Farrier Blacksmith Information

A farrier blacksmith is one who works exclusively on horse. His work involved the fabrication horse shoes and fitting them to the hooves of horse. Besides the blacksmith art, he is required to have a detailed understanding of equine hoof care and to enable him to make and shape the right shoe for a particular horse.

The fist blacksmiths in the country were general purpose blacksmiths who could and did undertake all kind of forge work in the settlements they lived in. Since the horse was the main means of transportation and the power for agricultural keeping the horse shod so they could continue to work was of vital importance. Although making horse shoes was, in comparison to the other more complex work the blacksmith did, a simple process, it still required an understanding to the forging and shaping procedure and could not be done by a layman. A badly fitting she could not just fall off, it could injure the horse.

As the population of the country began to move westward, there was a need for blacksmiths to move along with the population to keep the horses shod and the wagons in good repair. Since the migration took months and sometimes years, the question of a fully equipped forge shop did not arise. Not was there enough work for a full time experienced blacksmith. This necessity for basic blacksmith services using the minimum of equipment, gave rise to the part time blacksmith who was one of the settlers and who had another occupation, usually that of farming. This person would be able to undertake the basic blacksmith work that was needed to keep the wagon trains moving.

Once the migrants reached their destination and settlements sprang up, the need for more advanced and diverse blacksmith skills to provide the implements for farming and construction was needed. In many cases the part time blacksmith found that taking it up as a full time occupation was a profitable way of earning his living. Developing on his basic blacksmithing skills he opened a full fledged forge shop to serve the needs of the growing community. But, irrespective of the other work he did, one of his main functions was to keep the horses shod and this remained the major part of his work and so he became a farrier blacksmith.

Since the farrier blacksmith specialized in horses hooves, he also came to understand the various problems and injuries that could occur there and soon became a part time horse doctor whom the owner could consult about any problems relating to the horses hooves. This remains till today. The modern farrier work exclusively on making and fitting horse shoes. But he must be able to understand the conditions of the hoof and know if there are any problems there that need treatment or if a special shoe is required.

While the history of the farrier blacksmith gores back a few hundred years in this country, the origins of the trade go back to the 11th century and the Norman conquest of Britain. It appears that a Norman nobleman, Henry de Farrariis came to Britain with the invading army and William the Conqueror put him in charge of the care the horse and so it is from his name that the word farrier originates.