All in a day’s work Champion farrier Darren Bazin

Three-time world champion farrier Darren Bazin, 47, on how keeping horses on the road has given him a globetrotting career

The fundamentals of this job haven’t changed for hundreds

of years: essentially, I make and fit a piece of metal to a horse’s foot. We look after everything at Willowbrook Equine Farriers, from international competition horses to ponies and donkeys in petting farms. I fit 40 to 50 sets of shoes a week, about a quarter of which are bespoke, because the horses require more input. These tend to be competing at the top flight, where feet and limbs come under a lot of strain.

I grew up with horses. My brother, sister and I loved mounted games and went to Wembley as part of our Pony Club’s Prince Philip Cup team. However, gravity has since taken its toll and I think my days of vaulting on ponies are in the past. A family friend was a farrier, and he was the person who inspired me. I was lucky enough to get an apprenticeship and so left home at 16 to train. By 23 I was representing England at international farriery competitions. I’ve been to the Calgary Stampede 11 times to take part in the World Championships and won three times. Over a million people attend the Stampede and the atmosphere is something else. There’s so much to see and have a go at, although I’ve never been tempted by the bronc riding or steer wrestling. Through international competition, I’ve made great friends from around the world and travelled the globe to give clinics.

This job is 50% dealing with horses and 50% knowing

how to handle people. You see everything from very stressful and sad situations to funny ones. I still blush when I think about arriving at one yard as an apprentice. The horse owner wasn’t anywhere to be found. Eventually, I discovered the client — a lady in her 70s — sunbathing topless in the garden. I asked her where the horse was, kept my head down, and got on with shoeing the horse.

Over time, you develop a sense for which horses might be

problematic, but you can never take anything for granted. I always bear in mind that even an 11hh pony is heavier and stronger than me. I think of the spectacle of a male client being dragged 50 yards across a yard at the end of a rope by a miniature Shetland stallion. The people-skills aspect of my work kicked in there, as I had to try hard not to laugh.

Usually, I have two apprentices.

It’s nice to have people to share the craic with, because it can be a lonely job otherwise. For one thing, you spend an awful lot of time behind the wheel. That’s something that has really got worse in the time I’ve been working: I clock up about 500 miles most weeks travelling around Northamptonshire and surrounding counties. It is also extremely satisfying watching apprentices progress and, of course, it makes the physical work a little easier.

There is no getting away from the fact that being a farrier is

hard on your body. You get burnt every day and your back takes a lot of strain, not least because you always put the horse’s comfort above your own. Recently, I had eight weeks off to recover from spinal decompression surgery. I wish I’d done more yoga or Pilates in my youth, but what young farrier thinks of that? Perhaps donning Lycra and giving classes is another avenue I should explore? H&H

‘Eventually, I discovered the client — a lady in her 70s — sunbathing

topless in the garden.

I asked her where the horse was, kept my head down, and got on with

shoeing the horse’