Horse Shoers (1960)

[Music] [Applause] now middle of the track as new command up along the inside John William Tau the inside with GRE page NE in the outside as they straighten out on the bast never give in leading by a length Neer second Idol on the outside third LLY up along the inside Francis s fourth John William right alongside F re page is six Zenith is seventh Yorktown is eth Amber Commander Francis the Witham thean second John William on the outside is a closer third and into the stretch never give in in front to on the inside second John down the middle of the track coming off theet on [Applause] the but he's going to get it and here it is Francis has to win by give him a second behind the Roar of a racetrack crowd Rings The Anvil chorus of Americans at work protecting the feet of thoroughbred race horses with the emblem of good luck the Horseshoe at the track the race is to the Swift and the well shod as every winner needs a good jockey so does he need a good horseshoer the horse farm this is the beginning of racing and of the close relationship of horses and [Music] Men thoroughbred race horses are frolicsome high-spirited steeds they are bred to run [Music] over the Farm's well turfed Hills they romp without shoes until they're ready for training but long before then they've come to know a man who will be a familiar figure to them as long as they live the horse Sher when a foot grows too long the Sher must trim away dead tissue this way the yearlings feet stay healthy and strong the Sher at a farm has responsibility not only to the horse hes under his care but to the shers at the track members of his Union the way a horse is treated here determines his reaction to every sh he meets the rest of his [Music] life the horses first shoes are custom built for him from Bars of Steel when the metal is white hot it's ready for bending into shape later at the track a thbr will wear ready-made shoes one of the basic requirements for the union Smith is that he must be able to build a shoe starting from scratch with a bar of Steel the blacksmith is a legendary figure the Ancients thought he had magical powers because he was Master of fire and iron in Roman mythology Vulcan was the patron of blacksmiths he used volcanoes as forges at the Anvil the Smith shapes the shoes carefully for the feet of a growing horse while the metal is still soft he must use a wooden Mallet after it cools he will switch to a hammer of Steel what started as a bar of Steel is fast becoming a horseshoe the Smith a mighty man is he [Music] thoroughbreds who look promising about one out of three make the trip from Farm to track in Vans a horseshoer is waiting for them to inspect their [Music] feet life at the track is exciting to a new arrival so much is going on what a high strong thorough bread needs is is the reassuring presence of old Pals goats are popular and ponies too have a gentling [Music] effect whoa here's a horse who could use a stable full of pets during inspection the shoer must watch for hoofs grown too long foot injuries shoes worn thin and shoes loosened by kicking the sides of the van a horse is usually excitable on arriving at a new location he becomes unmanageable if he senses the slightest fear he responds favorably to a confident horseshoer complete Mastery of the situation is the mark of the qualified horseshoer Mastery and alertness to any condition that needs correcting [Music] headquarters for the shoers at the track is the blacksmith shop here they can go about the business of preparing shoes for muddy tracks and still be available when needed [Music] a horse needs shoeing this is top priority without a Sher to care for his feet the fastest thoroughbread could not go to the post as trainers say no foot no [Music] horse for shers who move from track to track a car means transportation and serves too as a tool bin on wheels in his trunk he carries his equipment and shoes of every size all within easy reach the thir bread lifts his foot he has learned that no man is a Sher unless he loves horses he has learned too that shoeing is good for him and in no way painful the first step is removal of the old shoes and nails at the back of a horse's hoof is a shock absorber called the Frog dead tissue must be trimmed away leaving only healthy frog in contact with the ground a race horse's legs are thin and his feet small in proportion to his powerful deep chested body healthy cushioning tissue is essential to protect legs from jolts and jars when 1,000lb th bread races down the stretch the wall of a horse's foot is a crust upon which the Horseshoe sits the wall is made of a hornik substance like a person's fingernails and like finger nails it must be trimmed regularly in a young horse it grows at the rate of about 3 in a year the sole is also horned the Sher must avoid trimming so deep that the sole becomes sensitive the shoes used at the track are called racing plates they come in sizes four 5 6 and seven native dancer wore size six the plates are made of aluminum for lightness in ancient Rome Nero's horses were shod with shoes of silver his wife's horses with gold the first horseshoes were probably a kind of leather boot while Mongols once shod their skeds with a soft part of rain deer horns but for a fast six furlongs or a grueling mile and 3/16 the thur bread of today will wear aluminum fitted with care and Patience by a journeyman horsse shoer it is not an easy matter to qualify as a Sher a man must serve three years as an apprentice he can become a half booked flooran when he's able to shoe horses with factory-made shoes to become a journeyman he must pass a stringent examination before a board of five three members from his own local two from an outof Town local he must show knowledge of blacksmithing of the anatomy of a horse's hoof of the principles of corrective shoing and he must Chee a horse while the board watches because of the great responsibility standards are kept High the Sher drives the nails out the sides of the hoof wall never straight in where they might touch sensitive tissue the ends of the nails must be clipped off and filed down until they're smooth during a race meet the Sher is a busy man he works in the black Smith shop and shoes six or seven horses a day he has no time to watch as they race by 100 yard away but over 30 million Americans a year do find time to watch the races some like horses some just like to bet on horses as Mark Twain said it's the difference of opinion that makes horse racing the parade in The Paddock means post time is almost here I got my money on The Bob nag somebody bet on the [Music] bay Patrol judges head for their [Music] posts the crowd Waits anxiously [Applause] up in the middle of the trackter toward the outside what behind and Q Admiral moving along the inside to Bo purple as they straighten out Bo purple getting a lead what's behind his second orbits to is up along the inside getting third Carter is fourth Q Admiral fifth National Gallery along the inside Sixth and kingley J leaving a three quter pole and it's bple leading by [Applause] watch [Music] behinder Thor breads down the stretch Thunder back a tribute to the organized members of the international Union of journeyman horse shers of the United States and Canada AFL CIO Americans at work for you [Music] Americans at work presented as a public service by the AFL CIO next week another story of Americans at work Americans whose skill and effort help keep our country great and strong [Music]