"Safety is foremost at Bundoran. Fred has good, sensible horses that are a pleasure to work with, in my case, underneath. He understands the risks that are involved in hitching the big guys, and they manage that risk really well. It starts with sensible horses and sensible people. I like the emphasis on safety.

"They have fun too. The one-on-one instruction is informative, challenging, yet it's obvious that the students are having fun."

In this photo, Stan is helping hitch the forty horse team at Dick Sparrow's farm in Iowa. Apparently, his job was to lean on the horses to help keep them steady!

"I love these big horses; most farriers don't like to work on them, but I have been doing it for Colonial Williamsburg for fifteen years, for the Budweiser Clydesdales at Busch Gardens for six years, and for the Bundoran Belgians for five. They need an understanding of how they are put together, and how they think. No, I don't use stocks; we teach these horses to hold their feet up, and we get a better job that way."

Stan has been shoeing light and heavy horses since 1966. He lectures in our week-long driving school classes, is a certified riding instructor, is a local hunter/jumper judge, and he practices equine dentistry, too.

Recently he was asked by a beginning farrier if he had any advice, and Stan responded: "I sure do: never say 'OOPS' when you are working on a $30,000 horse"

Stan offers this poetic safety tip (equally true of horses!):

On mules we find two legs behind,
and two we find before.
We stand behind, before we find
what the two behind, be for.

There is no way we could do it without him and his good sense of humor. Many thanks, Stan.

If you'd like to talk to a great farrier,
contact Stan Rudacil at 434-286-4093, pager 961-4323