Photo By Sgt. Cody Torkelson | Finished horseshoes hang on a brick wall inside the Caisson Platoon Stables at the...... read more read more
JOINT BASE MYER-HENDERSON HALL, Va. - The horses in the Caisson Platoon of the Army’s 3rd U.S. Infantry Regiment (The Old Guard) participate in thousands of ceremonies annually and are a popular attraction on the Fort Myer portion of Joint Base Myer-Henderson Hall. But with such a workload, the animals frequently need fresh footwear.
That’s where the stables' two farriers, Spc. Tyler Salas and Spc. Todd Kline, come in, making shoes from scratch for the platoon’s elite equines.
The barn is home to 48 Caisson horses whose shoes are typically changed every six weeks or as needed, Salas said during an interview with the Pentagram. Special cases can arise when a horse breaks or loses a shoe through routine wear and tear, he said.
The farriers also inspect and tighten the shoes on horses before their ceremonial duties.
Salas, 24, and Kline, 19, both volunteered for the job, which they agree is taxing, but rewarding in equal measure.
“I love it,” said Salas. “It’s the most physically demanding thing I’ve probably ever done in my life, but I just love it. It’s like art. Every horse you shoe, you try and do better, and you just try to make it look as good as possible. There’s a lot more that goes into it than just putting the shoe on the horse.”
Making shoes takes between two and four hours, according to the farriers, a process that requires them to forge pieces of metal in 3,000-degree heat and shape them to fit the specific hooves of different horses.
And getting the shoes on the horses’ hooves is a challenge in its own right. The farriers must precisely line up the nails when fastening the shoes, or they risk injuring one of the platoon’s elite animals.
Kline said correctly aligning the nails can be a daunting task, especially if a Soldier is new at the job, but he and Salas have come to know the horses, so the task is easier. Some animals are calm when it comes time for a shoe change, while others can be more fidgety, Salas said.
“These aren’t just average horses that we’re doing here,” he said. “These horses are going to Arlington National Cemetery.”
Salas and Kline feel fortunate about their unique posts, and said they have learned everything they’ve needed to know from Robert Brown, the herd manager.
“This is probably one of my only chances in the Army to do it, so I’m going to love it,” Kline said.
| Date Taken: | 04.23.2015 |
| Date Posted: | 04.23.2015 16:24 |
| Story ID: | 161027 |
| Location: | JOINT BASE MYER-HENDERSON HALL, VA, US |
| Hometown: | CLAYTON, NC, US |
| Web Views: | 65 |
| Downloads: | 2 |
This work, Forging footwear: Caisson Platoon farriers provide unique service to TOG, by Guv Callahan, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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