The day Zirah got her first pair of shoes started like any other barn morning, quiet and dusty with the sound of horses shifting in their stalls. She is my little rescue mare, curious and quiet, and up until recently she had been barefoot.
That changed after a set of X-rays with my vet.
She walked me through each image, calm and clear. Zirah had foundered at some point in her past. There was minor rotation in both front feet and fractured sidebone on each side. Suddenly, a lot of her little quirks made sense. The moments where she felt just a bit tender on gravel. The way she shifted her weight on hard ground.
We talked through options and a plan. The next step was obvious. I needed a skilled farrier in El Paso who could help her stay comfortable and supported as we eased her into her new life. My current farrier fit the bill.
Calling in the farrier
As soon as the vet pulled out of my driveway, I pulled out my phone and texted my farrier. I trust him with my horses, so there was no question who I would call. I sent the X-rays and a long, worried paragraph about what the vet had found.
His reply was simple.
“We can help her. I will bring the forge.”
A few days later his truck backed up to the barn. The portable forge rattled in the bed, an anvil waited on a stand, and the air already smelled faintly of metal and propane.
I am a photographer at heart, so of course I asked if I could bring out my camera. He laughed and said yes, as long as I stayed out of the way. Deal.
Fire, steel, and one very patient mare
Zirah watched as we set up in the alleyway. Sunlight streamed in from the open doors in front of her, outlining her bright chestnut coat and curious eyes.
The farrier slipped the halter lead over a hook, said hi to her in that quiet farrier way, then lit the forge.
The first time the steel came out of the fire it glowed a fierce orange. Through my lens I watched his hands move with the ease that only comes from years of practice. Hammer rising and falling. Sparks jumping. Each ring of metal on metal echoed through the barn.
He was not just making a horseshoe. He was building support for damaged structures inside her hoof. The slight rotation. The fractured sidebone. Every tap of the hammer had purpose.
Zirah stood like a statue. No sedation. No drama. Just a mare who seemed to understand that everyone in that barn was there to help her feel better. Every now and then she flicked an ear toward the sound of the anvil or breathed warm air down my neck as I crouched to photograph the smoke.
When the shoe was shaped, he pressed the hot metal to her hoof for a brief second to check the fit. Smoke curled around his hands and her leg. That familiar smell of hot shoe on hoof filled the air. It is a scent that every horse person knows, sharp and comforting all at once. I snapped frame after frame as the smoke wrapped around them like a veil.
The art and science of a farrier in El Paso
Watching the process from behind a camera made me appreciate his work even more. A good farrier in El Paso does so much more than just nail on shoes.
He had studied her X-rays ahead of time. He talked through breakover, support, and how to take pressure off the areas that were already stressed. He adjusted the shape and width of each shoe specifically for her feet.
Then he rasped, checked, and rasped again, making sure she stayed balanced. Every few minutes he stepped back, sighted down her leg, and checked how she loaded each hoof when she shifted her weight.
It was part science, part craftsmanship, and part quiet conversation between horse and human.
By the time he finished, Zirah set her front feet down with a new kind of confidence. She walked out of the barn with a longer stride and a looser back. Nothing dramatic, just a clear sense of relief.
Why your farrier matters
That day reminded me how important it is to build a good team around our horses. A knowledgeable vet to diagnose what we cannot see. A skilled farrier to turn that information into real-world comfort. An owner who is willing to ask questions, listen, and advocate for the horse.
If you are dealing with lameness, soreness, or just a feeling that something is “off,” do not wait. Talk to your vet. Reach out to a trusted farrier in El Paso who understands corrective and therapeutic work. Small changes can make a huge difference in how your horse moves and feels.
Zirah’s story is still being written. She is not perfect, and neither are her feet, but she is more comfortable now. She trots out with her ears pricked, and I get to see that soft, happy expression that every horse owner lives for.
And yes, I have the photos to remember every step. The glow of the forge. The curl of the smoke. The steady hands holding a fragile hoof.
Because this is the kind of quiet, everyday hero work that deserves to be seen.
