For nearly a year now I have become acquainted with horses. Who knew?? Although there is no way I could own a horse, I really love these large animals and I have been gifted with friends who don't mind me tagging along or hanging out at their barns to figure out if I'm allergic or afraid..apparently, I am neither!!
One of the farriers has a forge connected to a fuel tank in his mobile set up. When he fires it up, the horses get nervous and I could see the ears perked and pinned back, flared nostrils and "smoke" coming out from them..eventually, maybe they get used to the noise..it sounds like a large engine warming up! The horse shoes are heated up in the forge and then shaped on the anvil to custom fit each hoof. I'm thinking we wouldn't like this kind of a HOT pedicure, and neither do the horses..when the shoe is applied to the hoof, there is a smoking and burning smell similar to that human-hair-in-the-flames scent! The hoof is shaped to the shoe, then the horse walks around and the farrier checks to see the fit and the gait of the horse to make sure everything is in balance. All in a day's work, I guess. My job? Hang onto the horse, keep it still and calm throughout the process!
I think they just hand me the lead the way in old movies they tell the guy to go boil some hot water for the birthing--busy work to keep you outta the way! Ha!
Reminds me also of when I got my ears pierced by a girlfriend--after the needle went through the first ear I almost chickened out on the second one. The horses have to go through 4 hooves!! They were all really good girls today!!
