Dick Davis

I would like to honor my father, Dick Davis, for National Farriers Week. Dad has been a farrier for 45-plus years throughout Maryland and the surrounding states, traveling throughout the U.S. to clinics, workshops and demonstrations to keep his knowledge and skills as current and "state of the art" as possible. He is passionate about what he does and will not hesitate to drop what he is doing to help a horse owner in need, Sundays included. Many times professionals that just don’t know the answer to puzzling cases consult him, and most times Dad is able to help them out because of his vast knowledge and talent.

He recently hosted a field trip for a small Mennonite school in Pennsylvania. He received a call from the teacher asking if he would be interested in providing a demonstration to her 2nd grade class on "blacksmithing." Dad has a blacksmith shop at his home, as well as a 10-plus-acre farm with four horses of his own. He welcomed her and her class, gave a demonstration on how to make horseshoes and then proceeded to shoe one of his thoroughbred horses so they could see how the entire process worked. The students, teachers and chaperones were in awe of his skill and ability.

I have two horses also, one of them being 35 years old with obvious health issues at this age. Dad has always been able to calm my fears, as well as "fix" the problem, whatever it may be, from abscesses to minor shoeing and trimming.

Thank you for the opportunity to honor these fantastic people that play such an important role in a horse owner's life.

— Darlene Davis Reid
(Clear Spring, Md.)