Farrier Stories
Intro:
This series of drawings was started when I decided to come up
with a way to document all of the funny stories that my
husband told me each night when he came home from shoeing. I
added to the scrapbook each year at Christmas time and we
laugh together at the stories, old and new. Please enjoy them
in the humorous light that they were intended.
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"YET ANOTHER REASON THAT YOU SHOULD NOT DO SHOEING WORK WHEN THE CLIENT IS NOT THERE"
-as told by Rob Keesling to his wife, Gina
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It was one of those accounts that you take on when you're
first starting out. Several horses to do in one stop seemed to
make it easier to overlook the crummy working conditions.
The man had 5 horses, and an attack trained doberman pinscher,
of which he was very proud. "Bruiser" was an odd dog, the
professional attack dog trainer had taught him not to bark,
just to slink around and bite people (supposed intruders). He
was fastened securely with a log chain in the aisle of the
barn. What he was protecting was never apparent to me. His
droppings were scattered all around, under the crossties
especially. Although the owners never thought to clean up this
filth, they were kind enough to shorten the dogs chain when I
came so that he couldn't sneak up and bite me.
On this particular day the owner was working late, so
arrangements had been made for me to get there early, and be
finishing up whe he arrived home. Bruiser was in his usual
sorts as I let the mare through the remaining dog dung (that I
couldn't sweep or shovel because of it's, well, "viscosity").
This time his incessant slinking about was making the horse
nervous. As her fidgeting brought her nearer to where the dog
was tied, I began to get concerned about my safety, cornered
between this horse and "trained killing machine". My fears
were realized when I felt the horse tense up. Bruiser had
silently grabbed hold of her tailbone. There we were, in a
ridiculous sort, as the mare tried to pull away, tightening
the dog's chain and lifting him completely off of the floor.
They remained in this dog-dangling head and tail lock as I
frantically wondered what to do. The dog would not let go and
the mare would move no more. Finally I was able to dislodge
him with a few well-placed "bonks" to the snout with my rasp.
I never told the owner of the incident, as he had always
maintained that the dog was trained not to bother the horses.
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