Blacksmithing tradition forges onward
Bent over her blazing forge, Abbotsford blacksmith Michelle Hague strikes flat steel with a hammer as she makes a horseshoe.
Hague is back at the PNE for a second time to give fairgoers a glimpse of the largely unexplored craft of blacksmithing.
“We’ve become far removed from horseshoe making and it used to be a big part of transportation,” said Hague, who’s been in the business for 26 years. “It’s a very old tradition and it’s great to be able to show this to the general public.”
Hague, 45, started blacksmithing when she was 19.
As an animal lover, she wanted to make sure that she found a job close to animals.
Hague learned blacksmithing at Kwantlen Polytechnic University’s Cloverdale campus, in a program that survives today.
Every day starting Wednesday at the Livestock Farms, Hague demonstrates how to make a multi-purpose concave horseshoe, which can be used for show-jumping, dressage and trail riding.
Besides horses, she has also made shoes for mules and oxen.
To make the shoes, she measures the circumference of the animal’s foot and trims the bar stock, a raw form of purified metal, according to the measurements.
Hague then bends the steel and after an arduous 90 minutes, fits it on the animal’s foot.
“It’s very hard work and it’s tough on your back, but it’s worth it when you finish,” Hague said, adding that audiences are fascinated by the long process.
She said the crowd especially loves it when horses are present for the demonstration and even more when the Vancouver Police Department’s horses have their shoes made.
This year the police will come back with their horses for the demonstration of Aug. 28 and 29.
Hague, whose husband is also a blacksmith, said that at least one of her three children is learning the craft.
“He’s just in Grade 11 and I’m not sure if he’s going to continue, but I’m still happy that he’s learning,” she said.
Blacksmithing, she said, is a tradition that she hopes will live on with younger generations.
“It will be great to see blacksmithing continue and ... it’s good that festivals like the PNE allow us to do that.”