Well known for his craft, Danny Gallagher tells Emily Ashworth about his passion for horses and farriering in a three-part series looking at traditional rural skills.
From the outset, it is clear Danny Gallagher loves his job. For the past six years he has been working as a farrier in Cumbria, building up his reputation, strengthening his skills and gaining quite the social media presence.
The 29-year-old, who is originally from Lancashire, now resides at Brookside Farm, near Carlisle, with his wife Hannah, and although he does not come from an agricultural background, he has, he says, always had an affinity with horses.
Danny says: I came to Cumbria for an apprenticeship to be a farrier. Im not from a farming family, but I have a hunting background. When I was a child, everyone said I was good with horses and that I should do something with them.
But I knew how hard it was to get an apprenticeship. If your family is in it already, its easier, just the same as farming. But luckily, I had a trial and got in first time with Derek Gardner, who is renowned around here.
After a four-year apprenticeship, Danny now has his own round, including three race yards in Cumbria, plus his private customers.
Farriery only became a registered profession in 1975 and for many years the local farrier and the blacksmith would have been the same person.Over time, these split into different careers farriers, however, needed forgery skills as well as knowledge of the horse anatomy.
And up to the present day, although society has moved on, the job of a farrier is and will always be a skill which is needed, and that remains unmechanised.
Danny says: Were not short of work because if there are horses, you will always need farriers.
What we do has never changed since Roman times; the Romans were the first ones to put shoes on horses.
Some people have tried to changed things, but it hasnt worked. Youre never going to be able to get a machine to do it because a horse is never going to let a machine go near it.
Teach
He acknowledges, however, that if you are not in the rural community or directly involved with horses, you may not be aware of the art of farriery.
Danny says: If you went into a school now and asked them what a farrier is, they wouldnt have a clue what it is. I always remember an occasion when I was up in the Lake District and some children from Birmingham were on a walk on the fells.
I was in the farmyard and the teacher told them I was about to put shoes on the horses. One child looked down at his feet, thinking I was about to put shoes on like theirs.
You dont get to see it unless you go to a country or agricultural show. You get put in a box at school and they dont think of those who are more hands-on.
It is, in a way, a dying skill. There are only three colleges you can study it at now Myerscough, Warwickshire and Herefordshire. In Cumbria there are about 15 [farriers], but if you went down to Cheshire there are about 150, so it depends on the area.
But if youre a child and want to do it, there are ways in. If youre that keen on being a farrier, you will find a way.
Passion
There is certainly a distinct set of skills needed in this line of work, not least because you are working so closely with a large and unpredictable animal. And, of course, patience is key.
Danny says: Horse sense is imperative; this will take you from being a good farrier to a great one. If you can read a horse and know its behaviour, that sets you apart.
You can go to some places and they will say my old farrier couldnt touch him. But you pick the foot up and it is fine. You have to learn to make them feel comfortable. Theyre so clever and so fast. People dont understand the speed a horse can move.
Someone asked me about how dangerous it is as a job, and it probably is, but I love it.
Day to day varies for Danny, but for him, the communal element is something he enjoys, particularly when gathered at the race yard waiting for a result.
He says: Every day is different; every horse is different; every customer is different. When youre shoeing horses, youre learning every time you pick the foot up and trying to do the best job every single time to make that horse perform at its best.
Thats why I get a buzz at the race yards because its like a family. All you want to do is try and make those horses win. So, if you can be a part of that it gives you a good feeling.
The hours are long, Danny says, especially in winter when it is raining, but there is nowhere else he would rather be than working the racecourse or up in the fells with Hannah.
Between them, they have become social media stars, with Danny alone racking up over 18,000 followers. They are both keen to be positive voices for farming and the rural way of life.
Danny says: I take to social media every day to showcase my life as a farrier, to try to help people understand that this role is still as important now as it was all those years ago.
I want them to realise it is a career worth investing in, and a rewarding and enjoyable one too. Traditional skills need to be held onto and we cannot see them be lost.
There will never be a robot which can shoe a horse the way we as farriers can. Not with the compassion, judgement and patience you need for this job.
Im really proud to be part of this rural community and work so closely with other rural communities through my job, such as farmers, hunts and racing yards.
Plus, I enjoy the general way of life. Thats what I love about it. We are all a little piece of the jigsaw which makes up the countryside and help it to run smoothly.
