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Shoeing Shire Horses On The Wimpole Estate

Shoeing Shire Horses On The Wimpole Estate

Republished with a fresh version of the image that I originally processed in 2019.

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18 responses to “Shoeing Shire Horses On The Wimpole Estate”

  1. Deb Weyrich-Cody

    Would I be correct in assuming that they’re standing right in front of the blacksmithy?

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    1. Deb Weyrich-Cody

      And, on second glance, that the smoke is from burning hoof? (And isn’t that a nasty thought:/)

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      1. David Bennett

        Yes, from the hoof. I was surprised that the horse didn’t react at all.

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        1. Deb Weyrich-Cody

          It’s a big, thick toenail they’ve got, that’s for sure (but I still wince just thinking about it, lol)

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          1. David Bennett

            Yes, Tamara was speaking to one of the riders. She told her about the Ergot and the Chestnut, and how horses effectively stand on one middle toe.

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            1. Deb Weyrich-Cody

              “Told her about the Ergot & Chestnut…” ?

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              1. David Bennett

                Apparently, the ergot is the toe on the outside of the ‘foot’ and the chestnut is the toe on the inside of the ‘foot’ (or the other way around) and one can see vestiges of both if one feels beneath the long hair on the leg.

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                1. Deb Weyrich-Cody

                  Yes, I have noticed them – the equine version of a dew claw; )

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                  1. David Bennett

                    Yes – That’s what I thought of.

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                2. Deb Weyrich-Cody

                  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ergot_(horse_anatomy)

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                3. Deb Weyrich-Cody

                  Your lovely Shires with their bountiful feathers would definitely be harder to spot: )

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    2. David Bennett

      What you can see behind the farrier are the stables for the shire horses. The farrier comes to re-shoe the horses every six to eight weeks. He had a van with him (I should have photographed it) that’s just outside the frame, and he had a furnace in there where he heated the irons with gas from a portable calor gas cylinder. He had an anvil for shaping the shoes and he did it all as we watched.

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      1. Deb Weyrich-Cody

        Yes, I hadn’t looked at the “closeup” initially… Stable doors are quite obvious 😉

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      2. Deb Weyrich-Cody

        And yes, Farriers are a transient bunch on both sides of the pond, aren’t they 😉

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        1. David Bennett

          I had no idea they were in such high demand, but from talking to the farrier and the staff at the Estate who ride the horses (actually it was Tamara who did most of the enquiring) there are a lot of farriers in the UK and the training takes five years.

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          1. Deb Weyrich-Cody

            Yes, totally the same here in Canada 🙂
            Farriers also know so much about animal health as well…

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  2. Joan E. Miller

    The horses are called Shires? Never heard of that breed. Draft horses are a favorite of mine.

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    1. David Bennett

      Yes, shire horses. 🙂

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