Interview With A Farrier
By Ed McCollum

You've heard of "Interview with a Vampire". Well, after one full year of searching through stables, farms and even circuses, I was finally able to locate one of New England'Õs most elusive and sought after farriers, Joe DeLowery. Joe is legendary in New England for his knowledge of horses and his ability to keep them on their feet. Joe is known for his down- home sense of humor and low-key style. He is also known as a miracle worker because of his ability to get "lame" horses back on their feet and out riding again. He is the farrier for the internationally famous Big Apple Circus. We had to hobble Joe long enough to conduct this interview, but it was worth it. This is the first time Joe has agreed to a personal interview.

Ed: Joe, how did you come to be a farrier?

Joe: My grandfather was a farrier way back when not that many people made a profession out of it. In fact, I still have and use some of his tools. My folks came to the United States from Ireland and always had horses. My father shoed horses after WWII and I remember he used to charge a buck a foot. I came out of the service and used the G.I. Bill to go to the Martinsville Farrier School back in 1970. After school, I hooked up with a Scotsman and stayed with him for five years before branching off on my own. He was a great guy and a great farrier who taught me alot.

Ed: What's the secret of your legendary success working with horses?I'm sure not all of them are eager to be shod.

Joe: No, not at all. First of all, it's important to understand the animal so I try to be one of them. I start my day very early in the morning. I muck out my ten horses, turn them out and make sure they're doing fine. Then I clean my barn and do my shop work. By the time I get to my first appointment, you might say I smell like one of the herd. Because if they feel you're one of them, they'll stand around and trust you and feel they're in good hands. And that is whatÕs most important. I may be getting paid by the client, but the horse is the one that I'm working for and they get all my attention. Their sense of smell is so strong. I want to smell like an old friend before I shoe that first horse. It may sound strange to the novice, but it' s an old trick. I knew an old smithie that had one shirt that he shod in and he shoed seven or eight horses a day in that one shirt. At the end of the day, he took that shirt off and put it in the truck. The next day he'd come and put that same shirt on. You couldn' t stand to be around this guy, but the horses loved him and he never had a problem shoeing a horse. Sometimes, it only takes a bad after-shave lotion or a strong deodorant or even some medicine that makes them think you're a veterinarian that causes a problem.

Ed: How has the industry changed in the past 25 years?

Joe: The amount of work has gone up considerably. Even though there are shoeing schools pumping out farriers, the number of horses out there is growing. Consider that just in the U.S. there are six million thoroughbreds registered as a fresh crop on January first. There are more quarter horses in this country than thoroughbreds not to mention all the Morgans, Arabs and other breeds. Just in the state of Tennessee there are over 40,000 registered Tennessee Walking horses. You have 70,000 registered quarter horses in the state of Texas and that's not counting all the working horses the cowboys use. I see people in their 30's and 40's who never had a horse but dreamed of it are picking them up, starting to enjoy riding and forming riding clubs.

Ed: This new group of farriers, are they sticking it out or finding itÕs tough work and giving up?

Joe: They're finding out it's not an easy dollar and it's a long dollar. If they're in it to make a quick buck, they'll find out what hard work it is. You have to be shoeing alot of horses to make a living at it. For me, itÕs peace of mind because I just enjoy doing this. It's the secret of a good life to enjoy what you do for work.

Ed: What advice to you give people who are trailering their horses. Should the horses be shod or should they pull the shoes?

Joe: If someone is traveling for a day or to a riding spot, usually they'll have their horses shod in a nice flat steel. They'll want shoes on their horses because when they come off the trailer, most likely they be riding them right away. But you want to be careful about shoeing your horse with any kind of shoe that's apt to get hung up in the trailer. Now, if you are using a national transportation company, ask their advice, but you may want to ship them barefooted. Also, check the condition of the trailer to make sure there are no cracks or crevices that the horses can get hung up on. I like rubber all around myself.

Ed: Are steel shoes and rubber mats a bad combination? Will the horses slip on the surface?

Joe: Oh no, steel and rubber are excellent. Bare hoof on rubber is also great. There is a suction factor there. The heat of the horse combines with the rubber while theyÕre standing and it makes for a nice suction cup on the rubber mat. But if theyÕre going to ride the horses when they get out of the trailer in the mountains or in the desert, they'll need a set of shoes on them. I recommend going flat and never mind the traction devices when youÕre traveling because it can be a booby trap and you're asking for an accident to happen.

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Ed: Do you recommend wrapping the legs to keep them from skinning themselves up inside the trailer?

Joe: Absolutely. A good wrapping with just regular cotton is better than nothing at all, but they're making some great shipping boots now that will do the trick. They'll cover the vital parts of the leg, the cannon bone, the ligaments and the lower vascular system. A good pair of shipping boots is a lot cheaper than replacing your horse.

Ed: Do you recommend that people use a hay bag when traveling?

Joe: Always! I always like to keep a bag tied high, not where they can get their legs caught up in it. It gives them something to do and it's a pacifier. It calms them down. Ed: If a rider is on a trail ride and a shoe comes loose, what should they do? Joe: Well, there are some tools that horsemen can buy and they should ask their farrier how to use them. There are simple little clinching devices that can help reclinch a shoe and tighten some nails that have been sprung. I don't recommend doing any kind of sharp paring or removing and sole, but these new clinchers can tighten up the shoe and get you home.

Ed: What if the shoe can't be clinched?

Joe: That same tool is also a pair of pulloffs that you can very gently pry the shoe off and if you are carrying a neoprene pad you can make a temporary shoe that cowboys have been making for years that will get you home. Just fasten it with some vet wrap or good adhesive tape and off you go. A good idea is to ask your farrier to cut you a set of pads that match your horse and keep them with you when you ride. ItÕs a quick fix for a shoe thatÕs been sprung or been pitched or left in the mud.

Ed: What about these temporary boots I see on the market?

Joe: There are alot of brands out there like Easy Boots. They are a great invention, but make sure you get them to fit properly. Also, if the apparatus is made of hard rubber, then it should be made to fit one size larger than the horse's normal size. For instance if the horse wears a size one, fit them to a size two. It's a quick fix, and youÕre not going to use it for very long, but it will get you through the trail ride until you get to the next blacksmith's shop.

Ed: How do you tell your horse's shoe size?

Joe: You can ask your farrier, but it is stamped on the hoof bearing side of each shoe. You'll see a number set in the steel.

Ed: You hear alot about corrective shoeing. Is this relatively new? Did they do corrective shoeing back in the 1880's?

Joe: Absolutely. Some of the old shoes I have in my collection have a piece of steel welded on one side of it to correct a fault in a horse where he was dragging his hind leg or where he was a plow horse and you might see a cock welded on the inside heel to correct a horse that dragged his toe. In these creatures, there's no two alike and there's no horse with perfect limbs and perfect hooves so the smithies would try to help the guy who owned the horse and he could read from the old shoes where the horse was dragging. It would be worn in a certain area so he could take his new shoe and maybe double it over and make it twice as thick on one side. But corrective shoeing has been around since the first burros carried Mary and Joseph. Horse shoeing has been documented back to 900 B.C. The first shoes that have been found in Europe were of Celtic nature. They figured out that the only reason Hanibal was able to conquer as much as he did was because he had his blacksmiths and armor makers put steel on the hooves of his horses to protect their feet to cross the Alps. He conquered tribes that couldn't compete with the distances Hanibal covered in conquering Europe. There are old shoes to be seen in the Smithsonian and they are basically the same as we are using today. A shoe is just iron ore that's been hammered out, nails punched and nails made. Nailed the same way, through the hoof capsule and bent over in the form of a clinch.

Ed: How about the Native American Indians? Did they use iron shoes?

Joe: Not to our best knowledge. They covered the horses hooves and used a lot of deer hide, bear hide and buck skins. They had the right idea but they didn't have the implements. They didn't do a lot with steel. The were always careful to try to protect the hoof capsule. They knew that with the foot protected, they would get 30 years out of their horses if they were also fed right and used right.

Ed: Are horses really used for work anymore?

Joe: Sure, but not like they used to be. YouÕll still see the plow horse here and there, and of course the working cow horse but you have to remember one hundred years ago horses were driving this country. The Teamsters had leather in their hands, not steering wheels. Horses were pulling wagons in every little town in America.

Ed: Has the horses physical condition changed since then?

Joe: Back then the horses work load was immense. You could always see ribs. If you looked at pictures of those horses, you'd say they weren't fed, and by today's standards that's probably right. We over feed them. The vets say founder is way up. We're feeding our horses like beef cows. In the old days ,the horses were out working. The horse would be taking the father to work in the morning and bringing him home. The kids would probably use the horse to go visit their friends and at night they might harness up to go out to church or someplace to socialize. The hay and oats he was being feed was being worked off. Nowadays, it seems we're working for the horse. We've got automobiles in the driveway so we don't need them for transportation. So we over feed them out of kindness and end up killing them with kindness.

Ed: For the new horse owner, how would they go about getting comfortable with their new horse, especially if itÕs on the frisky side?

Joe: It's just time. If you got one that isn't finished yet and isn't quite sure of everything in its environment, you just can't quit. Give that horse two or three hours a day of your time if you can. It's a daily routine that I highly recommend to these folks. You'll gain that horses confidence and see a big improvement when he goes out on the trail or is in the trailer.

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Ed: How do you shoe a horse that is big, mean and ornery?

Joe: Just had one the other day. If you lose your temper and start physically manhandling the horse, you're going to lose. In the old days, you'd apply a Yorkshire Twitch which was put on her nose and gave her something to think about while you'd go about getting her shod. Most new horse owners now don't like that method, so if a feed bag won't do it you have to call your friend the veterinarian. There is a new drug on the market called Demozodan that I highly recommend. It's safe to use and will make the heaviest and nastiest horse comply without any problem or long term effects. As the horse gets used to being shod, you might try something milder like granules of Promosine that is sold at feed stores. Very important, take the time getting your horse used to someone handling their feet by making it a part of the grooming process.

Ed: You shoe for the famous Big Apple Circus when it comes to Boston. What's that like?

Joe: I really look forward to it every year. As you know, the Big Apple Circus is probably the best circus in the United States now. They are based in Florida and every spring come to Boston. Only the cream of the crop in talent gets hired as performers. The Big Apple was Max Shuman's circus. He's a Danish horse trainer and circus owner from Europe, and now his daughter Katja and her husband Paul Binder run it. They have the best jugglers, the best dog acts, the most amazing trapeze, and of course, their world famous horse act.

Ed: What kind of horses do they use?

Joe: Max Shuman has a set of Liberty horses that are the most skilled horses I've ever seen perform in the United States. Max Shuman is the best horse trainer that's out there. There's never a line attached and they do everything at his command. Usually they'll have eight to ten horses and to see them running in a circle the way they do shows how Max gets these horses to show their true intelligence to mankind. I was lucky to hook up with them. TheyÕre all a great bunch of people.

Ed: Joe, being a farrier for all these years, have you ever been hurt?

Joe: Oh yeah! In fact, the old expression of "having the crap kicked out of you" is about blacksmiths! You take your kicks and bites, go home chew on some aspirin and jump into a streaming hot bath. I've never had a broken bone though. Got a few cracks. Got a few kicks in the femurs and tibia that warranted taking an Advil on a cool day. It can be a dangerous profession. We had a fellow farrier that got kicked and was found dead under a horse. The horse still was on cross ties when they found this poor smithie. So you have to be careful. It's a good idea to shoe with someone around.

Ed: Last question. What;s your favorite breed of horse?

Joe: Well, Ed, it's like women. I love 'em all.

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