Mullins Farrier Podcast

Welcome everyone. Before we start today, I wanted to have a discussion about mental health. Just this summer in Ontario, we had two farriers take their own lives. Over the relatively brief time that I've been a farrier, this has occurred far too many times. I know from discussions I've had with many of my friends and peers that it does seem to be getting tougher out there. My friend Mike Mehak wrote a very well worded Facebook post about how it's the people, not the horses, who make this job so tough. These are Mike's words. The people are what cause us to put a tremendous amount of stress upon ourselves. The people are the ones who have unrealistic expectations, who assign blame, who bring on guilt. I couldn't agree more. I have experienced a great deal more of this in my own practice this year, and while I am extremely fortunate to have a full book of fantastic clients, unfortunately, it's the minority of squeaky wheels who have made themselves stand out. This time of year with show season peaking, and horses breaking, the tensions are high. For farriers and vets, it feels like we are constantly being bombarded from all sides. Mike's post offers a solution that he has come up with and that is social engagement - going to clinics, courses, certifications. He says it's not just the learning that he's there for, it's the camaraderie and conversation. There truly is something about being able to converse about our shared experiences that thwarts the feelings of isolation. As someone who has struggled personally with mental health issues for most of my life, the loss of any of my peers really hits close to home. There is nothing wrong with seeking professional help. I myself have used a therapist for many years. Sometimes you need more than a fellow farrier's ear. Sometimes you need to call in the pros. The people who've been trained to listen and to help you come up with solutions. You'd be surprised how many of your peers have already gone this route. Now, I'd like to ask you all to do me a favour. We can all think of someone, a farrier or vet, who has seemed a little distant lately, someone you suspect has been having a difficult time. Please reach out to these people and ask how they're doing, but not in the surface stuff niceties way. Really ask them. We're all in this together and we can be a source of support for each other. When I say take care of yourselves and each other out there, this is exactly what I'm talking about. All this said, there is an event coming up soon that many of your peers will be at, The BFBA Focus 2024 and the Stoneleigh International. There will be tons of vendors, lectures, demos, and a world class competition all in one place and all in one weekend at the end of September, Go to https://www.forgeandfarrier.co.uk/event/bfba-focus-2024/ to register. I met today's guest at that very event last year, and we sat down and had a chat. As you will hear, no dust settles on Jim, and resting on laurels is just not his style. We discuss his time competing for the Welsh team during the record breaking streak at Stoneleigh, his multi farrier practice, and, of course, his world renowned tool and farrier supply business. The theme of independence runs strongly through Jim's entire story, and I bet you'll be as inspired as I was by the end of it. It was a genuine pleasure getting to know this man. I hope you enjoy the conversation as much as I did. Here is a link to sign up to the monthly subscription and the process is fairly simple. Once you subscribe you will receive an email that allows you to open the feed in your preferred podcast player. https://mullinsfarrier.supercast.com/ Visit https://www.mullinsfarrier.com/ for more information. If you have any issues please email [email protected]

Welcome everyone! A little shopkeeping before we start. The BFBA's Focus and the Stoneleigh International are coming up at the end of this month. If you haven't already heard my most recent episode on the 2022 Focus and International, give that one a listen and it'll give you a pretty good idea as to what you can expect over there. Both are truly world class events and definitely worth attending. This will be my third year in a row heading out there and I find myself just as excited now as I was on the first trip. Go to www.forgeandfarrier.co.uk for more details. I hope to see you there. Just a reminder that my friend Brandon Paulson, with his passion project Shod With Love, will be hosting an upcoming event. Shod With Love is a foundation dedicated to assisting individuals pursuing an education in hoof care. They aim to generate funding through events and donations to provide financial aid for farrier schools and certifications. Shod With Love's first event will be a clinic and contest this October 11th and 12th with the legendary Mike Poe. Enjoy the crisp fall weather and beautiful foliage in the upper valley of New Hampshire while learning and competing amongst your peers. Visit www.shodwithlove.com for more details. Now I should say that I first met Brandon Paulson in the Heartland during his journey to achieve his certified farrier certification with the AFA. Brandon is just one of the many cool people that I have met through doing that journey myself and that certification process exists due to the mostly unrecognized efforts and sacrifices of many folks like the gentleman you're about to hear. Craig Stark is the Chairman of the Certification Committee of the AFA and I got to spend some quality time with Craig and his wife, Emily down in Mexico during Vern Powell's Puerto Vallarta clinic. We bonded pretty quickly over conversations about mountain biking and certification and I had a great time getting to know them both. As the clinic was drawing to a close, Craig and I found a somewhat quiet corner and had this chat. I hope you enjoy the conversation as much as I did. Here is a link to sign up to the monthly subscription and the process is fairly simple. Once you subscribe you will receive an email that allows you to open the feed in your preferred podcast player. https://mullinsfarrier.supercast.com/ Visit https://www.mullinsfarrier.com/ for more information. If you have any issues please email [email protected]

Welcome, everyone. We are less than a month away from the BFBA's Focus Convention and the International at Stoneleigh. It's not too late to pre order your tickets online, and I highly recommend doing so after bearing witness to the record long queues last year for people who waited to purchase theirs at the event. I've been told that protocols have been put in place to help shorten those queues. But it's still quicker to use the online option. As I'm sure you've already heard by now, the podcast has moved to a subscription based platform, but this episode will be released in its entirety for everyone. The following is a compilation of all the audio I collected on my first visit to the to the 2022 Focus and Stoneleigh International. It was an incredible experience, to say the least. So much so, that I am returning for my third trip this year. My goal of this episode is to give you some insight as to what the experience is like. As well as some background on what goes on behind the scenes to make everything happen. You'll hear many interviews with core members of the BFBA who work diligently year round to ensure that both events go off without a hitch. I was so impressed by what I saw that I am a paid member of this organization myself. I would encourage you to do the same. There are many benefits to being a member of the BFBA, and now one of those exclusive benefits is having access to two free months of the paid feed of the podcast, which roughly equals to four free episodes when you sign up for the BFBA. Now, admittedly the audio format makes it difficult to give you an idea of what the full experience of the Stoneleigh International and Focus are all about, but I'm going to give it the Boy Scouts try. I hope you enjoy these conversations. As much as I did. Get Your Tickets Here: https://webcollect.org.uk/bfba/event/bfba-focus-2024 BFBA Memberships: https://www.forgeandfarrier.co.uk/membership/ Here is a link to sign up for the monthly subscription and the process is fairly simple. Once you subscribe you will receive an email that allows you to open the feed in your preferred podcast player. https://mullinsfarrier.supercast.com/ Visit https://www.mullinsfarrier.com/ for more information. If you have any issues please email [email protected]

Today's guest is a mover and shaker in the farrier world whose efforts have received a lot of well deserved attention this past year. She's a brand ambassador for Mustad and recently had a feature article about her in the Equine Living in the Bluegrass magazine. Last year, Meghan traveled to Puerto Vallarta, Mexico as one of the clinicians in Vern Powell's crew. It was here that I was finally able to sit down with this ambitious woman to have a chat. Please excuse the constant construction noises in the background. This was the quietest spot we could find on the resort at the time. As usual, the crew at Canopy River were busy making the resort bigger and better than the year previous. As you will hear, Meghan is the type of person who has found her purpose through helping others, whether it be through her first career as a social worker or her second helping horses. Throughout the interview and the Perto Vallarta trip, it was a great opportunity to get to know Meghan and what she's all about. A devoted mother and a passionate farrier, she somehow achieves the balance with humor and grace. I hope you enjoy this conversation as much as I did. Here is a link to sign up to the monthly subscription and the process is simple. Once you subscribe you will receive an email that allows you to open the feed in your preferred podcast player. https://mullinsfarrier.supercast.com/ Visit https://www.mullinsfarrier.com/ for more information. If you have any issues please email [email protected]

Today's guest, is another gentleman from across the pond. You probably heard Haydn mentioned before quite fondly by Ben Benson in his episode. Haydn has even been a guest as a panelist from a discussion I recorded at Focus a couple of years back. I've had several folks explain to me the influence that Hayden has had on the farrier trade in the UK. I believe our Tech Bro counterparts in the Silicon Valley would refer to him as a disruptor. He took some traditionally held precepts about shoeing and flipped them on their head. You'll hear him discuss a few of these in his own words in the following conversation. Clearly his methodology worked as he eventually went on to be the lead consultant farrier for 20 years to the British Equestrian Federation. He served as the lead farrier for Team GB, whose results on the world equestrian stage have spoken for themselves. Haydn is one of those folks whose energy is contagious and his passion for what he does is palpable. We covered a lot of ground but I feel like we could have done a whole other interview and maybe we will someday. I hope you enjoy this conversation as much as I did. This episode marks the first episode of our new subscription feed. Here is a link to sign up for the monthly subscription and the process is simple. Once you subscribe you will receive an email that allows you to open the feed in your preferred podcast player. https://mullinsfarrier.supercast.com/ Our long time supporters at Outwest Design and Fabrication are helping us to provide scholarship subscriptions. If you are a student, apprentice or someone who needs some financial assistance for your subscription, please reach out through the website or Facebook. Visit https://www.mullinsfarrier.com/ for more information. If you have any issues please email [email protected] HOOF BALANCE 3 WEBINAR Live Webinar + Video Recording SPEAKERS: Simon Curtis, Matthew Jones, Mark Trussler, David Nicholls TOPIC: Four methods for foot balance DATE: Wednesday 4 September You get a 30% discount on tickets! There is also a limited number of "Early Bird" price tickets available which will give you a double discount when you use the links in this email. * You must book before the Early Bird end date 21 August to get the double discount * http://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/965840564127/?discount=MULLINS

Welcome everyone. I met today's guest at Stoneleigh at the same time I met one of our previous guests, James Todd. As you will hear, James and Mark are great friends, and I was happy we managed to get both of them in for an interview. It was not planned, but I found it interesting that this guest and our last one both had hard learned lessons about listening to your body when it tells you to settle down a bit. Alan and Mark said that after years of not listening, their bodies made the message clear. Fortunately, with some medical intervention, patience, and next level perseverance, they both have been able to come back to the career they love. I'm sure by now you've noticed a trend in all of the Stoneleigh episodes where everybody seems to mention this Stephen Hill character. He pops up in Mark's story as well and if you haven't already heard his interview, it was released just a couple episodes ago. It was great getting to know Mark, and he shares some fantastic stories spanning his long career as a mentor to many. I hope you enjoy this conversation as much as I did. This marks our last episode before we move to the subscription model. Here is a link to sign up to the monthly subscription and the process is fairly simple. Once you subscribe you will receive an email that allows you to open the feed in your preferred podcast player. https://mullinsfarrier.supercast.com/ If you have any issues please email [email protected]

Welcome, everyone. I first met today's guest at Spruce Meadows in Alberta. I had just arrived at the beautiful and expansive grounds and could not find a single staff member to direct me to Craig's competition tent. Always friendly and eager to help, Alan immediately stood up, and despite being sore from his recent back surgery, led me to where the competition was being held. We had a couple of great conversations that day, and when we met up again in Cincinnati at the Hoof Care Summit, I convinced Alan to do an interview. In it, he shares some really hard earned lessons on taking care of your body, as well as the value of chasing certifications, even if you're well into your career when you start the process. I hope you enjoy the conversation as much as I did. I have to say I've been blown away by the many messages of support I've received in response to my announcement about the podcast moving to a subscription model. We are still setting up the infrastructure, so by next episode I will be able to tell you how to sign up and we'll have links posted on all the socials. As I said before, I don't want someone's financial situation to hinder them from having access to our content. So, if you're an apprentice already barely scraping by, or find yourself in a tough financial spot no matter what stage of your career, please reach out on Facebook Messenger and we will get you access. And as I said before, even after August 12th, all listeners will still have access to the whole catalog of episodes we have published up to that point. Thanks again to everyone for your support in this big change. Your messages were encouraging and exactly what I needed to hear.

Welcome everyone. Stephen Hill FWCF came highly recommended by many farriers in England while I was there for Stoneleigh. Thanks to an introduction from Jamie Hughes, I was able to sit down with him and do this interview. You will notice this common theme from many of the interviews that I did there, wherein the guests and I go into deep detail about certain shoeing concepts. While Stephen alludes to the fact that audio probably isn't the best platform for describing some of these three dimensional concepts, he and many of the other guests are so articulate in describing what they're talking about that it's pretty easy for us to see in our minds what it is they're describing. This is one you're going to want to pause and rewind several times to gather all the information that Stephen shares here. I know I have. This was a lot of fun, and I learned a ton. I hope you enjoy this conversation as much as I did. The show is sponsored by OutWest Designs and Fabrication your choice for Farrier rigs https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100079094490534 Buy The Show A Virtual Coffee: https://ko-fi.com/mullinsfarrierpodcast

I have run into today's guest several times over the years and unfortunately, our exchanges have always been brief. I was looking forward to getting to know Steffi better at Vern Powell's Puerto Vallarta clinic in Mexico, but I missed one trip and she missed the other. We finally connected at last year's Stoneleigh for long enough to be able to sit down and do this interview. As you will hear, Steffi started her shoeing career with very little knowledge and very few tools. Through her ability to network, she found herself a world full of mentors once she set her sights on the certification process through the AFA. It is incredible to hear how much she sacrificed, and how much grit and determination carried her through that process, so that she was eventually able to achieve her CF. She's an inspiration and a force to be reckoned with. I hope you enjoy this conversation as much as I did. The show is sponsored by OutWest Designs and Fabrication your choice for Farrier rigs https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100079094490534 Buy The Show A Virtual Coffee: https://ko-fi.com/mullinsfarrierpodcast

I met these two characters a couple of years back at my very first Stoneleigh. They played a very key role in all aspects of the competition and Focus. They helped set it up, run it, and tear it down and they stayed until the very last case had been packed up. As you will hear, Sam has a family background in theater production. So he is the reason we could all see underneath that giant canopy. He set up all the lights and ran all the audio for the announcements. Every morning before we arrived, Jamie Hughes was there ahead of us, and had all the fires lit and ready to go for the competition that day. Last year, Danny was busy with his duties as the chief steward, so he put Jamie in charge of helping me to retrieve and schedule guests, as well as just overall keeping me watered and fed. Over the past couple of years it has been fun to get to know these two characters. Whenever they work together, the banter is unending and always comical. So, I thought, let's put them together and do an interview. I will say the cutting room floor was covered when we were done editing this one. We just took out a few parts to protect the identities of those involved in the stories of their debauchery. Fear not though, we still left a lot in. Please excuse the occasional cuss word here and there if you're sensitive to that. Overall though, we covered the gamut of horseshoeing, from silly to serious. It is always a pleasure to run into these two gentlemen, and I look forward to next year. I hope you enjoy this conversation as much as I did. The show is sponsored by OutWest Designs and Fabrication your choice for Farrier rigs https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100079094490534 Buy The Show A Virtual Coffee: https://ko-fi.com/mullinsfarrierpodcast

Welcome everyone. As you will hear, I met Jim Hayter a few times by this point through my travels across the pond to Stoneleigh, as well as at the World Championships in Calgary. Each time he was accompanied by his son, George. As will become quite clear during the interview, Jim is quite proud of his son and all that he has accomplished. When you speak to George, the endearing thing is, that streak runs both ways. While I haven't had an opportunity to sit down and interview George, I foresee that happening the next time our paths cross. While Jim was quite busy with his duties as the judge for the apprentice teams, he still managed to whittle off a little bit of time for us to sit down and have this chat. It was a genuine pleasure to get to know this man a bit better. I hope you enjoy the conversation as much as I did. The show is sponsored by OutWest Designs and Fabrication your choice for Farrier rigs https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100079094490534 Buy The Show A Virtual Coffee: https://ko-fi.com/mullinsfarrierpodcast

I was introduced to this gentleman under the big competition marquee at Stoneleigh. I had just run into one of my friends, Ellie-May Buckland, whose interview is also in the pipeline, and she said, you should meet James. He would make a great interview. So she made the introduction and without hesitation, James agreed to sit down and have a chat. As you will hear, James's career spans many decades and he lived through the various disruptive changes in the world that threatened the trade of farriery. He also has some interesting insights into the various ways that horses were brought back into popularity. We covered a lot of ground, and it was great to hear his stories. I hope you enjoy this conversation as much as I did. The show is sponsored by OutWest Designs and Fabrication your choice for Farrier Rigs https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100079094490534 Buy The Show A Virtual Coffee: https://ko-fi.com/mullinsfarrierpodcast Visit our partner's page: https://mullinsfarrier.com/partners/

I first met Douwe and his wife Naomi on my first trip to Stoneleigh. He was one of the judges that year and understandably quite busy. So while we made plans to do the interview then, it didn't work out. Last year, however, Douwe was back, but this time as part of the Dutch team and he had a little bit more time, so he made it happen. You'll hear us briefly allude to it in the conversation, but there is a great story that exemplifies how tough and determined Douwe is as a competitor. Through Danny Bennett's military-like leadership as the chief steward, he might have even been in the military now that I think of it, the volunteers worked diligently to get the competition arena set up early on the afternoon before so the teams could practice. Team Holland was one of the first to arrive and take advantage of this. Douwe was building a shoe with a striker and something went wrong with the rhythm, causing his hammer to recoil off the sledgehammer and hit him right in the face below the eye. I just happened to be watching as it occurred. Everyone stopped and held their breath. Douwe's striker looked horrified. Douwe touched his face and asked, Is there blood? His partner shook his head and said no. And Douwe said, "Okay, good. Let's go" and carried on. Needless to say, if I ever end up in a bar fight, I hope this man is on my side. During our conversation, we touched on several topics, including how he and his wife Naomi run two separate shoeing businesses, where they specialize in different areas and use different shoeing techniques. We talk about their bad run of luck after the previous year's Stoneleigh with a house fire, and we talk about his unique side hustle that brought him to North America long before he started competing on this side of the pond. Anyway, it's always a pleasure to run into this man and I'm glad we were able to do this. I hope you enjoy the conversation as much as I did.

Welcome everyone. I'm trying to recall the first time I met this gentleman. I've known him by reputation for years and unfortunately missed a clinic he had put on up in Ontario here a few years back. Everyone who attended had great things to say, so I suffered a sufficient dose of FOMO from missing that one. I finally managed to catch up with Derek Poupard at Stoneleigh last year, and with the help of my esteemed assistant Jamie Hughes, we scheduled him for an interview. The farrier world seems to attract innovators, and Derek is among the more successful of those. His creation of the 3D pads has created quite a stir throughout the farrier world. We discussed how his shoeing career took him all over the world. And how his 3D pads are only one of his many inventions. And, he's still innovating, so there will be more to come. Derek's enthusiasm and creative spirit were quite infectious. It was a great pleasure to get to spend some time with this inspiring man. I hope you enjoy the conversation as much as I did. The show is sponsored by OutWest Designs and Fabrication your choice for Farrier rigs Buy The Show A Virtual Coffee: https://ko-fi.com/mullinsfarrierpodcast https://mullinsfarrier.com/partners/

Today's guest has played an important role in having me over to Stoneleigh the past couple of years, so I could interview farriers from across the pond, promote the BFBA's Focus Convention, and of course, spend some quality time with my podcast bro, Danny Bennett. As you will hear, Ben is a busy man with a lot of irons in the fire. From his position as a consultant for Team GB and one of the lead farriers for the London, Rio, and Tokyo Olympics, to his tenure as the president of the BFBA, working with his talented team to grow the BFBA Focus into its largest event ever in 2023, And his work running his farrier practice near Banbury in Oxfordshire. He's a hard man to pin down for any length of time. It only took me two trips across the pond to snag him for an hour and have this conversation. One of the highlights for me is when we really dig into his thoughts on shoeing the hind feet of performance horses for their various disciplines. The result was a lot of practical takeaways and concepts to ponder. Ben's time spent under the tutelage of Haydn Price, as well as his tenure working as a consultant for Team GB, has offered him a very unique vantage point to see these concepts at work in the real world. Anyway, I learned a lot from this gentleman, and I hope you too enjoy the conversation as much as I did.

I finally got to meet the legendary Sarah-Mary Brown at this year's International at Stoneleigh. Because he was so busy being the chief steward, Danny Bennett left me in the capable hands of Jamie Hughes to arrange guests and keep the interviews coming. I was listing off my wish list of potential guests to Jamie and when I said Sarah Brown, he stopped me instantly and walked away. Seconds later, he came back with Sarah in tow and she agreed to do the interview. As you will hear, Sarah has an infectiously positive attitude when it comes to all aspects of farriery. Whether it's learning, competing, or pursuing higher level exams, her enthusiasm is quite apparent. Anyway, it was an honour to get to sit and chat with this very talented woman. I hope you enjoy the conversation as much as I did. The show is sponsored by OutWest Designs and Fabrication your choice for Farrier rigs Buy The Show A Virtual Coffee: https://ko-fi.com/mullinsfarrierpodcast Swag Shop USA: https://urstore.net/group/mullins-farrier Swag Shop Canada: https://urstore.ca/group/mullins-farrier_531000 https://www.facebook.com/p/Outwest-Design-and-Fabrication-100079094490534/

Today's episode is another one that came out of my visit to the World Championship Blacksmiths competition in Calgary, Alberta. I got to meet Todd for the first time in person while we were both in the periphery of the WCB tent watching as the competitors had their goes. Todd agreed to do an interview and we found a quiet spot up on the balcony of the farrier's lounge and as soon as I pressed record, music started playing and announcements were made in the speakers overhead. I apologize for some of the noise. As you will hear, Todd and I had a wide ranging conversation, covering everything from his apprenticeship with the infamous Poor family, his multiple experiences as a member of the American Farriers team and the WCB team, and his decision to step back from competing to focus on his young and growing family. For Todd, it has been an incredible journey, and it isn't over yet. I hope you enjoy this conversation as much as I did. This episode is brought to you by OutWest Designs and Fabrication Until the end of March 2024, mention the podcast and receive $500 off your farrier rig at Outwest Designs and Fabrication https://outwest.ca/ Buy The Show A Virtual Coffee: https://ko-fi.com/mullinsfarrierpodcast Swag Shop USA: https://urstore.net/group/mullins-farrier Swag Shop Canada: https://urstore.ca/group/mullins-farrier_531000

Welcome, everyone. This interview comes to you once again from Calgary, Alberta at the World Championship Blacksmith's Competition. As I'm sure you've already gathered, I collected a lot of great interviews from my short visit there. I came home with a memory card full of them and this one is no exception. It is unique, however, in that this is the first interview I've done with a blacksmith and as you will hear, blacksmiths can be just as passionate as we are discussing the nuances and intricacies of doing what they do with metal. As you will hear, Dustin donated his beautiful wrought iron hammers as the top ten prizes for the competition. We do a very deep dive into the unique processes that Dustin uses to create these beautiful hammers, and how he tries to stay as stubbornly close to the traditional methods that would have been used way back when. I'm fairly certain that a lot of you traditional shoemakers out there will find yourselves in agreement with many of Dustin's philosophies. For me, his willingness to unselfishly share trade secrets put Dustin in a league with many of the great shoeing mentors that we know of out there. Anyway, I had a great time getting to know this gentleman, and I hope you enjoy the conversation as much as I did. This spisdoe is brought to you by OutWest Design and Fabrication Buy The Show A Virtual Coffee: https://ko-fi.com/mullinsfarrierpodcast Swag Shop USA: https://urstore.net/group/mullins-farrier Swag Shop Canada: https://urstore.ca/group/mullins-farrier_531000

This episode comes out one week after the HoofCare Summit in Cincinnati, Ohio was held. I spent all four days there and it was great getting to catch up with old friends and meeting new ones. This episode, however, was recorded at Spruce Meadows in Calgary, Alberta, during the Blacksmith World Championships. Alex was there with a couple of his fellow countrymen from Switzerland, competing as individuals for the title of World Champion. I had just met Alex the year before at Stoneleigh, competing with those same individuals as a team. As you will hear, Alex is no stranger to North America and has spent some time here visiting with other farriers. His easy and outgoing nature seems to help him make friends everywhere he goes, including even famous ones like Hank Chisholm and his wife Stephanie, who just returned from a vacation out there, hosted by Alex and his fellow teammates. Anyway, I hope you enjoy this conversation as much as I did. The show is sponsored by OutWest Designs and Fabrication your choice for Farrier rigs. FEBRUARY PROMO: For the month of February mention the podcast and receive $500 off your farrier rig at OutWest Designs and Fabrication. Buy The Show A Virtual Coffee: https://ko-fi.com/mullinsfarrierpodcast Swag Shop USA: https://urstore.net/group/mullins-farrier

Today's interview comes from the World Championships in Calgary, Alberta. I had heard about Chad Lausen for years and was happy to finally meet him in England a couple of years back, preparing for Stoneleigh. He was busy with the team prepping, so we didn't have a chance to do the interview there. After his go in Calgary though, we had some time to chat. I enjoyed hearing Chad's personal and unique philosophies on a lot of topics including business, marketing, and competition. As you will hear, he is also someone who likes to get involved in making the trade better. And in that spirit, since this recording, he became the president of the Western Canadian Farriers Association. I look forward to seeing what he accomplishes there. I hope you enjoy this conversation as much as I did. Buy The Show A Virtual Coffee: https://ko-fi.com/mullinsfarrierpodcast Swag Shop USA: https://urstore.net/group/mullins-farrier Swag Shop Canada: https://urstore.ca/group/mullins-farrier_531000 00:00 Introduction and Background 00:04 The Importance of Mental Game in Horse Care 00:39 The Art of Pricing in Horse Care 00:54 The Role of the Western Canadian Farriers Association 01:18 The Importance of Continuous Learning in Horse Care 01:44 Interview with Chad Lausen 02:36 Chad's Journey in the Horse Care Industry 03:03 The Importance of Community in the Horse Care Industry 04:33 Chad's Apprenticeship Program 08:56 The Importance of Being Coachable 10:05 Chad's Approach to Business and Work-Life Balance 12:17 Chad's Journey in the Horse Care Industry 15:33 Chad's Approach to Teaching and Apprenticeship 17:28 Chad's Experience in Rodeo and its Influence on His Career 26:12 Chad's Approach to Avoiding Burnout 27:15 Chad's Experience in Competitions 31:50 Chad's Tool Making Business 33:59 The Art of Knife Making 34:43 Balancing Craftsmanship and Podcasts 35:08 The Business Side of Farriery 36:32 The Importance of Profitable Business 37:37 The Value of Quality Work and Marketing 39:04 Promoting the Farrier Industry 39:17 The Journey Towards Certification 40:31 The Importance of Competitions and Certifications 41:54 The Impact of Apprenticeships 44:26 The Importance of Business Knowledge 46:36 The Stratum Tectorium: Short Answer Questions 47:33 The Importance of Sponsors and Competitions 01:03:11 The Importance of Stretching and Exercise 01:03:29 The Importance of Passion in Your Career

In this podcast, our guest, James Findler of Langley, British Columbia, shares his expansive career as a farrier with us. From his early days of finding passion in horseshoeing, honing his skills, and competing at world-class levels to mentoring future farriers, James shares his experiences, challenges, and achievements. He also discusses the importance of continuous learning, the mental aspects of the job, the evolution of the farrier industry, and his advice for the younger generation. James emphasizes the significance of preparing well in advance, valuing quality over speed, and not only focusing on the present task but also looking ahead when shoeing horses. Time Stamps: 00:00 Introduction and Welcome 03:05 First Encounter with James Findler 03:31 James Findler's Experience at the World Championships 03:56 The Early Days of Horseshoeing 04:09 The Formation of the First Canadian Horseshoeing Team 04:46 The Influence of Legends 06:47 The Journey to Becoming a Farrier 15:51 The Importance of Proper Horseshoeing 19:11 The Impact of Competing at a Higher Level 24:51 The Honor of Judging at Major Competitions 26:17 Preparing for the Big Moment 26:55 Dealing with Pressure and Nerves 28:03 The Power of Preparedness 28:14 The Importance of Focus and the 'Zone' 29:55 The Role of Apprentices and Team Members 30:56 Advice for the Younger Generation 31:17 The Joy of the Farrier Industry 32:24 The Evolution of the Farrier Industry 34:18 The Stratum Tectorium: Short Answer Questions 39:16 The Future: Retirement and Beyond 39:44 The Challenges and Rewards of Being a Farrier 46:19 Closing Thoughts and Gratitude Buy The Show A Virtual Coffee: https://ko-fi.com/mullinsfarrierpodcast Swag Shop USA: https://urstore.net/group/mullins-farrier Swag Shop Canada: https://urstore.ca/group/mullins-farrier_531000

Welcome everyone. This episode comes from me a week after getting back from Vern Powell's brainchild, the Farrier Clinic in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico. This year, yet again, was an incredible experience with meeting many new friends and getting to hang out with old ones. I got another bunch of great interviews done, so stay tuned for those in the new year. Today's episode was recorded in Calgary at the World Championships, where I finally got to meet one of my heroes. Thanks to a nudge from Spud Allison, another legend I hope to get on here at some point, I was able to convince him to do an interview. As with all of the legends that I get an opportunity to sit and have a chat with, I left this conversation feeling like I wish we had had more time. As you will hear, Bob Marshall is full of great stories, and I feel like we just scratched the surface on what he has to share. But then again, how do you fit a lifetime into just an hour? All that said, it was an honour to get to spend some time with this gentleman. Here's an early Christmas present for you all. I hope you enjoy the conversation as much as I did. Buy The Show A Virtual Coffee: https://ko-fi.com/mullinsfarrierpodcast Swag Shop USA: https://urstore.net/group/mullins-farrier Swag Shop Canada: https://urstore.ca/group/mullins-farrier_531000

I met today's guest many years ago in the Heartland, when he was practicing quite a bit with Cody Gregory. More recently, I've run into him a bunch, at Stoneleigh, the AFA convention, and in Calgary at the World Championships. Adam was always so busy competing at these events that we never had a chance to sit down and do an interview. Calgary was finally our chance, and after an earlier round for Adam one day, we went up to the Farrier's Bar at Spruce Meadows and sat on the balcony overlooking the trade show hall. Unfortunately, the music and ambient noise intruded on the recording and drowned out Adam a bit. Not to worry though, Heather over at Twisted Spur Media worked her magic and there are only a few instances where Adam's voice sounds a little bit distorted. Almost like the audio version of an over-pixelated picture. Don't worry though, ladies, overall, Adam's smooth southern voice comes through loud and clear. As you will hear, he is full of wisdom, and there were a ton of quotable lines from him. One of my personal favorites is that, "As farriers, we live life at 90". I think that should be put on a t-shirt or something. I was also quite inspired by his concept of improving 1 percent each day and how over 365 days, that's a lot of improvement. This concept of marginal gains came up in quite a few of my interviews at Stoneleigh this year as well. I guess if so many top competitors and prevalent farriers are all talking about it, there must be something to it. I hope you enjoy the conversation as much as I did. Buy The Show A Virtual Coffee: https://ko-fi.com/mullinsfarrierpodcast Swag Shop USA: https://urstore.net/group/mullins-farrier Swag Shop Canada: https://urstore.ca/group/mullins-farrier_531000

Welcome everyone. A little shopkeeping before we start. Dr. Simon Curtis is hosting his last webinar of the year on December 6th. It's called the Hough Rehab Webinar with Marty Sala and Paige Posse. For tickets to this event, go to www.eventbrite.co.uk and look up the Hoof Rehab Webinar with Dr. Simon Curtis. And don't forget to enter Mullins as the discount code at checkout. This episode is being released just after hosting my good friend Cody Gregory for a one-day forging clinic at Andrew DeVisser's shop in Paris, Ontario and then a two-day whole horse dissection at the McKee-Pownall Clinic in Schomburg, Ontario. As usual, Cody knocked it out of the park with both clinics. Cody is the king of full immersion, and Equine Anatomy has been one of his deep dives. About 40 whole horse dissections later, he has teaching it down to an art. If you're interested in setting up one for your own association or group, I would highly recommend reaching out to him. Go to www.codygregoryllc.com and send him a message through his site. Today's interview comes from my time spent at Stoneleigh this year, and we've released it first in the queue of many interviews I did there because of its topical nature. You may recognize Tom Smith's voice from the episode I did with the Farriers Registration Council last year. As the chair of the council, Tom has a unique perspective on the controversy surrounding the diploma and higher-level exams in England through the Worshipful Company of Farriers. I would highly recommend that you listen to both the FRC and the Worshipful Company episodes. If you're not familiar with the organizations and the jobs that they fulfill for farriery in England, then to make you do even more homework, I would point you to the BFBA's website at www.forgeandfarrier.co.uk and search for the press releases on the farriery endpoint assessment updates under the latest news tab. I feel like with this little bit of leg work, you will have a much better understanding of the situation. Ever since meeting Tom last year, I wanted to sit down with him and understand why he took the often thankless position he has with the FRC and what his journey to become an FWCF was like. After our relatively brief first encounter, my instincts told me that he was going to be an inspiring guest and as you will hear, he did not disappoint. Thoughtful, driven, and not afraid to tackle the hard things, Tom has accomplished many impressive goals. You'll even hear us get a little choked up about our respective truck dogs who recently passed. I hope you enjoy this conversation as much as I did. Buy The Show A Virtual Coffee: https://ko-fi.com/mullinsfarrierpodcast Swag Shop USA: https://urstore.net/group/mullins-farrier Swag Shop Canada: https://urstore.ca/group/mullins-farrier_531000

This episode is being released just a week after I arrived back home from Stoneleigh and Farrier Focus. Once again, England took home first prize but it was incredible to watch the American team come so very close to almost upsetting that victory. Once again, I had a fantastic time hanging out with my podcasting buddy, Danny Bennett, and so many other now-familiar friends and faces. Danny was busy this year as the chief steward for The International, so he lined me up with Jamie Hughes as my podcast PA. Jamie was an amazing help, lining up guests, as well as keeping me watered and fed. You will hear his episode where I interviewed him and his partner in crime Sam Masters in the new year. Today's guest was at Stoneleigh as part of the team representing Sweden. I met him for the first time last year at the International and then again in Calgary where he was competing as an individual at the world championships. Once he had finished his final go, we sat down and did this interview. It's always a pleasure to run into Johannes. His determination to get better and his brutal honesty are attributes that I always find inspiring whenever I run into him. Anyway, I hope you enjoy this conversation as much as I did. Buy The Show A Virtual Coffee: https://ko-fi.com/mullinsfarrierpodcast Swag Shop USA: https://urstore.net/group/mullins-farrier Swag Shop Canada: https://urstore.ca/group/mullins-farrier_531000 This episdoe is generously sponsored by Outwest Design and Fabircation https://outwest.ca/

Welcome everyone. At Focus last year, Ben Benson, the president of the BFBA, approached me about doing a few panel discussions. I hope in the future to be able to interview both of these gentlemen separately at some point, Marc Jerram BSc (Hons) Grad Dip ELR CJF AWCF Master Farrier and Dr. David Marlin BSc (Hons), PhD. As you will hear, they both have a lot of information to share and we only scrape the surface of their knowledge. Maybe I'll catch one of them this year as I head to Focus again today. I hope you enjoy the conversation as much as I did. Buy The Show A Virtual Coffee: https://ko-fi.com/mullinsfarrierpodcast Swag Shop USA: https://urstore.net/group/mullins-farrier Swag Shop Canada: https://urstore.ca/group/mullins-farrier_531000

The conversation you're about to hear occurred at the Focus Convention last year at Stoneleigh at the end of October, it isn't too late to buy tickets for this year's Focus Convention, if you do, stop by the Farriers Foundation booth and buy some swag or throw a wet sponge at somebody or whatever activity they have set up this year. As you will hear, it all goes to a very important cause. You will hear me say that there aren't any organizations like this in North America and that isn't completely true. The International Association of Professional Farriers has a program set up for their members, where if somebody gets hurt, a group of their members get together and help them take care of the horses on their books. It's a different program, but it has a similar end result. There may be similar programs throughout North America that I'm not familiar with, and if so, please reach out on social media and let me know about them. I know in my area, it has always been a very spontaneous thing, but there never seems to be a lack of farriers willing to help each other out, a fact that makes me very proud to be part of this profession. Anyway, this is yet another episode where Danny Bennett and I teamed up to do the interview. As you will hear, these gentlemen are very passionate about their cause and put a lot of work into making it happen. I hope you enjoy this conversation as much as I did. The Farriers Foundation https://www.thefarriersfoundation.co.uk/index.htm Buy The Show A Virtual Coffee: https://ko-fi.com/mullinsfarrierpodcast Swag Shop USA: https://urstore.net/group/mullins-farrier Swag Shop Canada: https://urstore.ca/group/mullins-farrier_531000

Welcome, everyone. Before we get started, I would like to say a special thank you to the gracious sponsor of this episode's Stratum Tectorium. Outwest Design and Fabrication. You can see all of their beautifully made farrier and vet bodies on full display on their Facebook page. While you're there, maybe just reach out and tell them ~ Thank you for making this episode possible. Way back in one of the first episodes of the podcast, I had complained to a guest that I was struggling to get my hands on a copy of Chris Gregory's forging book, the one that he had written before his infamous textbook. Shortly thereafter, a stranger I'd never met sent me my own copy. He apparently had two. I've had the great pleasure of meeting this gentleman several times since mostly at the HoofCare Summit in Cincinnati, Ohio where Mike Bagley JIICF, APF-I is a constant fixture at the IAPF's booth in the trade show hall. As you will hear he's a kind and humble man who really wants to give back to the industry that has given him so much. I hope you enjoy the conversation as much as I did. Buy The Show A Virtual Coffee: https://ko-fi.com/mullinsfarrierpodcast Swag Shop USA: https://urstore.net/group/mullins-farrier Swag Shop Canada: https://urstore.ca/group/mullins-farrier_531000

Welcome, everyone. Well, at this point, the fires have all cooled and the winners have gone home with their medals from the World Championships at Spruce Meadows Masters Tournament in Calgary, Alberta. Today's interview was recorded back at the beginning of the year at the Hoof Care Summit in Cincinnati, Ohio, and you will hear Jack say that competing at the World Championships blacksmith competition was on his bucket list. I'm happy to report that he did make the list. As I'm recording this before heading out there, and before the competition, I apologize, but I can't tell you how he did. Speaking of international farrier competitions, do you have your flights booked yet for the International at Stoneleigh in England? It's coming up quickly and you might as well attend the focus convention while you're there. Visit www.forgeandfarrier.co.uk for more details. Today's episode is proudly sponsored by Spencer and his team at Outwest Design and Fabrication, where they build farrier bodies, custom interiors, vet boxes and just about anything else you can come up with. I have seen many of their finished products and spoken to many of their happy clients. So happy in fact that it inspired me to use them for my next project. Check them out on Facebook at Outwest Design and Fabrication. As you listen to today's guest, you may think that you accidentally changed your podcast app's speed to double time but that's just the speed that Jack Ketel's mind works. I had only known this man by reputation for the many years that he had been on the Canadian team and it was a true pleasure to finally get to meet him in person and have this conversation. As you will quickly come to realize, dust does not settle on this man and he has a very unique ability to always make life an adventure. I found him quite inspiring, and I hope you enjoy the conversation as much as I did. Today's episode is proudly sponsored by Outwest Design and Fabrication https://outwest.ca/ Buy The Show A Virtual Coffee: https://ko-fi.com/mullinsfarrierpodcast Swag Shop USA: https://urstore.net/group/mullins-farrier Swag Shop Canada: https://urstore.ca/group/mullins-farrier_531000

I ran into today's guests at the Hoof Care Summit in Cincinnati, Ohio, where whenever possible they have attended every year as they find continuing education extremely important in their practice. I had first met Connor at this very convention many years before where he introduced me to his father Lance. Those of you who are avid listeners of the podcast will be familiar with Lance's episode from several years back. Unfortunately, we lost Lance just over a year ago, very suddenly and as you will hear, Connor was left with a very large and successful business that he had helped his father to build up over the years. Connor's wife, Ashley joined in to help and now they are a husband and wife team carrying the torch of EquiTerra Ferrier services. For some context, you will hear me mention a horse park and the horse park we're talking about is the infamous Spruce Meadows in Calgary, Alberta, where Connor and his father Lance, had been the horse show farriers for many years. While Connor and Ashley have decided to focus their efforts more on their private practice and are no longer working for the horse show, you will hear how their unique experience of working there for so many years has really shaped their practice. They have seen some of the best jumper shoeing from all over the world and sometimes not the best, and they got to see that shoeing in practice at one of the most prestigious horse shows in the world. As with many of the incredible guests I've been fortunate enough to have on the podcast, Ashley Connor and I have become quite good friends. I always look forward to running into them at the various farrier events that bring us from across the country to the same locale. They are incredibly kind, thoughtful, and always yearning for more knowledge. I hope you enjoy this conversation as much as I did. Simon Curtis Grip and Purchase webinar Promo Code MULLINS FBA Focus 2023 Buy The Show A Virtual Coffee: https://ko-fi.com/mullinsfarrierpodcast Swag Shop USA: https://urstore.net/group/mullins-farrier Swag Shop Canada: https://urstore.ca/group/mullins-farrier_531000

Welcome everyone. I've got a few items in the shopkeeping portion for you here. First of all, the BFBA Focus 2023 tickets are now available for sale. There are live demonstrations as well as a very large trade show. Go to forgeandfarrier.co.uk For more details, just click on the BFBA Focus 2023 link. I hope to see you there. The folks at the Canadian Equine Hoof Care Association wanted me to let you know that they have an event going on September 30th to October 2nd called The Evolution in Whole Horse Soundness. This is a conference for all hoof care professionals, equine industry professionals, students and owners. On October 2nd there's a bonus wet lab for members only. For more information, go to canadianequinehoofcare.com/conference The end of September is a busy time. There is also the Ontario Farriers Association's Convention, September 28th to the 30th. Riley Kirkpatrick is the keynote speaker and the judge for the contest. As I'm sure you saw on our social media feeds, we had an auction last week. Today's guest farrier and toolmaker extraordinaire, Tyler Joos donated one of his handmade hammers for us to raise money for the podcast. Thank you to everybody who bid on the hammer. A special thank you goes out to Payden Underwood who had the highest bid. My good friend Andrew DeVisser, who you know from several episodes on this podcast, gave me a call and he said, you need to talk to Tyler Joos. As you'll hear in the interview. Tyler reached out to Andrew for some business advice. They have corresponded many times since, and Andrew hasn't led me astray yet. So I put Tyler on the hit list and low and behold, Tyler reached out to me. I wasn't aware, but he's an avid listener of the podcast and he wanted to support the podcast in his own unique way, hence the auction for the hammer. Now, Tyler is one of those people where anytime his name comes up, everyone has nothing but nice things to say about him. Salt of the earth is actually a term I've heard used to describe him several times. At one point in the interview, you're going to hear Tyler talk about a time where a customer wasn't happy with one of his hammers. So Tyler made a new one and sent it off to him, and he mentioned that gentleman by name, Connor Sloman. At the end of the interview, he was actually concerned Connor might not want that story told, but I reached out to Connor and asked him if he would be okay with it, and as I already suspected, he was. Tyler and I had a great candid chat. I. And I think there are a lot of great takeaways from it. I hope you enjoy the conversation as much as I did. Buy The Show A Virtual Coffee: https://ko-fi.com/mullinsfarrierpodcast Swag Shop USA: https://urstore.net/group/mullins-farrier Swag Shop Canada: https://urstore.ca/group/mullins-farrier_531000

Welcome everyone, I was introduced to today's guest last year at the AFA convention. Hailey was wrapping up a project that she had done to complete her doctorate in occupational therapy and her research project had some very specific relevance to what we do. A few months later we were able to finally sit down and chat about the details of this research project. In our conversation, Hailey reveals a lot of details about things that we could do to improve the longevity of our careers, just our overall physical health. She offers quite a few takeaways and I hope you find them useful. As you will hear, Hailey is pretty passionate about farriers and helping us to improve our work lives. I hope you enjoy this conversation as much as I did. Buy The Show A Virtual Coffee: https://ko-fi.com/mullinsfarrierpodcast Swag Shop USA: https://urstore.net/group/mullins-farrier Swag Shop Canada: https://urstore.ca/group/mullins-farrier_531000

Welcome everyone. Today's guest, Mike Nale CJF, was one of the really cool folks I got to hang out with in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico. Every time I've crossed paths with Mike, I've been impressed with his wisdom and his willingness to share it. Mike is the type of fellow you can get into a deep conversation with whether it's about the definition of a club foot or the much-underappreciated television series Justified. Mike will have his opinions and some well thought out arguments to back them up but as you'll hear in the interview, he's also willing to change his mind if new evidence is compelling enough to do so. I guarantee you that by the end of this interview, you'll probably want to spend some time with this gentleman. I know I'm looking forward to the next time we get to hang out. I hope you enjoy this conversation as much as I did. Buy The Show A Virtual Coffee: https://ko-fi.com/mullinsfarrierpodcast Swag Shop USA: https://urstore.net/group/mullins-farrier Swag Shop Canada: https://urstore.ca/group/mullins-farrier_531000

Welcome everyone. I hope you're all doing well this busy time of the year. I have a lot to cover today in the shopkeeping portion, but the interview is actually quite short, so I feel like the two will even out in the end. As I said just a few seconds ago, it is a busy time of the year for us and as we grind it out and do as many horses as our clients put upon us, sometimes it's hard to remember why we're doing the job we do in the first place. It's easy to get lost in the never ending sea of horses and suddenly this very cool career that we have starts to feel more like a job. As you've heard me and several of my guests say over the years, two of the very good remedies for this problem are competition and certification. But sometimes you need to take a break from horses and horseshoeing altogether, and that's what I have attempted to do this summer by taking up mountain biking. For years, I have told myself that I didn't have time for a hobby, so I didn't make time. But this summer I've started to, and the results have been pretty cool. I've even been able to go for a ride with Kathy Lesperance who, as you know, is a former guest on the podcast. During one of our many discussions on that ride, we both commented on how much better we felt horse horseshoeing because of the physical activity we were doing in our off time. Many of the other guests have also shared their off-duty pastimes, like Kenny Hoyle with his dirt biking, Riley Kirkpatrick with his hunting, and of course, Danny Bennett with his mountain biking, although I'm pretty sure he prefers to take a lift to the top of the big hills. So I was thinking in an effort to show your fellow farriers that it's okay to not shoe horses 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and to have a pastime after work, that we would do a little social media exercise. Post a picture of yourself doing your favorite after work pastime, and post it to your social media and tag the Mullens Farrier podcast in your post, along with the hashtag off-duty farrier. I'm looking forward to seeing what you guys come up with. For the next item, I'd like to thank the following folks for supporting the podcast by buying us a virtual coffee, Alexander Werner and Kendall Black, thank you so much for your support. If you'd like to support the podcast by buying some swag, this is the time to do it until July 4th. You can receive 15% off everything with a $79 purchase. In both the Canadian and the American stores, use the Code Canada 15 to get the discount or you can always buy the podcast a coffee. Please see the links in the show notes. The folks at the Ontario Farriers Association wanted me to let you know that their convention is from September 28th to 30th, 2023. Riley Kirkpatrick is coming down and he's the keynote speaker and the judge for the contest. Keep an eye out on their Facebook page or go to www.ontariofarriers.ca to get more details on this event. Exactly one month after that convention I'm heading across the pond to watch the International Horseshoeing Competition at Stoneleigh and hang out with the cool folks at the British Farriers and Blacksmiths Association for their Focus convention. You too can come and I highly recommend that you do. As always, the International will host the best teams the world has to offer, and there's a pretty stellar list of keynote speakers for Focus as well. Look at all the details online at www.forgeandfarrier.co.uk. Now for today's guest, Alex was another member of Vern Powell's crew of clinicians for the Puerto Vallarta clinic last December, like me, this was Alex's first trip down to Puerto Vallarta, and she fit in perfectly with the group. So well, I think she stole the heart of one of the veteran clinicians. I would refer you to her Facebook page for more of an explanation. As in any situation when a group of farriers spend too much time together, there becomes a plethora of inside jokes and farriers being farriers. Some of them can be inappropriate or dark. One of those jokes found its way into this interview, and I couldn't let it be omitted. You'll hear Alex mention an embalming table that she purchased from a scrap yard, and the joke was that that embalming table had come from the local funeral home where Alex's late grandmother may have spent some time on it. For the rest of the trip, it was always brought up as Memaw's table. Well, folks buckle up as I'm sure you can already tell you're in for a wild ride. I hope you enjoy this conversation as much as I did. Buy The Show A Virtual Coffee: https://ko-fi.com/mullinsfarrierpodcast Swag Shop USA: https://urstore.net/group/mullins-farrier Swag Shop Canada: https://urstore.ca/group/mullins-farrier_531000

Welcome everyone! A little shopkeeping before we start. What are you doing at the end of October this year?I highly recommend that you attend the International Horseshoeing Competition and the British and Blacksmith's Associations Focus Convention at Stonleigh Park. As I am sure you've heard me brag about before I attended this event last year and had a fantastic time. What more could a farrier want in an event? You have the world's best competing as teams. You have the convention full of world-class speakers and every vendor represented that you could think of, as well as live shoeing demos by some of the best in the world. I realize that October seems quite a ways off right now, but plan ahead. Get yourself a ticket and hopefully, I'll see you over there. For more information, go to www.forgeandfarrier.co.uk I'm also excited to announce the release of Chris Gregory's second installment in his series of memoirs titled For the Want of a Shoe, the Horse was Lost. This book covers his time growing up as a child on his family's ranch in New Mexico and his time voluntarily spent at military school. That's right. He wasn't sent there. He asked to go. Anyway, as with his previous book, this one is full of anecdotal stories and humorous misadventures that all accumulate into the legendary man that we all know today. The book is available on Amazon or through the school's website. As well, if you'd like to hear some more from Chris. He started his own podcast and the first two episodes are out now. Have a listen. It's called Final Approach with Chris Gregory, and it's available where all fine podcasts can be found. There have been a lot of listeners who kind of poke fun at the way that I talk. My Canadian accent is apparently more prevalent than I think but today's guest is going to top that. His Canadianness is next level, and I imagine that he'd be pretty proud to hear that. I met Brad down in Puerto Vallarta with the rest of Vern Powell's crew, and we got to know each other quite well during that trip. As a podcast first, this interview was recorded in the middle of the Pacific Ocean while we were on a deep sea fishing excursion. Brad is humorous, humble, and handy, all attributes of many of the greats of our trade. I hope you enjoy this conversation as much as I did. Buy The Show A Virtual Coffee: https://ko-fi.com/mullinsfarrierpodcast Swag Shop USA: https://urstore.net/group/mullins-farrier Swag Shop Canada: https://urstore.ca/group/mullins-farrier_531000 Become a sponsor: https://mullinsfarrier.com/contact/

Welcome everyone. I've changed the format of the episode a little bit this time for you. This will be a sort of an audio documentary of my trip down to Puerto Vallarta Mexico in December of 2022 with Vern Powell and friends for a clinic that they host down there. The music you hear in the background is from a really cool cat that we met on a catamaran tour. Vern was kind enough to invite the Mrs and me down to Puerto Vallarta with his crew to interview many of the folks giving the clinic as well as many of the folks who attend the La Clinica de Herraje Puerto Vallarta 2022 every year. Enjoy! Buy The Show A Virtual Coffee: https://ko-fi.com/mullinsfarrierpodcast Swag Shop USA: https://urstore.net/group/mullins-farrier Swag Shop Canada: https://urstore.ca/group/mullins-farrier_531000 Become a sponsor: https://mullinsfarrier.com/contact/

Welcome everyone! Odds are that if you've taken an AFA certification exam in the past several years, somewhere within the Midwestern US, you've probably run into this gentleman. I met Ward McGuire at both of my exams and several others that I've attended, and he is everything you would want in an AFA tester - fair, really good at putting you at ease and letting you know that he's there to help you, not fail you. As someone who has recently retired, Ward has a unique view on what we should be doing earlier on in our careers to set ourselves up for this eventuality. It's always a pleasure to run into this gentleman. I hope you enjoy the conversation as much as I did. Buy The Show A Virtual Coffee: https://ko-fi.com/mullinsfarrierpodcast Swag Shop USA: https://urstore.net/group/mullins-farrier Swag Shop Canada: https://urstore.ca/group/mullins-farrier_531000 Become a sponsor: https://mullinsfarrier.com/contact/

Welcome everyone! A little shopkeeping before we start. Well, spring is here and already a few of my local farrier friends have been injured. Seems to be a thing every year, and it just reminds me to remind the folks that are listening from Great Britain that you have a foundation that is set up just for this purpose, a built-in insurance policy created by your fellow farriers. The Farriers Foundation steps in and offers financial aid for those times when you're too injured to work and helps cover your expenses while you heal. The Spring is a busy time for farriers worldwide, and it is a great time when you're flush with cash to put a little aside to help out your fellow farriers in need. Back home as usual, several farriers stepped up for the folks that were injured here and did the horses so that they could keep them on their books and keep a roof over their heads and food on the table. I must say it's an honour to be part of such a good group of folks in my community here. Now for today's guest, as you'll hear in the conversation I first met Kenny Hoyle at Heartland Horseshoeing School, and I didn't realize it at the time, but he was just beginning his certification journey. As you will hear, it's never too late to start that. Kenny is one of the kindest human beings you'll ever come across, and as you will hear, he has put a lot back into the industry as a tester and as a board member of the AFA. It is always great to cross paths with this gentleman as I did in Arkansas at Convention. I was very fortunate to be able to pin him down this time and do an interview. I hope you enjoy this conversation as much as I did. Buy The Show A Virtual Coffee: https://ko-fi.com/mullinsfarrierpodcast Swag Shop USA: https://urstore.net/group/mullins-farrier Swag Shop Canada: https://urstore.ca/group/mullins-farrier_531000 Become a sponsor: https://mullinsfarrier.com/contact/

So this following interview was done during my time at convention this year. I was visiting with Cody Gregory in the trade show hall as everyone was getting their booth set up, and he introduced me to Conrad. Conrad was getting his Grand Circuit booth set up, and although he was in for a few busy days there at the convention, he agreed to sit down and do an interview. The next day after doing our interview, I ran into Conrad again, and who else was there, but another legend and former guest, Nigel Fennel. They were discussing the modifications that Conrad had already made to Grand Circuit's product to make the shoes more farrier-friendly and usable in our day-to-day work, which you will hear later in the interview was part of Conrad's mission when he took over the company. It was kind of a surreal moment for me to stand there while these two legends of the industry discuss shoe shape and potential changes that Conrad could make even further to the product line. I learned a lot just standing there and observing that conversation. I wish I had had my mic on me. Anyway, as you will hear, Conrad is a very glass-half-full kind of guy, and his enthusiasm I found quite infectious. I hope you enjoy this conversation as much as I did. Buy The Show A Virtual Coffee: https://ko-fi.com/mullinsfarrierpodcast Swag Shop USA: https://urstore.net/group/mullins-farrier Swag Shop Canada: https://urstore.ca/group/mullins-farrier_531000

Welcome everyone, a little shopkeeping before we start. If you haven't already seen it on socials, we now have a merch store, two in fact, one for the US and one for Canada, to make things easier on both sides of the border. I'll leave it to the international folks to decide which one's easier for them. The links to both stores are on all the socials and they will be in the show notes of this episode. Also, on the supporting the podcast front, I must send a shout-out to Gary Martin and Nick Harvey. Thank you both for supporting the show by buying a virtual coffee. So a while back when I was introducing the episode with Mercy and Ben Bishop. I had mentioned that quite a few people have reached out to me requesting interviews with folks who are at the beginning of their careers, and this particular gentleman you're about to hear fits that bill perfectly. The thing is, though, whether you're at the start of your career or partway through it, I don't think you can help but be inspired by this gentleman's stories. When I first met him at the pre-cert course at Heartland in October, a couple of years back, he walked up to me, shook my hand, and he said, I know you're nervous, but you don't have to worry. Yes, I will be a guest on your podcast. As you will hear, at that time, he was able to count how many horses he had done, literally how many shoes he had nailed when he showed up at this course. It's a reoccurring theme, prepared or not, Riley will jump in head first at any opportunity to learn something new. I hope you enjoy this conversation as much as I did. Buy The Show A Virtual Coffee Swag Shop USA Swag Shop Canada Become a Sponsor

Today's guest was another gentleman that I got to meet whilst over at the International at Stoneleigh, Russell Jones was the judge for the apprentice teams and the individual competition and if taking the piss out of somebody was an Olympic sport, I would have to say that he and Danny Bennett would be nose-to-nose for the gold medal. I wonder if this has anything to do with their military training. As you'll hear, Russell was in the army as a farrier, and I don't know if Danny has ever mentioned it before on his podcast, but he too was an army farrier. It was an honour to meet Russell and to spend some time with him. He was serious when he needed to be as the judge, but he was also fun when we would all hang out socially afterward. I hope you enjoy this conversation as much as I did. Merch Madness! Swag Shop USA Swag Shop CANADA Support the show: https://ko-fi.com/mullinsfarrierpodcast Become a sponsor: https://mullinsfarrier.com/contact/ Become a Guest: https://mullinsfarrier.com/become-a-guest/

Welcome everyone. I'm coming to you from down in the Heartland where I just spent a week with my fellow farriers learning all we could from Chris and Cody and a special guest, Emilio Giannotti. As always, I met so many great folks down here, made some new friends, and got to hang out with some old ones. The blacksmith workshop that we just finished attending here is a very neat and unique course where you've got students who are just starting out on their farrier journey and have never used a forge or struck a piece of steel, and then you have seasoned farriers wanting to get better in their day to day or start their certification journey. It never ceases to amaze me how Chris and Cody can teach all of those skill levels in the same place and keep it interesting and challenging for all of us. It seems every time I speak to somebody who's come here after years of me recommending it, one of the first things they say just a few days in is "I've gotta come back here". The conversation you're about to hear took place once again across the pond on my trip over to Stoneleigh. If you're in North America, this particular organization might not be very familiar to you, and if you're from England, It might be familiar to you, but you might not completely understand what it is that they do. This was another conversation I recorded with Danny Bennett of the Lockdown Farriery Podcast, and ever since we recorded it, he has been pushing for me to release it so the folks over in his country could understand how integral the FRC is in the role of the farrier organizations over there. As you will hear, the three gentlemen that we interviewed representing The Farriers Registration Council (FRC) really take their jobs seriously and are passionate about what they do. I found it really informative and I hope you enjoy this conversation as much as I did. The Farriers Registration Council (FRC) is a corporate body established under the Farriers (Registration) Act 1975. Our vision is the "Prevention and avoidance of suffering by equines through ensuring that equine owners are able to access the equine hoof-care that best meets their needs in a timely and assured manner; this care will be delivered only by those capable and qualified to do so." https://www.farrier-reg.gov.uk/ Support the show: https://ko-fi.com/mullinsfarrierpodcast Become a sponsor: https://mullinsfarrier.com/contact/ Become a Guest: https://mullinsfarrier.com/become-a-guest/

I met today's guest across the pond as he was preparing with the rest of his American teammates, Team America as Danny Bennett would refer to them, for the International at Stoneleigh. I have to say this gentleman is intimidating when he's got his game face on. We arrived when he was just in the midst of a mock run and nothing was going to get in his way, including some strangers who just all of a sudden showed up in the forge. After his run was done though, and we were all sitting down as a group to do an interview together, it became quite clear that this gentleman was just as friendly and hospitable as his southern accent would have you believe. A few short weeks later, when we met again at convention, Daniel agreed to sit down and have a chat. As you will hear, his raw honesty is quite endearing and he pulls no punches. Very early on in our interview, we were joined by Daniel's wife, Allison, who you will hear is just as ambitious and as much of a force to be reckoned with as Daniel is. If I had been thinking I would've hooked up another mic and given that to her because I'm sure her insights would've made the interview even more entertaining than it already is. It was an honor to get to know this man who is such an inspiration to so many people on this side of the pond. I hope you enjoy the conversation as much as I did. Support the show: https://ko-fi.com/mullinsfarrierpodcast Become a sponsor: https://mullinsfarrier.com/contact/ Become a Guest: https://mullinsfarrier.com/become-a-guest/

Welcome everyone, we are working on setting up a swag store by the next episode and I will keep you posted on that. We have now set up another way for you to support the production of the show during our time in the booth at. I was reminded that we are an industry full of amazing people who are so supportive of each other. I'm grateful for all the listeners who've been tuning in to our show over the last four years as I interview these very same people. There will be a link to support the show below by buying a virtual coffee. Every little bit helps, and it would be greatly appreciated. I would be remiss if I didn't thank all of our guests for joining us on the podcast and sharing their stories. We're so grateful for your time and effort in helping us to create the podcast for our listeners, thank you. Today's guest is a local legend. He lives a four to five-hour drive east of me here in Ontario, and I've always known him as one of the very few Canadian examiners for the AFA as well as the guy you didn't want to go toe to toe with bidding on an auction item at our local Ontario Farriers Association Convention. Once he has his heart set on an item, you are not going to outbid him. Steven Morris, CJF imparts a lot of wisdom in this conversation, well earned and hard gained through his long career as a farrier. As someone who just recently retired, he has a lot of advice for those of us in the midst of our careers, or those of you just starting out. hope you enjoy this conversation as much as I did. Support the show: https://ko-fi.com/mullinsfarrierpodcast

Welcome everyone. This episode's release comes just a few days after the final lecture at The Summit in Cincinnati, Ohio. As I alluded to in the previous episode, I had a booth set up in the trade show selling shirts to support the podcast, and the response was incredible. My father, Ian, came along to help and it was quite amazing to be able to introduce him to so many of my heroes and good farrier friends. In true farrier fashion, dad was welcomed and included in all the events and outings with open arms. We sold quite a bit of swag and I sent the remainder down to where I stay when I'm working in Florida so if any American listeners want to buy a hoodie or a T-shirt, let me know and I will see if I have your size. Having the booth was also a great way to meet so many listeners in person and one of the suggestions is one that I've heard many times before, and the timing of it was perfect. People said that interviews with the big movers and shakers of our industry were great, but they wanted to hear more from the people who were just starting out or early in their careers. To share the trials and triumphs they experience in the dawn of their farrier business. Today I'm speaking with Mercy Bishop CF and her father, Ben Bishop, CJF. At the time we recorded, Mercy had just freshly graduated the 12-week program at Heartland Horseshoeing School and was in the midst of her journey to get her CF, and Ben was in the midst of his CJF during the pre-cert course. So there you go, I do listen to suggestions. I hope you enjoy the conversation I had with this wonderful duo as much as I did.

Welcome everyone. We are just over a week away from the Summit in Cincinnati, Ohio, and I am busy preparing to get stuff set up for that booth. This is a new endeavor for me, so we'll see how that pans out. But hoping to have some swag there and be able to meet and greet with so many of you while you're wandering the halls of the trade show. Also hoping to catch a few interviews while I'm there, so stay tuned for those. Today's guest I met at another convention across the pond at Focus in Stoneleigh. This gentleman, Jürgen Gotthardt FdSc AWCF BSc(Hons) APF-I, was walking the halls of Focus with the legendary David Gully, and he had in his hands a book that he had, David, Danny, and myself to sign which you'll hear about in the interview. He has put a lot of time and effort into educating himself and doing a better job for the horses that he works on. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.

Welcome everyone and Happy New Year. I hope that 2023 has great things in store for all of you and of the many resolutions you have probably made over the past few days, I hope that you stick to some of them. A little shopkeeping before we start. I hope to see all of you at the 2023 International Hoof Care Summit in Cincinnati, Ohio. That is January 24th to the 27th at the Duke Energy Center and the Hyatt Regency. If all goes as planned, I'm hoping to have a booth there for the first time this year with some swag for sale to help support the podcast. So, if you haven't already, go online to americanfarriers.com and click on the International Healthcare Summit link and buy your tickets. If you find yourself there, please stop by the booth and say hi. The summit is such a cool opportunity to learn from and network with so many good folks from our trade. I hope to see you there. Well, as you probably gathered from his introduction, today's guest is from across the pond in Scotland. He was one of the judges of the International at Stoneleigh this year. Over that weekend I had several conversations with Ian and he is, as you will hear, a very easygoing fellow and great to talk to. Despite some hardships that he has come across, his mantra of adapting and overcoming has helped him to carry on through this time. I found it quite inspirational and wanted to share his story with you. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.

So I met today's guest in England of all places, even though we live in the same country. She lives on the other side of it from me, and I was quite happy to finally meet the legendary Canada Kim. As you hear the interview, you'll understand why Kim has become somewhat of an ambassador of Canada to the rest of the farrier world, or at least the places she's visited. It wasn't a surprise that once again she was representing Canada as the alternate for the Canadian team at Stoneleigh. I had an opportunity to watch Kim prepare for the competition along with the rest of the Canadian team, and her grit and determination was quite evident. Kim also became somewhat of a mother hen to the rest of the team, keeping them all in line, and generally getting them to where they needed to be somewhat on time. On the final day of Focus, during a well-deserved break from herding all the cats, Kim sat down with Daniel Bennett and I and I hope you enjoy the resulting conversation as much as we did

Welcome everyone, as you will hear, this is another episode from my trip to England and Danny Bennett played co-host on this one. This was great because he and Billy Crothers AWCF have a bit of a history through the competition world, so they were able to take the conversation in directions that I wouldn't have been able to. As you will hear during this episode, Billy has a great attitude and philosophy when it comes to life, his career, and competing. I found it quite infectious. It was really great to sit down and have this talk with him and Danny, I hope you enjoy it as much as we did.

As you probably noticed, this episode is a little bit early compared to my two week schedule that I've been maintaining thus far. This is a bit of a public service announcement, a PSA if you will because I feel like this topic is really important. It's really affecting us right now, and as in all business things, who better to explain it to us than Andrew DeVisser? You may have heard his previous episodes where he has shed a bit of light on the business and financial end of things in what we do. Every year Andrew hosts a small forging clinic at his home, and then his wife makes us a wonderful lunch. Afterward, he always does a business talk and this year I asked if I could record it and then share it with you. Andrew agreed, but part of the deal was that instead of him asking himself the questions, he had me do that part of the job. There were a couple of audience questions that I was unable to really record, but Andrew does a pretty good job of repeating what they say, so you'll get the gist of it. I hope you find this informative and enjoy it as much as I did.