Jamie Secoura-JS Farrier
Jamie Secoura of JS Farrier has never been someone to look for the "easy" way in life. That's true of the way she works and the way she plays! On any given weekend you might find her running through the woods. Jogging through the woods isn’t unusual, but running through the woods carrying a 50 lb sandbag? Or dragging weights? For Jamie that’s just fun training for one of her favorite activities-Spartan racing. Never heard of it? Neither had I! All I can say is holy cow! For a change of pace there might be some serious rock wall climbing, jiu-jitsu or Cross Fit competitions.
It logically follows that Jamie chose a profession that others might consider physically daunting-that of being a farrier! Jamie got into the weight work, Cross Fit training and Spartan racing to keep fit for her chosen profession.
When did she know she wanted to be a farrier? Did a school counselor put that out there as one of the most in demand and lucrative professions of the future? Hmmm. No, can’t see that happening. Or did Jamie wake up one morning and say – “That’s it. I want to shoe horses for a living!” I kind of doubted that too. I suspected it was a bit more like being a horse trainer-or any other equine professional- it sneaks up on you, you fall in love with it, and you do it because you just can’t imagine doing anything else
Says Jamie, "I became interested in horse shoeing by watching my farrier, Mike Poe (an AFA Certified Journeyman Farrier and Associate with the Worshipful Company of Farriers in Britain), work on my horses; then I began riding along with him as he went about the business of being a farrier.
When Jamie started seriously considering shoeing as a profession, Mike told her she should go to farrier school. And that’s exactly what she did!
Jamie studied at the Kentucky Horseshoeing School in 2011, apprenticed with her mentor, Mike Poe, for two years, and followed that with an internship in Equine Podiatry at the Virginia-Maryland College of Veterinary Medicine. Only then did she strike out on her own as JS Farrier.
By October of 2017 Jamie was ready for a custom farrier rig so she contacted Gene at Bay Horse Innovations of New York.
Because they have so much experience building farrier rigs, Gene and his crew already know what a farrier needs in a truck or a trailer. All you need to tell them is how you like to work. What makes your day easier. In a job where a fractious horse can be part of the equation, or when your skills are needed to help turn a lame horse back into a sound one, your rig needs to perform like an extension of yourself. Seamlessly. The proverb “a place for everything and everything in its place” may not have originated to describe a custom farrier rig, but it may as well have.
The new JS Farrier rig is mounted on a 2016 Chevy 2500 HD Crew Cab. Every component-except for the forge- brand spanking shiny and new!
If you live in Maryland, you just might see Jamie and the new JS Farrier rig rolling down the highway as she travels to meet up with clients across Anne Arudel County, Calvert County, Prince George’s County and the Eastern Shore. If you happen to be in that area of the country and need a farrier, you can message Jamie on Facebook (she has a page for JS Farrier) or call (410) 991-8718.
