Republished with a fresh version of the image that I originally processed in 2019.
Shoeing Shire Horses On The Wimpole Estate
A Diary In Photography
A Diary In Photography
Republished with a fresh version of the image that I originally processed in 2019.
Photograph Works 
Would I be correct in assuming that they’re standing right in front of the blacksmithy?
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And, on second glance, that the smoke is from burning hoof? (And isn’t that a nasty thought:/)
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Yes, from the hoof. I was surprised that the horse didn’t react at all.
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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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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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“Told her about the Ergot & Chestnut…” ?
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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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Yes, I have noticed them – the equine version of a dew claw; )
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Yes – That’s what I thought of.
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https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ergot_(horse_anatomy)
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Your lovely Shires with their bountiful feathers would definitely be harder to spot: )
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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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Yes, I hadn’t looked at the “closeup” initially… Stable doors are quite obvious 😉
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And yes, Farriers are a transient bunch on both sides of the pond, aren’t they 😉
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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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Yes, totally the same here in Canada 🙂
Farriers also know so much about animal health as well…
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The horses are called Shires? Never heard of that breed. Draft horses are a favorite of mine.
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Yes, shire horses. 🙂
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