International Horseshoeing Hall of Fame member Ray Legel passed away Saturday, July 26, 2025, at his Waverly, Iowa, home. He was 77.

While revered by his peers as the ultimate craftsman, Legel’s entry into the farriery profession began out of necessity.

“My horse lost a shoe and the farrier was nowhere to be found,” he recalls. “So, I had to figure it out.”

Discovering that he enjoyed the process, Legel embarked on a journey to learn as much as he could. He traveled to the Upper Midwest Horseshoers Association’s meeting in Wisconsin every month to attend clinics and seminars, “grabbed a pizza with some of the guys,” and talked as much as possible about the finer points of horses and shoeing. Legel says the grueling 5½-hour drive home to Iowa was “worth every minute.”

He developed his skills to the point of artistry and never gave less than 100% to his work.

“Every horse and owner deserves the best that I have,” Legel says, “from the highest-level performance horse to the backyard companion pony.”

With exemplary forging and corrective shoeing techniques, Legel is responsible for helping countless horses throughout his career.

“He helped my horse when everyone else said he was a lost cause,” says Sandra Bird of Raymond, Iowa. “I watched him teach the younger generation of farriers. I’m privileged to have known [Ray].”

As Bird attests, Legel was equally dedicated to helping young farriers, always making himself available because he believed in giving back to the hoof-care community.

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