Often I see gorgeous horseshoe designs come up in my Facebook feed. Recently I reached out to Rustic Horseshoe Designs. I asked if they’d be willing to answer some questions about their work. Alice was kind enough to provide her answers below.
How much of your day/week is related to horses?
It varies weekly, depending what we have on, whether we have riding lessons or pony club etc. It can vary from about 7-18 hours a week with the horses.
I spend between 3-15 hours a week drawing horses, and 10-20 hours a week working with horseshoes.
What is it exactly that you do?
I create 2D art from used horseshoes.
I create a design with pencil on paper, or with chalk on my cast iron bench. If drawn on paper, I’ll scale the design up to the required size and trace it out on my bench.
A grinder with a cutting disc is used to cut pieces of horseshoe to match the lines of the design I have drawn on the bench. Some of these pieces can be tiny, and for those I’ll grip the horseshoe piece with a Knipex which allows me to cut slivers if required.
I tack weld the pieces together as I go along, otherwise they end up skittering all over the bench and I’m forever resetting them in place.
Once everything is cut out and tack welded, I’ll take photos and look it over closely to see if any changes are needed. When I’m happy with the tacked together piece, it gets welded up solid.
Using a flap disc on the grinder I take the welds back to blend in with the surrounding shoe. I’ll then go over the piece with a wire wheel and brush to thoroughly clean the groove and nail holes.
In this field of work, is it possible to be a full-time professional and earn a liveable income?
Yes, it is definitely possible to do this work full time and earn a liveable income. It takes time to build up a reputation and to get your work out and seen, but it is possible to end up doing it full time.
Profile on Alice, Rustic Horseshoe Designs
Last year I was doing an average of 7 hours a day, 6 days a week through the summer months, with plenty of work to do more hours if I had wanted to.
This year I’ve knocked back my hours and do between 10-20 hours a week with the horseshoes to give me more time to draw, and to do the admin work for the steel fabrication my husband and I started a year ago.
What are the general steps to be employed in such a role?
For anyone wanting to get into horseshoe art, you will need to start with a basic knowledge of welding and handling a grinder. Once you have those and a space to work, it’s really just a matter of choosing an easy project and getting started. As with learning any skill, the more you do the better you will get.
Favourite horse memory?
This is a hard one, I have so many!
Being put up onto a horse’s back for the very first time at 6yrs old. And the sheer delight of feeling the horse underneath me.
Or being blindfolded on my 13th birthday, guided out the front and having a leadrope put into my hand with a sweet mare on the other end of it!
Or my gelding and I jumping 95cm for the first time. I’ll never forget that feeling of flying.
Or galloping on a summer afternoon through a paddock that’s just been cut and freshly baled for hay. That smell is divine!
Or having my heart mare give birth to a beautiful brown colt, and hearing his little nickers for the first time.
The memories are endless.
Future goals?
A goal with horseshoes is to complete a 3D horse that will stand about 13-14hh tall.
My dream is to constantly improve my drawings, and to hopefully one day get the courage to enter some art competitions.
Best thing about your sport/profession?
The best thing about what I do is the flexible hours. Being a Mum it’s been great being able to fit my work in around my kids.
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