Village Farrier

Prior to the invention of the internal combustion engine, horses were integral to everyday life and the farrier was an important man in any community. In this work we can see the farrier fitting a shoe to a heavy horse.

A good farrier was noted for his craftsmanship and ability to handle horses; the process can make the animals nervous and unpredictable and such a large animal could cause serious harm to the farrier if handled incorrectly.

Without shoes, horses would become foot-sore and eventually lame. The shape, weight and thickness of a horseshoe will affect a horse’s gait, so the blacksmith would customize the weight and length of the horseshoe to alter the way a horse’s foot leaves the ground. Their expert knowledge and experience meant that before vets, farriers acted as the horse doctor and would have done jobs such as docking tails or pulling teeth.

Historically the village farrier and blacksmith were usually one and the same person, so most not only shoed horses, they also did jobs such as repairing farm machinery and forging gates, tools and domestic items.