This blog is sponsored by the PRO FEET range of hoof care products from NAF
Part of the service that Kris Parsons, my training farrier, offers when shoeing horses is to take the old “scrap” shoes away. Some customers like to keep the old shoes, in which case we will remove the nails and clean them up for them, but the majority of old shoes are taken away and thrown in the skip back at the forge.
Every six months or so, the skip will need emptying and so a trip to the scrap metal merchant is needed. Last week one such trip was made and it was a good moment to dispose of all my practice shoes, which we estimated was around 350 shoes.
A lot of blood sweat and tears, as well as unusable twisted steel, was disposed of that day and it felt like a new beginning. I think Kris had a few tears too as he quickly totted up the cost of all the raw materials, now reduced to scrap! Hopefully though, the worst of my scrap producing days are over.
This week was my first week back from college and it came as a real shock. I’d definitely gone backwards in my trimming capabilities and it’s taken all week to re-adjust to the day job.
Another thing that took me by surprise this week was that I was given a Christmas present. It never occurred to me that we might be given Christmas presents from the customers we shoe for. Yet another pleasant aspect of my new career. There seems no end to nice surprises with this job!
Until next week,
Roland
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