We all know that many of the things that go with the equestrian sport are expensive. So much so, that a wise horse-husband doesn’t ask any more. After you find out that a few strips of leather held together with a few metal rings that looks like a 12 year old’s home depot shop project (aka a bridle) goes for nearly a grand, it is best to not even know more. Over all, it has worked out for my lovely wife and I, and in addition, she doesn’t ask how much those car parts for my hotrod go for.
However, when her prize horsey loses a shoe out in the paddock, seeing the girls in the barn out their combing through the grass looking for the proverbial glass slipper, I realized that they were nearly literally looking for a needle in a haystack. So, in a total lapse of judgement, I ask, how much does a shoe go for anyways? Her: “about 60 bucks” me: “EACH?”, What are they made of, Unobtanium? and they have to change them? yeah, their feet grow. Now, I don’t know about you, but my feet quit growing when I was about 12. I can wear a pair of shoes for three years before I have to replace them, and they are less than 60 bucks, for the pair.
So, I decide that I am going to help out, and save a few bucks in the process. It is going to take at least a day for the farrier to get here, so I can help search, but we are going to do this my way. I head down to the pawn shop, and sure enough, they have a metal detector. I test it out, and it appears to work, so I plunk down $50.00 and think I am pretty smart, I can not only save 10 dollars on this one, but unlimited numbers of shoes in the future. I get home with my new prize, and with a knowing look, my bride says, yeah, go for it.
Away I go, wandering the paddock, looking for a horse shoe, how hard could it be? About 10 minutes in, I get a strong signal, bingo, done and done…no, a hunk of old farm equipment about 6” down. After about 2 more hours, several tiny bits of old steel, and one close call with a buried power line, I walk back into the barn, and without another word, hand her 60 bucks.
However, when her prize horsey loses a shoe out in the paddock, seeing the girls in the barn out their combing through the grass looking for the proverbial glass slipper, I realized that they were nearly literally looking for a needle in a haystack. So, in a total lapse of judgement, I ask, how much does a shoe go for anyways? Her: “about 60 bucks” me: “EACH?”, What are they made of, Unobtanium? and they have to change them? yeah, their feet grow. Now, I don’t know about you, but my feet quit growing when I was about 12. I can wear a pair of shoes for three years before I have to replace them, and they are less than 60 bucks, for the pair.
So, I decide that I am going to help out, and save a few bucks in the process. It is going to take at least a day for the farrier to get here, so I can help search, but we are going to do this my way. I head down to the pawn shop, and sure enough, they have a metal detector. I test it out, and it appears to work, so I plunk down $50.00 and think I am pretty smart, I can not only save 10 dollars on this one, but unlimited numbers of shoes in the future. I get home with my new prize, and with a knowing look, my bride says, yeah, go for it.
Away I go, wandering the paddock, looking for a horse shoe, how hard could it be? About 10 minutes in, I get a strong signal, bingo, done and done…no, a hunk of old farm equipment about 6” down. After about 2 more hours, several tiny bits of old steel, and one close call with a buried power line, I walk back into the barn, and without another word, hand her 60 bucks.