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Dixie's Farrier Service

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Week 12 Cultural Exchange update: On the last leg

Week 12 Cultural Exchange update: On the last leg of my journey. This week has been spent staying with Gary Darlow. Gary has been a leader in the farrier industry for some time in competition, and training other farriers. Getting time in the forge with Gary working on my shoe making as well as striking for him to make tool and fuller shoes has been great. During the week I have had a chance to work with a variety of other fantastic farriers in the area including a day with @russel597 who I had stayed with seven weeks ago. I was also able to spend a great couple days with Sam Johnson AWCF. Rounding out the week I got to spend a day out shoeing with @lgb_tools, an extremely talented farrier and tool maker who is extremely giving of himself and his time. Saturday I got a chance to head to Leon's forge to make a couple hammers. Leon's skill and patient instruction means I may have a new hobby / obsession when I get back.
#farrier

Week 11 Cultural Exchange update: It has been a we

Week 11 Cultural Exchange update: It has been a week of moving around. Last week I had been near Perth in the southeast of Scotland with the plan being to go back south into England so I could begin working my way back to Manchester and a flight home. Due to a variety of issues, the hosts further south or west weren't able to take me at the time so on Saturday evening I headed back north. A couple great days back with @cliffbarnes5 AWCF then stayed a couple nights with Jason Cunningham AWCF and a day with @cjcarrelfarriery AWCF before getting to spend a wonderful couple days with Sarah Logie FWCF. A 7 hour bus ride took me down near Manchester where I am now with Gary Darlow.
While this week was certainly not normal with so many moves (Saturday morning to Saturday night will be 5 different beds and 6 farriers) it was absolutely fantastic to see friends again when I thought I had left them behind for now.

Looking forward to getting back under clients' horses in a couple weeks when I get back.

Week 10 Cultural Exchange update: Another good wee

Week 10 Cultural Exchange update: Another good week in Scotland this time staying with @rbchalmers6 DipWCF in the Perth and Kinross area. Neil has decades of experience shoeing a variety of horses and had some excellent insights to share on most aspects of trimming and shoeing. While in the area, Neil was able to arrange for me to spend a day with @lewis_tee DipWCF shoeing polo ponies. Also, I got to spend an insightful day with Jim Ferrie FWCF who provided valuable insights as well as good advice on preparing for the AWCF exam. This week has also been the start of scheduling clients for when I return home. With only a few weeks left it is going by quickly but will also be nice to get back to my clients and horses at home to implement all that I am learning. While this has been a fantastic experience, at the end of the day it is all for the horses I work on at home.
Clients, if we have not already connected about getting your horses back on schedule, please reach out through email or social media. (I won't receive texts till I am back)

#culturalexchange #alwayslearning #farrier

Week 9 Cultural Exchange update: Another fantastic

Week 9 Cultural Exchange update: Another fantastic week in Scotland. Monday was another great day of shoeing with Jason Cunningham AWCF. Tuesday was spent with another farrier on the Black Isle, @cjcarrelfarriery AWCF working on highland ponies used for stalking on an estate. Wednesday I was with Jason again shoeing at @balmoral_castle working on both stalking ponies and broodmares and stallions that belong to the king. After Balmoral, we drove to @cliffbarnes5 AWCF's house where I stayed for the rest of the week. Cliff was yet another extremely insightful host. We had lots of great conversations including advice on preparing for the AWCF. There were a few interesting cases to see as well such as a wire cut that took off a chunk of a horse's heel after getting caught in a fence. In addition to the great advice and feedback on my work, we were able to have fun as well in the short time I was there. Some wonderful meals, beautiful scenery, a @theglenlivetdistillery tour, watching Highland games, seeing King Charles, and a beautiful hike. For this week I am extremely grateful to Jason and Shona and Cliff and @michellecliffbarnes for hosting me. After a lovely Sunday morning with Cliff and Michelle, I was handed off to @rbchalmers6 who I will be spending the next week with.
#farrier #farrierlife

Week 8 Cultural Exchange update: A fantastic week

Week 8 Cultural Exchange update: A fantastic week with Jason Cunningham AWCF and his partner Shona, full of good conversations and a nice mix of work along with getting to see parts of Scotland and learning more about the history of the area. Sunday was a trip along Loch Ness to Fort Augustus then on to Fort William on the Western side of Scotland. Monday we did a bit of shoemaking before going out to trim Tuesday and Wednesday were full days of shoeing that offered great insights. Thursday we headed south to attend the @blairhorsetrials. A fantastic day of watching eventers on the cross country course, meeting a variety of people including another couple farriers as well as getting to watch the Highland ponys breed show where Shona took first in her class with a filly she bred. Friday was more shoe making including getting introduced to the concave caulk and feather, a traditional Scottish shoe, as well as exploring the Culloden battlefield and learning more about Scottish history. Saturday was a trip northward along the east coast all the way to John O' Groats in the far northeast. Sunday brought a good day of rest as well as getting to meet Sarah Logie FWCF who has just published a fantastic new book. Regardless of what else went on, every day was full of thought provoking conversations.

#culturalexchange #farrier #scotland #farrierlife #blairinternationalhorsetrials

Week 7 Cultural Exchange update: Yet another fanta

Week 7 Cultural Exchange update: Yet another fantastic week with a few moves. On Sunday night Derek and I met up with @rosscraw who had just completed the Tour de Farrier bike ride and I headed north with Ross stopping for the night in Glasgow before continuing on to Aberdeenshire on the East coast of Scotland. On the trip up we had some great conversations on shoeing and running a business with a good work/life balance. While I originally thought I was staying with Ross for the week I found out 45 minutes before we stopped I was actually going to be dropped off at a barn with Jason Sim AWCF, who I had met during the AGM several weeks ago. The week with Jason was full of good conversations and shoeing a variety of horses. Discussions ranging from foot balance to shoe selection to grip/purchase, the AWCF, technological advances in farriery and much more. I also got to meet and work with some of Jason's past apprentices including a nice day working with Sam and Jemma before a good meal out with Jason, Jemma, and Tom. After work Friday we drove further north west where I met and stayed the night with Cliff Barnes AWCF. After a wonderful meal and conversation we shod a couple horses in the morning before a beautiful drive into the Highland region where we met with Jason Cunningham AWCF with whom I will be staying for the week just north of Inverness.

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