“ANNOUNCEMENTS, ANNOUNCEMENTS, ANNOUNCEMENTS.”
Does anyone else recall singing that song at Girl Scout, Boy Scout or YMCA camp? ‘Twas a song that ended almost every meal at every camp I went to as a youth. The broadcast I’m singing today is that we have a new farrier in town named Preston Pehrson.
A recent graduate of Mission Farrier School in Snohomish, Preston is a local guy who grew up learning the trade from his father, Tom.
I met Preston soon after moving to Sequim 19 years ago. Likely 20 or 21 at the time, Preston was riding his beloved horse Quinn and building a business in the construction trades.
Preston was among a group of friends I went with on two of my first overnight trail rides.
The first we camped a Slab Camp. A group of friends decided to hike from Slab Camp, located off a Department of Natural Resources road near Lost Mountain Road, to Deer Creek Park in Clallam County.
Not a long ride — about a mile and a half —but it’s a steep narrow trail.
Parts of trail seemed like shale, and as I rode up I could feel part of it give way under my horse’s hoofs. I was worried though as I thought all horses were sure-footed.
After we finished and were back at camp sitting around a campfire the park ranger stopped by.
He mentioned the trail was “a bit soft” in spots, and the week before a “mule crashed and burned” going up.
Apparently the pack on the mule was so wide that when the mule passed an exposed boulder, the pack got caught on a jagged edge. As the mule scrambled to stay upright, the trail beneath him gave way and he fell down the mountainside.
I was told they had to put the mule down.
Lesson to me: Pay attention to the ground and keep my horse safe by either not going on the trail or getting off and leading my horse.
Preston’s love for learning how to do things the correct way: even getting his father to attend hoof clinics through the years.
Then, when deciding to become a full-time farrier, Preston — who has a wife and young son — worked and saved money so he could attend Mission Farrier School.
Located in Snohomish, the school is reputed to be one of the best in the nation to learn about trimming and shoeing, along with anatomy and lameness pathology; equine lameness prevention, recovery and rehabilitation.
Since I usually keep my horses barefoot during the winter, I hired Preston to do some barefoot trimming.
I watched him work, noticing he has a good eye for balancing each hoof and a feel for each animal’s personality and quirks, which can’t be taught in any school.
I look forward to keeping Preston on as my horses’ farrier and watching his business grow.
Preston can be reached at 360-460-2240.
Equestrian teams
The Sequim High School equestrian team attended its first of three Washington State High School Equestrian Team district competitions.
Coach Katie Salmon-Newton says she is proud of each and everyone’s performance.
“Many are brand-new to competing or to WAHSET, yet all of them placed with at least one top 10,” Katie said. “We are looking forward to a great season.”
Top 10 results
■ Kelly Anders — third in reining.
■ Sydney Balkan — 10th in dressage and 10th in steer daubing.
■ Kaytee Gibeau — first in saddle seat equitation and third in working rancher.
■ Lydia Marrs — second in saddle seat equitation.
■ Amanda Murphy — eighth in working rancher.
■ Haylie Newton — fifth in steer daubing, seventh in working rancher and eighth in stock seat equitation.
■ Abi Payseno — fifth in pole bending and sixth in barrels.
■ Heidi Schleiger — ninth in keyhole.
BCH
Back Country Horsemen’s Peninsula chapter has a new website at www.pbchw.org. Like them on Facebook at http://tinyurl.com/PDN-HorsemenFacebook
Events
■ Saturday, March 14, 10 a.m. — BCH’s annual Buckhorn Range and Peninsula chapter ride at Sandy Shore, followed by a potluck.
Contact Kris Phillips at 360-683-7629 or Nicole Short at 360-301-5139 or nicolemshort@hotmail.com.
■ Sundays, March 15 and April 19 — Baker Stable Schooling Show, 164 Four Winds Road, Port Angeles.
Contact Dana or Tom King at 360-457-6039 or 360-460-7832.
■ Saturday and Sunday, April 18-19 — Dr. Richard Vetter Equine Dental Clinic, Jefferson County Fairgrounds, hosted by the Jefferson County 4-H Horse Project.
For information and scheduling, contact Betty Mysak at 360-379-6931 or mbmysak@gmail.com.
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Karen Griffiths’ column, Peninsula Horseplay, appears every other Sunday.
If you have a horse event, clinic or seminar you would like listed, please email Griffiths at kbg@olympus.net at least two weeks in advance. You can also write Griffiths at PDN, P.O. Box 1330, Port Angeles, WA 98362.
