Jim Willard of A and J Horse shoeing begins his day by checking his appointment book to see what the day has in store for him. He walks out to his own barn to feed and water his animals before he heads out on yet another busy day. Leaving his home in Vacaville usually around 8AM and traveling a 60 plus mile radius, depending on the jobs of the day. He usually does 4 to 6 shoeings a day with a trim or two depending on what needs to get down. A large percentage of the horses he does are will behaved a few are kind of fussy, then you run into a real stinker every once in a while. Yeah - even horses can have a bad day, or maybe they just got up on the wrong side of the stall. Jim takes this all in stride, and with patience calm and quiet approach he's usually successful in getting shoes on the majority of horses. He introduces himself to the horse and talks to them before he picks up their hoof; horses seem to respond favorably to his calm demeanor. He strives to make your horse's trim or shoes a good experience for horse and owner. Jim's horse clients consist from working stock horses, hunter jumper's, show horses, trail horses, and the backyard variety from mini's all the way up to drafts, with a mule or two thrown in for good measure.

Jim believes a horses needs to be shoed correctly and be balanced. This involves asking the owner what disapline or type of work the horse is going to be used for, the riding conditions, along with any equine gait related or medical problems. In his 15 years of experience he has worked on numerous horses with founder, navicular, ring bone, and white line and many other hoof and leg problems. Sometimes when he runs across extreme cases that might need extra counsel he'll pick up the phone and call Kirk Adkins (farrier for the Veterinary Medicine Teaching Hospital, University of California, Davis) and a solution is usually found. He also keeps up on the latest in shoe technology like natural balance shoes and sneakers and the latest shoeing techniques, methods through periodical, books, video tapes, conferences and hands on clinic's. He believes you never stop learning and there's always room for improvement.

There are several ways that we as horse owners can assist our farrier/horseshoer. Good ground manners are a must. There are plenty of books and tapes available on the market and in your local tack shop. Begin early with young horses teaching them to pick up their hooves get them use to holding them up. Older horses might need to get a refresher course from a professional trainer for your safety and the safety of your farrier. The Farrier's job is to shoe or trim your horse not to train or teach your horse manners.

The fact of the matter is, that we as horse owners often train problems into our horses. We don't always nip a negative behavior in the bud. Horses are very much like young children. They learn positive behavior patterns by "our" reinforcing good behavior skills with praise. The consequences of negative behavior is taught by establishing boundaries and providing displine. If you watch a lead mare in a herd of horses, you will observe that she is "in charge" becuase she has taught her family manners and they obey the rules. It is our responsibility to ensure that our horse knows how to behave when the farrier arrives. He does not have an easy job and the less stress on him will ensure a good working relationship with both you and your horse. Provide a clean dry work place for your farrier. A safe place to tie the horse and shade in the summer is a big plus.

If you are thinking of buying a horse, why not call your farrier? Jim will go with a customer to consult and check out a horse before they make a purchase. It's a sound decision. If a horse does not have good hooves, you are headed for rocky times down the trail. Recognizing hoof and gait problems is helpful prior to purchasing the horse. His experienced eye can watch the horse move, check the wear of the feed and look for obvious conformational defects. Sometimes a video camera is helpful in detecting movement problems. But don't forget that a vet check is always worth the money before final purchase.

Jim gives great customer service. He has come out to the barn at 8:30 PM to re-set a shoe for my horse. (Taylor pulled it off fooling around with the fencing) He works 6 days a week currently trying to fit in a second day off. He spends times in the evening returning phone calls and scheduling appointments. A and J Horse Shoeing is equipped with a portable terminal for Visa and MasterCard payments. A web site is in the development where customers will be able to pay their farrier bill online. Check back here for an update.

Jim is an avid gardener and beekeeper, if he has time at the end of the day he enjoys cultivating his garden and tending his bees. He also enjoys doing blacksmithing making some of his own tools and a few decorative pieces. You can contact Jim Willard/ A and J Horse Shoeing by telephone (707) 449-9296 or via e-mail aj@interx.net