Mullins Farrier Podcast

Today I have the pleasure of talking with Jonathan Nunn, FWCF. With over 34 years of farriery experience, Jonathan Nunn FWCF is based in Staffordshire England and has a multi farrier practice covering all aspects of farriery. Jon personally specialises in veterinary remedial work and performance horses nowadays. After many successful years in competitive farriery in the UK and internationally, Jon's simple, practical approach to horseshoeing is what he believes is key to maintaining soundness and good balance in the horses he trims and shoes. Jon attained his Fellowship of the Worshipful Company of Farrier's in 2017. As an examiner for the Worshipful Company of Farriers Jon is ever aware for the need to educate and share knowledge and techniques and is very much involved in educational events, regularly tutoring those wishing to attain higher farriery examinations. Jon was a late starter in the competition circuits as family life was a priority for him whilst his three children were younger and didn't start to compete again until he was aged 39, although he has always remained active in farriery education and competition organising. He met one of his mentors and friend Grant Moon who lived nearby and they forged and competed together at many national and international contests including the Calgary Stampede, winning rookie 2010, pot luck forging 2011 and 1st place in the World four-man draft team in 2013 and achieved top five in the World Championship also that year. From these practical experiences in competition, the learning curve was steep and fast and Jon has seized every opportunity to compete and further his knowledge of farriery. He now travels as a clinician representing Werkman Hoofcare and is involved with his own farrier tool making products with his son Josh Nunn Jonathan is the co-founder and chairman of The Farriers Foundation which is a registered charity which supports farriers and their families that have been injured or become ill and require financial help in times of hardship. Jon and his wife Sara run the charity from home with the help of five further trustees and run many events to support the charity which relies on donations and farrier fundraising activities.

In this episode, I speak with Russel J Floyd AWCF. Russell was born and grew up on Vancouver Island in the small town of Honeymoon Bay. He had a love for horses and the outdoors since he was old enough to walk. He went to Old's College farrier program in Alberta right out of High School and then attended an apprenticeship program with a farrier on the Island shoeing the Island carriage horses. Being in his early 20's at this time he searched for work and got on with an outfitter. This led to the next 10 years of guiding Big Game Hunts, Guiding Pack Trips and Instructing Guide Schools. Listening to the advice of a business mentor he started his own farrier practice in Prince George, which is just about in the middle of British Columbia, a place that is just about as wild as it can get. Pursuing certifications and competitions he recently just completed his Associate Worshipful Company of Farriers and is gearing up for this year's WCB finals in Las Vegas. He runs a successful farrier practice alongside his beautiful wife, Anya.

Live from the Ontario Farriers Convention in Orangeville Ontario, September 2019

Barney Cummings APF has been a horseshoer for over 40 years and has travelled extensively to do his craft including a time as the team farrier for Team Canada.

Barney is a member of the Foot for Thought team and has endeavoured to educate horse owners over the years. In serving his passion for ongoing education, Barney has produced a series of web-hosted educational videos to inform the horse enthusiast. Barney is a member of the AAPF and the AFA and the OFA and takes advantage of the continuing education opportunities these associations provide.

Barney was one of the first farriers in Ontario to set up a multi-farrier practice. He now works with his son but at one time had many members to his practice which is the main focus of this episode.

What you might not know is that Barney is also a recording artist and obviously a multi-talented fellow. I have learned a lot from the interview and hope you do too. Enjoy!

In this episode, I sit down with Certified Journeyman Farrier Andrew DeVisser from Paris, Ontario, Canada. I was fortunate to have spent the entire day with Andrew prior to this interview where we discussed everything from shoeing theory and practices to business insights and methods. I hope you enjoy this interview as much as I did.

Andrew DeVisser shoes primarily hunter/jumpers along with a healthy dose of Fox hunters and eventing horses. He has been shoeing for 10.5 years, attended Butler Professional Farrier School and served an apprenticeship under Leo Chapman of Milton, Ontario. He has always worked towards improving his skills through competition and certification. Through a lot of hard work Andrew was able to pass his CJF at the age of 23. Andrew continues to compete as time allows with 4 kids at home. Andrew loves shoeing horses and has taken a special interest in the business side of shoeing horses.

Andrew is giving a business talk at the Ontario Farriers Convention this upcoming weekend September 26 – 28, 2019 in Orangeville, Ontario

In this episode, I want to touch on a subject that is very important to me. As the Summer season draws to a close I know that many of us are experiencing some degree of burnout. I figured this would be a good issue to address and give some tips and tricks on burnout that have come from some of our guests so far and based on personal research and experience.

To close out this episode we are fortunate to have Jarrod Morris allow us to play the single from his latest album West of East. Enjoy listening to Coyote. Jarrod is a fellow farrier and musician. Jarrod's Facebook pages describes him as "a Country/Americana songwriter that writes about his authentic experiences so that his music to be relatable & relevant to his listeners. Writing is the core of Jarrod's music. He believes when you write a song, you have a deeper connection to the music. As he says, "Something very special happens there." Jarrod doesn't want to be pigeonholed into any one genre. His music is anything he likes to play with a nice melody and an original hook. No fluff– just raw and real, with a little grit."

Jarrod Morris – Website

Jarrod Morris – Facebook

Jarrod Morris – Twitter

Jarrod Morris – iTunes

Jarrod Morris – Instagram

Permission to use Coyote granted by ©Jarrod Morris Music

In this episode, I sit down with Andrea Dubé DVM. When we first met, I was immediately impressed by Andrea. She is an equine veterinarian who currently practices in the Greater Toronto Area of Ontario, Canada. Dr. Dubé is one of the masterminds of our local Foot For Thought Veterinarian/Farrier Group, a colleague and friend.

Dr. Andrea Dubé is a 2007 graduate of Atlantic Veterinary College in P.E.I. After interning at New England Equine Practice in Patterson, NY she remained as an associate for 4 ½ years, practicing predominantly sport horse medicine, thoroughbred and warmblood breeding and geriatrics; working both in the hospital and on the road. From there, she returned briefly to the Maritimes where she enjoyed the company of cows, standardbred broodmares and draft horses. Subsequently, Andrea moved back to New York and practiced at Mid-Hudson Veterinary Practice in Carmel for 2 years in predominantly sport horse practice and reproduction before returning to her roots here in Canada. Dr. Dubé's passion is breeding (including mare and foal medicine) followed closely by sport horse practice and geriatric medicine.

I hope you enjoy this as much as I did!

Today, I'm speaking with Ray Matthews. Before meeting Ray, I only knew him by his reputation of being the expert on trimming foals. This was because of his time spent as the resident farrier at Windfield's Farm in Oshawa, Ontario. Windfield's was a giant thoroughbred breeding operation that had over 700 horses at its peak. Through his time there, Ray's focus was on improving the rotational and angular limb deformities that would inevitably come up in a breeding operation of that size. I finally got to meet Ray in person at a Foot for Thought clinic we held this spring where he imparted much of his wisdom on an engaged crowd of roughly 50 farriers and vets. I was so impressed with his presentation that I felt many other farriers needed to hear the lessons Ray shared with us so I approached him with my idea of doing an interview.

Several months later we found ourselves at the same horse show for a short window of time, so we quickly organized a sit-down. A great farrier and friend Mark Struthers and his partner Lauren Hunkin of Synergy Farm were gracious enough to lend us their dressing room, so please pardon all of the horse show noise is going on in the background. I think you will find that they added some great ambience to the conversation.

Ray started shoeing in 1970 and spent 12 years shoeing mixed breeds from quarter horses to gaited horses. Then he was hired on as the resident farrier at Windfields farm where he was responsible for up to 750 horses during each breeding season. His main focus was the foals through two yearlings for the sales. He became a CJF in 1984 and then an AFA examiner for about 12 years. After three years as the resident farrier at Windfield's, he went back to private practice but still retained Windfields as a client at their request. In the mid-nineties, he moved to the U.S. for a year and then settled in the Hudson/St Lazare area of Quebec where he shod mostly dressage horses. He has done some lecturing, consulting and clinics over the years. He started to cut back on his workload about 15 years ago and now he was fully retired. As I suspected Ray had a lot of great advice to share in our conversation. Even the horse in the stall behind us seemed to get excited a time or two punctuating Ray's good points with it loud whinny. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.

In this episode I sit down with Sara Vanderpol, CJF. I have run into Sara many times over the years at shoeing competitions, clinics and conventions. Each time she had a new credential with the AFA or had stepped up into the Open Category or she had just made the Canadian Farrier's Team or she had just come back from working in the UK. On and on she just kept setting the bar higher and higher for her peers. I was always inspired and admittedly sometimes jealous of her achievements and her neverending search for another challenge.

Sara began her career in 2011 and currently operates her business out of Elora, Ontario and shoes dressage horses, hunters and pleasure horses.

Recommended Books and Links:

Edward Martin Cultural Exchange – Travis Vern Powell

Most Gifted Book: Gregory's Textbook Of Farriery by Chris Gregory

Favourite Work Boots: Wolverine

Favourite Rasp: Heller XL legend Lime green

Dream Farrier Rig: Stonewell Full Body

Favourite Rounding Hammer: Derek Gardner 2 1/4 lb hammer with gamma tennis wrap

Favourite Bar Stock: 3/8 X 1

Gas or Diesel Truck: Gas

Favourite Pastime: sleep

Next On Your Bucket List: Find enjoyment in other things in life outside of horses.

Favourite Brand Of Keg Shoe: Kerckhaert DF

Leather or Synthetic Pad: leather

Favourite Type Of Horse To Work On: A good one!

Ideal # Of Horses To Shoe All Around In One Day: 3 or 4

Favourite Anvil: Round Horn Legend 120 lb

Favourite Quote: none

Accounting Software: pencil and paper

Favourite Jeans: Silvers

Favourite App: text messages

Preferred Social Media Platform: Facebook

Favourite Drink: Sommersby strawberry kiwi cider

Brand of Phone: iPhone 5s

Do You Have Injury Insurance? Not yet

Planner: paper day planner

Method To Soothe Aches And Pains: yoga

Favourite Music: Heavy metal and rock /classical or pop

Do You Workout? Yoga

Do You Meditate? In the truck while I drive

What Would You Have Been If Not A Farrier? Veterinarian

Today I am speaking with Dave Farley. Dave is a well known and sought after farrier in the Sporthorse world. He is also well known and respected in the farrier world as a generous educator. Many a farrier and vet have ridden in the truck with Dave and his son Jay for a day of mentorship. I met Dave over dinner in Wellington one night and I was amazed at how much information he shared. He imparted upon me decades of knowledge for the mere cost of a dinner at Chilli's. Dave's passion for the job started when he was just 7 years old when he visited the local Blacksmith and Coal Mine Tool Maker shop in 1961. By thirteen he was nailing on shoes. In the seventies, he took over a Farrier Shop at the county fairgrounds in Coshocton, Ohio where he worked on Standardbreds. On the recommendation of a veterinarian named Dr. Gable, he then started working at Ohio State University as the resident farrier. Then in the eighties, as the standardbred industry started to dwindle he started working on Hunter/Jumper and Dressage horses in Columbus, Ohio. His quest for knowledge has never dwindled and he credits his first two mentors Mr. Fritz Bookman and Mr. Frank McGinnis for instilling in him this desire to learn and to pass it on.

Dave's list of accomplishments is long, so here are just a few of many:

• Past Resident Farrier at Ohio State University
• Farrier Instructor at Otterbein College
• Farrier for the American Quarter Horse Congress
• First Official Farrier of the National Reining Horse Association
• American Farriers Association "Clinician of the Year"
• Founding member of the North East Association of Equine Practitioners
• Founding Member of both the American Association of Professional Farriers and of the International Association of Professional Farriers as well as past president of both
• Member of the International Horseshoeing Hall of Fame
• He has also shod several horses competing in several Olympic Games

I was very excited to have the opportunity to interview Dave. He has a lot of well-earned wisdom we all could benefit from. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.

So let's get to it….

Today I'm speaking with Cathy Lesperance. Cathy shoes many high-level sport horses in Ontario, Canada. Her clients have flown her far wide, to such places as Florida and Alberta to service their horses. She is 56 years old and lives with her partner Renee and their two very large dogs. She has loved horses since she could remember. She owned, rode and showed horses for years, from barrel racing to reining to eventing. She started her shoeing career in 1981 by apprenticing with Pat Cullen who is now deceased. She later apprenticed with Larry Lesperance, who she then married 7 years later. Larry set out on another career of running a group home for troubled boys and Cathy took over the shoeing business. It was a very scary time for her, but she still had Larry for his support and expertise. They later divorced when she was 36 as the group home life had taken a toll on their relationship. Cathy's mentor over the past several decades has been and still is Dave Farley. As I'm sure will become very apparent in the interview, Cathy is a genuinely kind, intelligent, and funny human being. She has a lot of experience that she graciously shares and her brutal honesty is both comedic and endearing.

Now let's get to it…