by Shirley Sepulveda
A Special for "Happy Trails"
After enduring years of horseshoers that didn't show up, came early, did the horses incorrectly, and generally had bad attitudes, it was a miracle when I found Tony! Not only does he CALL if he is going to be late or can't show up at all-------he does what is most important to me-----he LISTENS! he listens to me, the vets, and his clients. He also has performed what I consider miracles here in my back yard.
I had a gelding that came up from LA that belongs to a client from twenty years ago. She was at her wits end down there with this gelding because after sending him off to a trainer for reining training she had a problem with him. She switched trainers. That didn't help. So he came to me just like his mother did so many years ago.
Part of his "rehabilitation program" meant being worked every day at a walk and holding still so he could be mounted, etc. So when this gelding stepped on a nail and abcessed, I was pretty upset about what was going to happen to his mind once he was stalled to keep his foot clean.
Tony was here doing another horse and I asked him if had any ideas about what to do. I did not want a shoe with a steel plate as that puts him off balance in the front. The gelding would take his easy boot off as soon as you turned your back. Tony and I talked about it for awhile and then he said he could try something he had read about. What he ended up doing was putting in a pad that stayed in place for work and came off and out for soaking and doctoring. It worked and I was able to continue the training on this horse.
Since then Tony has had to come up with several other "miracles" for me that have worked extremely well. He does such an amazing job for several reasons. He takes each horse as an individual and applies the laws of mechanics as to how the horse should move taking into consideration the type of work, conformation, and how any injuries affect the way the horse moves. His "reward" (as he puts it) is watching the horse move off sound and seeing an ectastic kid riding a sound horse. There are not alot of shoers around that have that kind of motivation.
Tony was born in Torrance, California back in the fifties and readily admits that even though his sister had a horse he was terrified of them. After getting out of the service he met his wife to be, Carla. She worked at a pack station in Lone Pine, California. The gentleman that owned the pack station would tell Tony how he went through the shoers because they were so hard on his mules. He told Tony he should go to school and he would have a job. Tony couldn't get into the school of his choice so he went and apprenticed under the shoer that the pack station owner suggested for some time. Then he had a job at the pack station.
Tony married and then they moved back to the state where his wife had been raised. He got into shoeing school. When he graduated, his uncle made him an anvil with his name on it. In school, Tony got turned onto clinics and competition. In 1984, he took a third place and was definitely hooked.
Through the years, he has competed all over the western U. S. He is always a competitor at Mule Days in Bishop, California every spring. He has been World Champion three times, reserve World Champion, and has garnered several thirds and fourths there. He always wears his derby out of respect to earlier farriers and his uncle. He would always send a picture of his award on his anvil to his uncle. Now that his uncle has passed away, he will never be able to see him compete.
He credits his being able to do all this to his wife, Carla, and his three kids, Tee, Cotton, and Lacy Jo. He tries to take his family with him to most competitions as he is a firm believer in his family's support.
What is his goal? To be able to go to Calgary, Canada to compete he says. I say go for it, Tony! As long as you come back to perform miracles here in Nevada! To other farriers I say this: Be timely, let people know (as Tony does) that you are not going to show up, and you will get the respect from your clients that Tony gets from his.
You can find Tony Baratti at Mule Days in Bishop, California
every spring. He has been World Champion three times.
Graphic from WebFarm
www.geocitites.com/Yosemite/Trails/3543/
Tony Baratti is always ready to go to school
and talk with the students about his work
and about winning at Mule Days.