Chuckles from Down Under

Collected by Jane Sullivan, Bell Veterinary Services to me. If you gain their trust, you can do anything with them.”

When discussing how mules were to shoe, Eldon responded, “That depends on the mule.”

After shoeing for 60 years, I asked Eldon what he wished he knew when he started that he knows now. “How to trim properly” was the answer. “Improper trimming will get a foot out of balance.” He said learning how to nail properly was also very important and that he had won an award with his ability to properly nail. When asked what he would tell a young person that is considering becoming a horseshoer, Eldon did not hesitate when he said, “Go to a good school to get started. They can teach you things you don’t always know or routinely see.”

A true inspiration to Eldon was his good friend, shoeing partner and mentor, Mr. Ray Helmbold (1947-2018). “Ray was a gentle giant and could get under horses. He always helped to motivate me to keep learning.” Ray and Eldon traveled to Tucumcari, New Mexico, to take the written portion of the journeyman farrier test. Ray insisted on studying instead of seeing the sights of Tucumcari! Dr. Doug Butler’s Principles of Horseshoeing was the “bible” from which they studied. Eldon shared that “Ray’s saying was ‘Hone your craft’.”

Our horseshoeing discussion encompassed dark feet versus white feet, resetting time frames, use of tranquilizers, tying up feet, scotch hobbles, hot shoeing versus hot shaping, cold shoeing, prescriptive shoeing, corrective shoeing, proper shoeing, medical plates, shoeing for the “good” foot, not shoeing to the “fad”, as well as Dr. Wade Taylor’s horse’s front foot and leg. However, each one of those topics are articles in and of themselves!

A part of Eldon’s horseshoeing business that needs recognition and may truly be a story in and of itself is ‘Ol Red, Eldon’s 1990 Dodge Cummins pickup. The math is pretty straightforward: ‘Ol Red is 30 years old. It was purchased at Oakley Motors new for $16,000. Even though the odometer quit working over fifteen years ago at 397,000 miles, Eldon has estimated a conservative million miles on ‘Ol Red’s original engine, transmission, and clutch. It has had a few sets of tires, batteries, and alternators but no major overhaul. It makes over 20 miles to the gallon with no A/C, but the windows roll down. The topper on ‘Ol Red traveled over 400,000 miles on Eldon’s previous shoeing pickup prior to the million it has traveled on ‘Ol Red. Needless to say, Eldon takes care of his equipment.

It was a quiet Monday morning in September 2053, when John awoke with a need to go to the bathroom.

To John, this wasn’t just any ordinary day.

This was the day he would open the last package of toilet paper his parents bought in the year 2020 .

Eldon’s life outside of his shoeing career has been filled with family, friends, and dancing. Eldon and his wife Joy have three children, Chad, Kat, and Kit, as well as five grandchildren. All three of his kids know how to shoe a horse and have demonstrated it. It was apparent that Eldon is very proud of his family and their many talents.

Eldon grew up in a Bohemian Catholic family that liked to dance. So it was understandable that Eldon would take a dance class during his college career at Colby Community College. It was not long and Eldon was teaching this college outreach ballroom dance class to cover his tuition. Over the years, Eldon has taught western style, two-step, jitterbug, polka, waltz, and even the Bohemian schottische dance. If you get the chance, ask Eldon and Joy about their dancing story.

Not only was Eldon a dance instructor, he was a member of the PRCA. He competed in the steer wrestling, calf roping and saddle bronc riding at major events in Denver, Cheyenne, and state fairs. Eldon competed the same time as a bareback rider named Chris LeDeoux. In Oklahoma City during the National Finals, Reba McEntire was singing with Red Steagall when Eldon asked her to dance, to which she said yes. I told you this article was more than the showcase of a shoeing award!

These days you can find Eldon shoeing horses. Eldon is not taking any new clients and finds it hard to say no. “His customers are loyal and will wait on him because he is worth the wait,” Joy mentions smiling. When asked about his back he said, “My back has been good. My hands have some arthritis, but I take a little ibuprofren. I take vitamins and calcium. I’ve had both knees replaced. I am genetically sound.” As we concluded our visit, I asked Eldon if he understood how revered he is in the horse shoeing world, to which he humbly replied, “I just go out there, bend over, and do my job.”