farrier

Everyday

1. A farrier is a person whose job is to look after horses' hooves and fit horseshoes on them. tree →
2. In the past a farrier could also treat sick horses, a little like an animal doctor. tree →

In the lessons

In everyday country life a farrier visits stables every few weeks to trim hooves and nail on new shoes; it does not hurt the horse because the outer hoof has no feeling. In stories and history lessons the farrier works at a forge with fire, an anvil and a hammer. Phrases: call the farrier, the farrier's forge.

Examples

• The farrier came to fit new shoes on my pony. tree →
• A farrier trims horses' hooves like we cut our nails. tree →
• The farrier heated the horseshoe in the forge. tree →
• Nailing on a shoe doesn't hurt the horse. tree →
• My uncle trained for years to become a farrier. tree →
• The farrier shod 4 horses, each with 4 shoes, so he used 16 shoes. tree →
• The knight's horse needed the farrier after the long ride. tree →

Note

Countable noun. A blacksmith makes things from iron in general; a farrier works with horses' hooves, though one person can be both. The verb for putting on horseshoes is «shoe» (shoe, shod). In maths, a horse has 4 hooves, so it needs 4 shoes.