Big Game Guide & Packer Training Hunting Guide School		Hunting, Fishing & Camp Cook School Outdoor Adventures

      

DAY 7 - Sunday, June 8

Same routine. Wrangled at 6:00, breakfast at 6:30, and class at 7:00. In the classroom session we went over shoeing tools, basic hoof anatomy, and basic steps for shoeing a horse or mule. Then we went out to the corral and hitch rails to do the real thing, hands-on.

Gene Hensen, Cody's father, returned this morning as our main shoeing instructor. Having worked with horses all his life, he knows horses inside-out and believes understanding their psychology makes working with them much easier. We sure found out that applies to shoeing.

We started out pulling the old shoes off the horses, which wasn't too difficult. But after Gene demonstrated how to trim the hooves and put new shoes on, we found out that part isn't near as easy as an experienced shoer makes it look. We see now why Cody had us practice the "shoer's squat" all week. Those leg muscles really start to scream. Fortunately we all got a few shoes nailed on with no casualties to us or the horses. Before he left, Gene demonstrated different horse restraints (twitches, scotch hobbles, etc.) for use in extreme situations. He also showed us several examples of the horsehair hitching and braiding that's an age-old tradition amongst inmates at the Montana State Prison. Very intricate and impressive work. Tough day, overall, but definitely educational!