Have Anvil, Will Travel

From Moorpark to Tujunga, Brooke McIntosh pursues the ancient craft of horseshoeing in a distinctly modern way--by driving from stable to stable in a 1973 Chevy pickup.

McIntosh, 32, visits one or two stables a day, hauling out a propane forge, anvil and hammers to set up an equestrian repair shop. He fashions shoes--of steel, aluminum or titanium--that fit on each hoof, giving the horse protection and balance.

Shoes are replaced about once every six weeks, on an average. When the shoeing is done right, McIntosh says, the horse never feels the nails driven through the shoe because they are beveled along the side of the hoof. The pointed ends of the nails actually reach outside the hoof, where they are hooked downward, snipped off and filed down.

The hazards of the job include burns, cuts and an occasional swift kick.

“It happens to all of us,” the Chatsworth farrier explained. “Some horses have personality quirks.”

He said, “The more mature horses are more cooperative. The younger ones are usually friskier.”