The air is cool in the Appalachian Mountains on this late May Virginia morning, but the weather has been dry and there’s a promise of higher temperatures later in the day. Farrier J.C. Maloyed and his partner, Travis Thompson, are eager to get their day of “Shoeing For A Living” started — hoping to get the majority of their horses done before the day gets too uncomfortable.

Maloyed (the J.C. stands for James Curtis — or “Jungle Cat” he says with an easy grin) and Thompson are headed for Virginia Intermont College, a small coed school located in Bristol, Va., a few miles southwest of Glade Spring, where Maloyed lives. But they aren’t going to the ivy-covered and white-columned buildings of the main campus. Instead, they’re headed for the college’s Riding Center, located about 6 miles away on the outskirts of town.

At Virginia Intermont, Maloyed explains, horses are a big deal. “Riding Matters at Virginia Intermont” reads a banner that’s posed on the equestrian activities page of the school’s Web site.

Virginia Intermont College — or VIC — competes in the NAIA. During 2007, its equestrian teams, won three national championships, giving the school a total of 12 national championships since 2001. The college also offers a 4-year degree program in equine studies.

Maloyed and Thompson spend the bulk of every Wednesday at the Riding Center, providing the…