If you allow a little bit of liberty, you can trace the origins of the farrier trade to the Iron Age, when the process of tempering and forging metal was discovered. That led to an expansion of tools and tool workers and iron trade specialists. Initially, metal was used essentially in farm implements and weapons. Metal workers were specialised artisans and respected members of society. Somewhere someone had a flash of inspiration: would horses and their riders last longer if the horses were given iron shoes, instead of fabric or leather wrappings? After a little bit of experimenting I suppose, the horseshoe was born. As a natural consequence, farriers came into being as specialized horseshoe makers and fitters. In the initial stages, there were 2 sorts of farriers: the nail makers, typically ladies (called nail smiths), because less brute power and more precision were needed, and the horseshoe makers, usually the brutish men. It took lots of work and experience to become a specialised farrier.
During the last 2,000 years or so , the systems concerned in the conversion of ore to horseshoes and nails have changed little. I imagine the horseshoe offers little scope for trends and trends. Whatever discoveries were tried .
There have been developments in the context of associated skills. X-ray is used to peek inside a horse's foot to make sure that correct balance of foot and horseshoe is maintained. Science has given considerably to identifying correct movement and momentum aspects. Fortunately or unfortunately, horseshoeing has not yet become an automated industry.
There were other changes, as well. In the old days an old farrier made a new one. You became a farrier by dint of apprenticeship to a seasoned farrier. It involved a lot of hands on difficult work before you were given the right to call yourself a farrier. There was no graduation ceremony and award of certificates. If your master announced you were adequate, you were considered to be so.
These days you can enroll for an academic course in farriership, and come out of it with a certificate that certifies you to be a qualified farrier. I am not aware of how much practical farriership coaching is part of these courses, but I'm fairly sure they cannot match the old apprenticeships for quality of hands on experience. I suppose it is a sign of our generation's obsession with doing things quick.
I don't mind a little bit of theoretical instruction. I have no issues with wannabe farriers learning all about mining for iron ore and the various processes the ore goes thru before it gets cast into a horseshoe. I actually believe the wannabe farriers would receive advantages from a thorough grounding in horses and their physiology, their leg and hoof structure, the issues and sicknesses that may trouble their legs and hooves, and the cures for such ailments. And of course, I totally concur the curriculum ought to include complete details on how to make horseshoes and nails, the best metal to use and the best styles and sizes to strive for and all the other significant features of making and fitting horseshoes.
But I still feel that five years of learning at an institute cannot match up to a year of nose-to-the-ground hard work as a seasoned professional farrier's aid.
During the last 2,000 years or so , the systems concerned in the conversion of ore to horseshoes and nails have changed little. I imagine the horseshoe offers little scope for trends and trends. Whatever discoveries were tried .
There have been developments in the context of associated skills. X-ray is used to peek inside a horse's foot to make sure that correct balance of foot and horseshoe is maintained. Science has given considerably to identifying correct movement and momentum aspects. Fortunately or unfortunately, horseshoeing has not yet become an automated industry.
There were other changes, as well. In the old days an old farrier made a new one. You became a farrier by dint of apprenticeship to a seasoned farrier. It involved a lot of hands on difficult work before you were given the right to call yourself a farrier. There was no graduation ceremony and award of certificates. If your master announced you were adequate, you were considered to be so.
These days you can enroll for an academic course in farriership, and come out of it with a certificate that certifies you to be a qualified farrier. I am not aware of how much practical farriership coaching is part of these courses, but I'm fairly sure they cannot match the old apprenticeships for quality of hands on experience. I suppose it is a sign of our generation's obsession with doing things quick.
I don't mind a little bit of theoretical instruction. I have no issues with wannabe farriers learning all about mining for iron ore and the various processes the ore goes thru before it gets cast into a horseshoe. I actually believe the wannabe farriers would receive advantages from a thorough grounding in horses and their physiology, their leg and hoof structure, the issues and sicknesses that may trouble their legs and hooves, and the cures for such ailments. And of course, I totally concur the curriculum ought to include complete details on how to make horseshoes and nails, the best metal to use and the best styles and sizes to strive for and all the other significant features of making and fitting horseshoes.
But I still feel that five years of learning at an institute cannot match up to a year of nose-to-the-ground hard work as a seasoned professional farrier's aid.
About the Author:
Horses are Heather Toms
passion and she enjoys sharing her extensive knowledge through her 100s of
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passion and she enjoys sharing her extensive knowledge through her 100s of
articles with other horse lovers go here
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