"When I was younger, if you'd told me I was going to shoe horses for I living, I would have laughed at you but learning to shoe became a necessity. I just got tired of paying guys to do a bad job."
The frustration in trying to find a farrier that was any good helped him make the decision to attend the Oklahoma Farrier College in 1979. There he focused on problem horses, since he already had the basic skills, and graduated as a Master Farrier with a Certificate as The Outstanding Student of the Class. Added to that is over 30 years experience as a farrier.
Ian has learned the value to a farrier of an extensive knowledge of equine anatomy attending a Deb Bennet 5 Day clinic where they disected an entire horse. He has a good understanding of the mechanics of movement and the logic behind a simple balanced foot and can show it to you on his his own collection of leg bones.
Currently, Ian lives in the Brooks area with his good wife Jo-Ann. Both are known in the working dog world for their accomplishments with their collies. Their dogs are a big part of who they are.
"Ian has been the salvation of many horses. If you want to be his client, have a horse with a problem, and he'll never turn you down. He enjoys the challenge. Smart guy, good man. And then there's those jokes and stories he tells. He has a pile of them."