Kids didn’t have career choices in the 1800s. Children were expected to follow in their parent’s footsteps, often in a family business. Blacksmiths of the time, like other tradesmen, relied on their sons to learn the skills and backfill the ranks as their elders retired. Most daughters weren’t offered an option back then.

Working under a horse all day is hard on the body — especially the back. And there are always risks for a wreck. With close to 30 years of shoeing, 18 of those full-time, Jacob Manning of Roosevelt, Utah, wishes he had taken better care of his back.

Gaited show horses are a small niche within the horse industry, and shoeing them is equally so within the farrier industry.
Before putting on an apron and picking up a foot, a farrier must understand the discipline, potential clientele and what is expected in the horses’ hoof care.