No one ever says farrier on the backstrecth. When a horse's feet need attention, trainers call their shoer, or for old timers, possibly their plater. Regardless of your choice of terms, it's the same occupation and at Northern California racetracks, that man is Denny Francis. He was kind enough to find some time to talk about his job and a few of the different shoes worn by the racehorses we love.
If you have any questions about horseshoes or a shoers duties, send me a note or leave a comment and I'll ask. If you're feeling particularly ambitions, send a video question a la the recent YouTube presidential debates and I'll splice it in with the response.
**here's a slightly higher res version for those that prefer windows media files.
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8 comments:
pogues man, that band is awesome. Great video, keep em coming
Interestingly, we noticed that in KY they don't call them shoer or farrier, they call them "blacksmith". I found this charmingly "old timey".
There's nothing in the world more valuable than a good shoer...a bad one can end a racing career if his errors aren't caught and remedied quickly.
do you use different shoes if you race on grass? he mentioned muddy trakcs but what about firm or soft turf?
Thanks for sharing Brad--I too met this man at Miyadi's barn while shoeing one of my horses; he's really a nice guy, I asked questions too! It's amazing how quickly he works on the horse's feet, and how calm the horse is during the ordeal.
Very cool! (and luv the Pogues :)
@hr & val, yep, dig the pogues. busting out with country blues on that just would have been too cliche, even if it was my first inclination.
@j, y'know, i did notice that at farms and tracks in KY. good ear, you.
@ bb, i dunno, but i'll ask.
@trakgal, yeah, it was shocking to me how the horses are so relaxed with him. a cool cat, denny is.
I am in awe of your cinematography and again your soundtrack sucks me into the experience. One question, did you direct the Z Z Top like character in the background? He seems strategically placed throughout the video and really adds a lot of character to the piece. great work Brad, keep pumping out that unique content ! ! !
Thanks, john. No, we did not direct that fella in any way. However, you are not the only one to inquire about him. I asked my brother to fill out the story, so look for follow up shortly.
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