That moment my forge fire went out mid shoe and I had to improvise

I was working on a client's ranch outside Boerne Texas last Tuesday and my propane forge just died on me. Turns out the tank had a faulty valve and I was stuck trying to finish a front shoe on a paint mare. I ended up tossing the shoe into the client's backyard fire pit to get it hot enough while I waited for a buddy to bring a spare tank. It took about 15 minutes and the shoe came out a little uneven but it held. Has anyone else had to MacGyver their way through a forge failure?

3 comments

3 Comments

fisher.jessica18d ago

Honestly I read something recently about a farrier in Montana who had the exact same thing happen but with a coal forge that got rained out. He ended up using a leaf blower and some scrap wood to keep his fire going enough to finish the shoe. Tbh your fire pit idea is pretty brilliant though, I never would have thought of that in a pinch. That unevenness might actually work out fine on a paint mare if she's a bit heavy on that foot, sometimes a little imperfection helps with balance.

ruby_bell4718d ago

Gotta gently push back on that Montana coal forge story. Coal forges don't "get rained out" the same way something like a propane setup would, they're actually pretty hardy in wet weather. A leaf blower and scrap wood is more of a campfire trick than something a farrier would need to resort to.

jessica33117d ago

Huh, you're right about the coal forges being tough in wet weather, that totally makes sense. I guess I just read that story and figured the guy knew what he was talking about, but maybe his setup was different or something. It's annoying when you hear a good story and then someone points out it doesn't add up. Still, that leaf blower trick with a coal forge feels a bit like a redneck fix that might actually work in a real pinch, even if it's not standard. Appreciate you setting the record straight though, it's good to know the real deal.