about

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My story began when I was a young boy. I was very lucky to have spent my childhood down at our family stables in Wirral. Most days were spent with our horses - Minstrel (cob) who was my horse and Ross (Arab) who was my sisters and mums horse. I used to love galloping on the beach at Meols / Hoylake and the occasional fun show.

I used to watch the farrier working with our horses and I was very interested in becoming a farrier from the age of 8 years old. It began with my love for horses, I simply wanted to have a job working with horses and the only job that interested me was being a Farrier. I was very interested in the metalwork side of becoming a Farrier and working with the forge and heating up metal seemed very exciting.

Upon completing my school years at Hilbre Humanities College, I then worked for a short period at the family scrap yard business where I learnt many skills and learned to drive passing my test shortly after turning 17. Passing my driving test was the beginning of my Farriery journey as it enabled me to enrol on the pre Farriery course down at Moreton Morrell Warwickshire.

The pre farrier course was a full year living on campus and traveling home at the weekend sometimes getting lost along the way (no sat navs then). I learnt how to work safely with the Coke and Gas forges in college, we learnt skills forging different metalwork pieces like shackles, hooks and fire pokers. Once we were ready we took the forging exam where we would make some pieces to be examined, after passing this and receiving my forging certificate I could then approach a Training Farrier to take me on for my apprenticeship.

My apprenticeship was over 4 years long working along side an approved training farrier. I would attend college twice a year for 3/4 weeks at a time. In college we would learn all the anatomy and conditions that affect the lower limb to help us learn how to create a shoeing plan for common issues relating to the hooves. In the forge we would start to learn how to measure hooves, pick the correct steel and cut to size. We would learn how to forge many different types of shoes and learn how to fit and nail on safely. College was strict and I am glad, if you were not up to speed you would simply be sent home to practice. College was tough but I had some good tutors that helped me achieve my 1st Diploma of the Worshipful Company of Farriers in 2009.

See all of my most recent work and daily life as a farrier on Facebook and Instagram.

https://www.facebook.com/tom.clothier.77/

https://www.instagram.com/tomclothierfarrier/?hl=en-gb