Horseshoeing Clinic
Hosted by Daniel Bishop
By Nancy Brannon
Certified Farrier (CF) Daniel Bishop hosted a horseshoeing and metalworking clinic with Cody Gregory of Heartland Horseshoeing School at his farm in Moscow, TN November 6-7. Cody is the youngest Certified Journeyman Farrier (CJF) in the world.
Farriers from around the mid-south area came to watch and learn from the talented 18-year-old. They included: CJF Lim Couch-Horseshoers Hall of Fame; Richard Peel-CJF, JJ Bryant, Alan Vermillion-CF, Stacy Stewart, Mike Ward, Rowdy Childers, Jay Morris-CJF, Aaron Nelson, Harold Elder, James Denton, and Corbin Reynolds.
Stockhoffs Horseshoes & Supplies of LaGrange, KY brought a store of horseshoeing supplies and hoofcare products. Founded in 1863, Stockhoffs is one of the oldest family businesses in the country. "We're older than Ford. We sold supplies to blacksmiths to outfit horses in the Civil War," said Molly Pappas, President.
Cody began Saturday's clinic by making a pair of concave front shoes. The rim shoe is often used for eventers, foxhunters, barrel racing horses. Then he made a bevel cob shoe, one of the qualifying shoes required by the American Farriers Association certification. It is a show shoe and he nailed it on one of the Friesian mares at the farm. "The whole outside of the shoe is beveled so when it is nailed on, it looks like an extension of the horse's hoof," Cody explained. He also made several keg shoe modifications for everyday use, like toe clips, quarter clips, rocker toe, square toe, extended heels, and trailer. He finished by making a 3/4 fullered shoe and a pair of forge tongs. On Sunday he "warmed up" by making a pair of concave front shoes.
Cody was "raised around horseshoeing; it's part of my life," he said. Both his dad and mom are horse shoers at Heartland Horse Shoeing. "But I put a lot of work into getting where I am; it didn't all just come to me." He passed the first American Farriers Association certification when he was 14 years old. He had to shoe a horse (two feet) with keg shoes in one hour; he had to make a shoe display; and he had to pass a written exam to be certified. Then he went on to become a Certified Journeyman. That required him to shoe a horse (four feet) with hand mades n toe clip front shoes and quarter clip hind shoes - in two hours. He had to make a 3/4 fullered straight bar shoe to a pattern in 35 minutes. Then he had to pass an 80-question written exam. He passed all this at age 15.
Now he's working on the AWCF, Associate Worshipful Company of Farriers, exam. The only remaining part he must pass is theory. "There are only about 33 or 34 FWCFs (Fellow Worshipful Company of Farriers) in the world and my dad is a FWCF," Cody proudly said. His goal is to become one, too.
"I love both parts, shoeing and forging work," Cody said. "I can't imagine doing anything else." He also does quite a bit of traveling. "I was on the road 27 weeks last year. This year I'm leaving two days before Thanksgiving to go to Brazil to do a clinic. I'll be in Sorocaba in the southwestern portion of Sao Paulo. After the clinic, my dad and I will float the Amazon. Then we fly from Brazil to Vancouver for a clinic. I'll be doing two clinics in Canada this year."
For more information about Heartland Horseshoeing School, visit: www.heartlandhorseshoeing.com. For information about Worshipful Company of Farriers, visit: www.wcf.org.uk. For American Farriers Association, visit: www.americanfarriers.org
Hosted by Daniel Bishop
By Nancy Brannon
Certified Farrier (CF) Daniel Bishop hosted a horseshoeing and metalworking clinic with Cody Gregory of Heartland Horseshoeing School at his farm in Moscow, TN November 6-7. Cody is the youngest Certified Journeyman Farrier (CJF) in the world.
Farriers from around the mid-south area came to watch and learn from the talented 18-year-old. They included: CJF Lim Couch-Horseshoers Hall of Fame; Richard Peel-CJF, JJ Bryant, Alan Vermillion-CF, Stacy Stewart, Mike Ward, Rowdy Childers, Jay Morris-CJF, Aaron Nelson, Harold Elder, James Denton, and Corbin Reynolds.
Stockhoffs Horseshoes & Supplies of LaGrange, KY brought a store of horseshoeing supplies and hoofcare products. Founded in 1863, Stockhoffs is one of the oldest family businesses in the country. "We're older than Ford. We sold supplies to blacksmiths to outfit horses in the Civil War," said Molly Pappas, President.
Cody began Saturday's clinic by making a pair of concave front shoes. The rim shoe is often used for eventers, foxhunters, barrel racing horses. Then he made a bevel cob shoe, one of the qualifying shoes required by the American Farriers Association certification. It is a show shoe and he nailed it on one of the Friesian mares at the farm. "The whole outside of the shoe is beveled so when it is nailed on, it looks like an extension of the horse's hoof," Cody explained. He also made several keg shoe modifications for everyday use, like toe clips, quarter clips, rocker toe, square toe, extended heels, and trailer. He finished by making a 3/4 fullered shoe and a pair of forge tongs. On Sunday he "warmed up" by making a pair of concave front shoes.
Cody was "raised around horseshoeing; it's part of my life," he said. Both his dad and mom are horse shoers at Heartland Horse Shoeing. "But I put a lot of work into getting where I am; it didn't all just come to me." He passed the first American Farriers Association certification when he was 14 years old. He had to shoe a horse (two feet) with keg shoes in one hour; he had to make a shoe display; and he had to pass a written exam to be certified. Then he went on to become a Certified Journeyman. That required him to shoe a horse (four feet) with hand mades n toe clip front shoes and quarter clip hind shoes - in two hours. He had to make a 3/4 fullered straight bar shoe to a pattern in 35 minutes. Then he had to pass an 80-question written exam. He passed all this at age 15.
Now he's working on the AWCF, Associate Worshipful Company of Farriers, exam. The only remaining part he must pass is theory. "There are only about 33 or 34 FWCFs (Fellow Worshipful Company of Farriers) in the world and my dad is a FWCF," Cody proudly said. His goal is to become one, too.
"I love both parts, shoeing and forging work," Cody said. "I can't imagine doing anything else." He also does quite a bit of traveling. "I was on the road 27 weeks last year. This year I'm leaving two days before Thanksgiving to go to Brazil to do a clinic. I'll be in Sorocaba in the southwestern portion of Sao Paulo. After the clinic, my dad and I will float the Amazon. Then we fly from Brazil to Vancouver for a clinic. I'll be doing two clinics in Canada this year."
For more information about Heartland Horseshoeing School, visit: www.heartlandhorseshoeing.com. For information about Worshipful Company of Farriers, visit: www.wcf.org.uk. For American Farriers Association, visit: www.americanfarriers.org
