Today was a busy day at the Ranch, with Dewey Campbell, our excellent farrier, busy trimming and putting shoes on all our horses.  Horses need shoes to protect their feet from rocks and rough surfaces and to correct for uneven growth rates.    Dewey trims and balances each foot, and then custom fits a shoe. �

The basic skill of the farrier has not changed in hundreds of years, although now-a-days there are some new materials on the market for specialty needs.  Each shoe requires between six to eight nails, and the nails range from 1 ½ inches long to three inches.  The shoes Dewey uses are made from cold rolled steel.

Dewey has been shoeing horses for 21 years and received his education at the Oklahoma Farrier College.  He comes to the ranch every six to eight weeks.   If he’s here when you visit be sure to take a peek at his work – it is a very important part of horse keeping.

The farrier's tools.

Dewey trims each foot.

The shoe is custom made.

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