If the Shoe Fits

There are more horses in England today than there were during the war,’ says Adrian Palmer, who with his wife and business partner Sarah own and run Bath Equestrian Centre in Weston.  It is in a great location tucked away at the edge of town with south facing views across the city and easily accessible to any rider living in Bath. But to reach the centre you have to go through a large housing estate and I wondered if I was on the right road until I saw the farm gate and through it the fields and stables.  Sarah and Adrian have 10 acres attached to their stables and offer indoor and outdoor riding schools as livery.  But Adrian is rarely there during the week.
Adrian’s main occupation is that of  farrier, and Monday to Friday, he travels extensively to farms and stables within a 40 mile radius of Bath with his propane gas- heated forge and anvil.  These are fitted into the rear of his 4 x 4 vehicle along with the necessary tools and horse shoes of different sizes.  To fit new shoes, Adrian explains that he needs to remove the old shoes and first trim then measure the animal’s foot.  The new shoes have to be heated in the forge and shaped on the anvil before being nailed onto the horse’s hoof.  Although Adrian could make each individual shoe from scratch, it is timesaving for him to buy them in and tailor them as necessary.  Every job is different and it takes over 4 years to train as a farrier which includes a fair amount of blacksmithing.  A qualified craftsman must be able to work with all different types of animal feet and deformities.  In previous times, anyone was allowed to shoe animals but it is now regulated with training and certification to avoid any unnecessary cruelty.  The Farriers Registration Council in Peterborough organises the trade in England overseeing training and certification.  It is learnt through an apprenticeship to a qualified farrier for the practical skills, with block release in college to learn the theory.  It is a popular ambition but with heavy demand for apprenticeship placements, successful youngsters need to be keen and hard-working.  As in many popular professions, appropriate work experience is an advantage.  Adrian first became interested in horses as a teenager and was working in Ireland when he decided to become a farrier.
            ‘I was teaching riding at the time and the farrier who visited the yard persuaded me it was a good thing to do,’ says Adrian.   ‘It was a good thing.  I was apprenticed in Ireland and have been busy ever since.’   It is heavy work and the animals can be fractious but it is a skill that is practised by both sexes and Adrian thinks it has a good future.  He believes that horse riding and ownership has become more affordable these days with people having a larger disposable income.
             ‘People are more willing to buy a piece of ground than before and use the equity they have in their houses by putting an extra sum on the mortgage,’ says Adrian who increasingly visits privately owned paddocks to shoe a family pony.  ‘They then discover that it is the on-going costs of keeping a horse that is heavy.’  But fortunately for him this doesn’t seem to stop the continuing rise in horse ownership.
Bath Equestrian Centre and Farrier Tel: (01225) 483483

© Judith Cameron