Putting the shoe on the other foot
John Hopewood of Fountain Hill has been a farrier for the past eight years, a vocation he began after completing an apprenticeship under a friend.
Hopewood travels to riding clubs and equestrian centers throughout the Lehigh Valley to care for the feet of different types of horses. He says that prior to becoming a farrier, he'd never worked with horses. Now he says his favorite part of the job is ''meeting interesting people and horses.''
To care for a horse's hoof, Hopewood must remove the shoe, clean and trim the hoof, remold the shoe and then nail it back on. The process is not painful for the horse, although they can feel the work being done, he says.
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