“It all comes down to the basics.” We’ve all heard that, so much that it seems to be a cliché among some in farriery. But this has never become a passing phrase when it comes from Bob Pethick.

On a warm July morning, the Hall Of Fame farrier took time to scratch the surface of how the basics are always present in his daily work. It would take several more years to understand the full picture. Yet, this short time spent with Pethick reminds to question why one would trim a horse the way he or she thinks to — or really question anything done when working with a horse.

In his 46th year of being a farrier, Pethick still asks these questions. In the clinics he does across the country, the take-home message to the audience is to always stay with the principles of
farriery. On this “Shoeing For A Living” day, Pethick gave a glimpse of how staying true to the basics and building a reliable team has provided him with a successful career.

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Pethick owns and operates Bedminster Forge, his multi-farrier practice in Califon, N.J. Joining him today are Jessica Melvin and Haley Dewalt. Melvin started out nearly 6 years prior as an apprentice, but has excelled to become an associate of the practice. She handles other horses on her own some days each week. Dewalt, a graduate of the Five Star Horseshoeing School in Minco, Okla., has apprenticed with Bedminster…