Solidarity project - Farrier education in Zambia 2018/2019

The first farrier education in Zambia. The goal is to have examined farriers. The examination (last course) includes physiological shoeings and trims; forging in either gas or coal making shoes, toeing knives, hoof-picks etc..

The last year has been a challenge. In February 2018 I was contacted and asked to lead a Farrier Education in Zambia. Some discussions and applications later ZANEF (Zambia National Equestrian Federation) managed to get a solidarity project funded by FEI (http://www.fei.org/solidarity) . The solidarity project consists of four blocks of education and the funding covers the travel to and inside Zambia for two volunteers each trip. All volunteers are doing their work pro bono. In Zambia we are sponsored by horse owners letting us stay with them.

It is a thrilling but also a difficult task to take on an educational plan in a country where you never been. And where the structure of society is so completely different from your own. There are very few educated farriers in Zambia most of the trimming and shoeing are done by grooms or stable personal with horse owners buying the shoes. Occasionally farriers are brought in from other countries.

The first farrier education in Zambia started in November 2018, 7th to 28th of November. The goal is educate farriers that can do good physiological shoeings and have an understanding of diseases in the foot. We also make our own tools learning forging e.g. toeing knives, hoof-picks, hoof knives etc., using scrap metal.
It was decided we should have two educational sites, one in Lusaka and one in Copperbelt. The students are grooms and stable personal working in different stables around Zambia, e.g. in Chingola, Kitwe, Mkushi and Mazabuka. The interest was huge 24 students in Lusaka and 18 in Kitwe and more tried to join us later. One of my rules are that you must participate in the previous course to be able to move on to the next one.
The first trip my wife Anna-Maria joined me to help keep track of things and document everything. The photos and documentation should be used in the search for sponsors and for reports about the development of the education. The first course became an introduction to farriery and of exploring the needs in on-site structure and equipment for continuous training. With so many students there were no way I could push any student out, all were eager to learn hence all went on to the next course.
All parts of the 1st course was done with the welfare of the horse in focus. But I am sorry to say that I did not find one horse that was pain free in all four feet. The problems were: Too hard trimming; small shoes (not covering the ground surface of the hooves); sole pressure; nail pressure (too much outer hoof wall rasped off); and trush. Already after the first course I realised that with that many students and two educational sites four blocks of training was not enough and the hunt for extra money for a fifth trip started.
The 2nd course, 23rd of January to the 13th of February, we were two farriers going down to Zambia, myself and Hans Petter Aalberg from Trondheim (Norway). All the students that participated in course 1 came back for the second one. We had oral exams and the selection process had started. The main criteria in the selection process is the horse handling, how comfortable are you working under a horse.
The first weekend of March I was invited by the Norwegian Farrier Association at their annual meeting to speak about the solidarity project and Hans Petter joined in during the talk. We had been given different items in Zambia in order to have a charity auction at the annual meeting.
More will come…

Solidarity project in Zambia!
Sponsors the first trip: Granngården Ängelholm and Team Alutorp

Solidarity project in Zambia!

Fölkorrigeringens ABC!(framsida) Fölkorrigeringens ABC!(baksida)
"Uno Yxklinten ger unik inblick i korrigering av fölben",
se recension i Ridsport nr 6 2009, del Inblick sid. 8
Boken kan beställas här och kostar 390,- (inkl.moms) +
frakt (40,- inom Sverige)
, maila din beställning redan idag!

FAF solidarity farrier!

Under fliken HOVSLAGERI kan man hitta lite allmänt om hur jag arbetar och under fliken FÖLKORRIGERING några av de fölkorrigeringar som har gjorts under årens lopp. Jag hoppas också att jag får in lite material om hovens belastning och mekanik. Mitt konst- och brukssmide finns delvis utlagt (se under KONSTSMIDE ), kommer att lägga ut fler bilder i FOTOGALLERIET (så fort det är klart).

I smedjan har vi en liten utställning med smide, tavlor och ljus. Vill ni se den? Maila om visning, eller kom förbi.

Jul i smedjan Jul i smedjan Jul i smedjan

Jul i smedjan Jul i smedjan Jul i smedjan

Här på förstasidan har jag lagt ut några bilder på mina senaste smidesprojekt (fler finns i FOTOGALLERIET ):
En ljusbärare till minneslunden på Össjö kyrkogård. Fick också med en bild på en handsmidd brudbukett som jag gjorde åt Hanna och Rikard i somras, och en tavla som Anna-Maria har målat.

Minneslund_01

Minneslund_02 Minneslund_03

Brudbukett Hästöga
Handsmidd brudbukett. En centrumros med omgivande kallor och blad, dekorerad med murgröna. Oljemålning "Hästöga" av Anna-Maria

Hoppande häst

Detta är den första smidda hästen med fyra ben, själva hästen är smidd av två använda skor och ett väggfäste är smitt av en tredje sko med plats för värmeljus.

laget 2003

Detta är en gammal bild från 2003 när laget kom tvåa i ardennerskoningen i Falsterbo. Lagmedlemmarna var de samma 2003, 2004 och 2005. På bilden provar Björn och Jörgen en baksko varmt.

skoning laget 2002

Detta är gamla bilder från 2002 när mitt dåvarande lag vann ardennerskoningen i Falsterbo. (Från vänster: Björn Berg, Mikael Knap, jag själv och Anders Persson.)

Bakgrund
1988-89 gick jag som hovslagarlärling, samtidigt som jag startade min doktorandutbildning vid Chalmers.
1989-1994 arbete med min doktorsavhandling, disputerade 1994. Arbetade som hovslagare samtidigt (deltid).
1994-1996 Post-doc tjänst vid DTH i Lyngby, Danmark. Arbetade som hovslagare under tiden (halvtid). Byggde min första smedja i september 1996.
1996-1999 projektledare för Öllöv (konsultbasis, deltid), och hovslagare.
1999- Hovslagare (heltid) och konstsmed deltid.
Tog gesällbrevet i hovslageri 2006.

Tävlingsmeriter
2:a SM 2002, 4:a SM 2004, 1:a SM 2005, 2:a SM 2006, 2:a SM 2007, 5:a SM 2008, 5:a i NM 2004och 4:a EM 2006.
Har tillhört Svenska landslaget i hovslageri sedan 2004, deltagit i EM Stockholm 2004, Finland 2006 och Hamburg 2008.
Varit del i Team Yxklinten som varit bästa svenska lag i ardennerskoningen i Falsterbo 2002, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007 och 2008 med flera totalsegrar i klassen. Kom 2:a 2007 efter ett danskt lag Team Berger och 2008 kom vi trea efter (återigen) Team Berger 1:a och ett norskt lag på andra plats Team Norge