Farrier Tools

So a couple years ago (according to my computer, over 2!), I was still working as a back country cook in Banff. This job was AMAZING and I loved it. Still tell stories about it and enjoy going through old photos. It was just full of so many photography opportunities that you don't run into very often in this day and age. I'm constantly kicking myself over not getting more photos! However I do have a handful that will remain favourites for me no matter what. I've got a couple here right now!

Now farrier tools aren't really special and hard to find these days. All you have to do is find a farrier! I'm sure that their tools won't be far away. If you're lucky they'll just have them lying around on an anvil like these ones here! Because there were so many anvils floating around at the barns some had run of the mill stands and others just had stumps like this one. Personally I enjoy the stumps, adds more authenticity for me for some reason. I have no clue if farriers back in the day actually used stumps as well! Seems likely though.

From what I remember about this day, there were two farriers working in a pen. Both on mules I believe, or for sure at least one on a mule! Originally I was out to get photos of them in actions but I don't think I actually got any that I liked. I'll have to look that up later... But I did get these two shots! All tools pictured are being used by Roland, you can see him in the photo below. He's the one that may or may not be working on a mule. While there are things about both of these photo's compositions that I wish I would have done differently at the time of shutter button pressing, I'm still very happy with the results of them as a pair and always think of them whenever I think of Banff photos or Western photos in general. The above photo was even a print that was on exhibition during my show in Banff. I hope you like them both as much as I do!

Enjoy!