Volume 1, Issue 1 / June 1999A Message From Our President I would like to welcome all of our VHA members to the first issue of "Hammer & Tongs". This newsletter has been a long time in the works and it is nice to see it finally off and running. I would like to personally thank Mr. Lee Carlton for taking on the job as editor and chief of our newsletter. I know it will be a lot of work, but I am sure he will receive a lot of help from our membership. Remember that this is your newsletter and we will be asking for your ideas and input to make this the best source of information for our association.
Get Ready for Summer! Heat cramps, heat exhaustion, heat strokes - familiar topics right? Maybe so, but with the sizzling season dawning upon us a few reminders might save us from unnecessary trouble. In our highly physical trade, the amount of body heat we generate while squatting under a horse is considerable. When the outside temperature is 80-100 degrees our bodies sweat profusely in an effort to keep us cool; but when the humidity is 80-100 percent our cooling system doesn't work as planned. Instead of evaporating and cooling use, it only drips off the end of our sweatband and increases our dehydration as our core temperature rises. This is a potentially dangerous situation. Heat cramps result when we've sweated all of the salt out of our system even if we have "tanked up" on water or soda. These muscular pains & spasms sometimes include mental confusion - a deadly combination. Heat exhaustion is more common but occurs as a result of water loss and leads to fatigue, weakness and possible collapse. Signs of this are heavy sweating, pale skin and a normal body temperature. Heat stroke is by far the most serious of these dangers and is
easily recognized by bright red skin, the absence of sweat and a high
body temperature. At this point, our cooling system has shut down and we are in
a potentially fatal situation. Immediate cooling is necessary - sips of
water, a cooling breeze and/or a thorough soaking are in order. In each case,
gradually replenish your lost fluids with water (salt added) or one of the
sports drinks now available and take a short brake in the shade or the breeze of
a fan. As always, the best prescription is prevention.
Are YOU Covered? Even with the greatest care and experience, accidents can happen and farriers can get sick. Last summer, I experienced this "first hand" when I accidentally severed an artery in my right middle finger, barely nicking the tendon and several nerves. After seven stitches, the shock began to set in. This was my hand, my livelihood, my best tool. Although I was grateful that I didn't do worse damage, I began to worry about paying my high deductible because I wasn't going to be working for a while. It was then that I realized the wisdom of participating in the VHA Accident/Illness Program. The small contribution I made came back to my in my time of need - many times over. From that moment on, I vowed to be a constant contributor. This simple program is one way we can pool our resources and create a "safety net" for our Members. Get with the program - Call Judy Hite at (804)746-0975 for more information.
Bad News Travel In the past year or so, I have heard occasional complaints about farriers being too rough with peoples horses - we've all heard the stories. We've even lived some of them. A rough day, a difficult horse and an undisciplined owner are a bad combination. I've yanked hard on more that one chain but I always avoid using my tools. Losing my cool only makes things worse in the long run - with the horse and its owner. VHA Members especially want to avoid giving our customers occasion for this kind of complaint about our performance. Most of us have enough business that we can simply refuse to work on undisciplined horses (a warning list would be nice) rather than allow then to push us over the edge. It is not our job to make the horse behave. If the owner doesn't do their job, neither do I. If I choose to finish a job, I charge more and urge the owner to work with their horse for my benefit and the benefit of the farriers who come after me. Walk away - don't fall into the trap.
Connor Clinic at the Hite Shop On Saturday, April 17th, the Hite Family hosted a VHA clinic in their home and shop in Mechanicsville. The informative, well planned clinic was presented by Pat Connor and went over, step-by-step, a well thought out plan to pass the Certified or Journeyman AFA Test. Connor displayed a sample shoeboard for the Certified Test and the creased straight bar for the Journeyman. Pat also printer out a 5 page summary of success (which I'm sure he would mail to interested parties upon request). He then demonstrated the making of a braised-on heel caulk shoe and then he made a creased straight bar. After a short, unscheduled, forge gasoline cleaning, Gene Levines made a roadster with Russ Hite striking for him and everyone headed home. Thank You Pat. |
