favourite on the job radio station: Radio Two.
Marc Jerram
“Marc looks after my six horses very well and the picture is of him having fun while the horses were fetched in!” Sharon Kendall.
Marc’s favourite on the job snack: chocolate brownies.
Marc’s favourite on the job radio station: Absolute Radio.
Tom Bolton
Worcestershire-based Tom is pictured here with Vicky Taylor’s horse The Tinkerman.
Tom’s favourite on the job snack: “Anything sweet to keep his sweetness up!”
Tom’s favourite on the job radio station: Radio One
