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The Canadian Statesman, Bowmanville, Wednesday, June 8,1994 5 Woman Hones Horseshoe Skills To Make Canada's Farrier Team Looking Back at Our Postal History by Laura J. Richards An Orono woman's dream is to become good enough at her trade to make the national farrier team. "My goal is to qualify for a spot on the Canadian Farriers' Team," said Orono horseshoe maker Anne Negri. "They compete in Stoneleigh, England, at an annual competition." Farriers from Australia, Canada, Switzerland, Italy and Wales vie for top honors once a year. Negri is well on her way with her many firsts in her field and her dedication dedication to a career which only began a few years ago with a course at Seneca College. It gave her "a solid foundation." The program went into the physiology physiology of the horse, "especially the limb." There were also studies on taking care of the hooves, forge work, and diseases of the feet among the three- and-one-half-month program. Field" trips included visits to Windfield Farms outside of Oshawa and to the annual convention of the Ontario Farriers' Association. Once she graduated as ihe first student with straight A's in the program, program, she went off to Cobourg to apprentice with Des Ouckama. After that, she worked with John Staples at Woodbine Race track. What began as an apprenticeship ended up being a partnership. With ail that work, she still has time to spend on other projects. Negri was the first female farrier to be licensed by the Ontario Racing Commission and the first female farrier farrier at Woodbine Racetrack. She was also the first female president of the Ontario Farriers' Association. She says she's not out to prove a point about the skills of women -- these are just the ways she has accumulated accumulated experience and developed within her career. Negri says while some people are surprised when they first see her at work, that surprise doesn't last. "Some are genuinely surprised at what I do. They're probably thinking, thinking, 'My God, you're going to snap.'" ... ........ However, she has had nothing but support from the people within the business and at Woodbine. " And people will be getting used to seeing women working as farriers because there are "more and more women doing it," she noted. It also helps that there is more exposure within the field as Negri continues to compete. She has gained recognition for her work as she now competes in the top level of the Open Internationals. She also received her "Journeyman's "Journeyman's Ticket" last September. She was the first woman to attain that distinction, "I love the job. It is great to be involved and be able to put in what you take out." And Negri has been doing just that She works on five or six horses per day, sue days per week, 10 months of the year at the track. She also has a small private practice too. With all that work, she still has time to spend on other projects. One of those is a farrier study manual for those who want to upgrade upgrade their knowledge but don't have enough time to read through all the books to do so. She took on the project with Ouckama, It took her from August 1991 to January 1992 to complete the information information for the manual. "I've condensed the important information information and spoken to people in the industry. The manual is in tabu- lation form and there are sample questions at the back. 1 "There is also a glossary of terms we use," Negri said. The manual, which is geared for the person without a lot of time on By Sher Leetooze , Ann Negri, of Orono, works at Woodbine Raceway as a farrier. She is shown here with a "shoe board" that she used to get her Journeyman's Journeyman's Ticket. And yes, she made all the shoes on the board. their hands, allows such people to bone-up on the new information. The manual was recently translated translated into French. "There now appears to be a market market in France and Switzerland," Anne Negri explains. She noted that there apparently isn't a lot of material being generated generated in those particular countries on the trade. The manual helps when someone is approaching the three levels of certification: basic, intermediate and journeyman. "We are encouraging older blacksmiths blacksmiths to take the tests. " With part of the testing done in written form, the older blacksmiths need to have their memories refreshed refreshed and need help in keeping up with the new information. At her work at Woodbine, she is also involved in research for the Equine Research Centre in Guelph. "We are collecting information, measuring changes in types of shoes and foot shapes of horses," Negri explained. This data will help in the future assessments of the type of shoes horses need for particular work or foot shapes. "We're collecting data on some 300 horses now." Wre collecting data on some 300 horses now." She explained photographs are taken of the horses' feet from a number of different angles to get a three-dimensional effect which helps facilitate studying the hooves. Negri noted the research has been interesting. However, "once you answer one question, you open yourself up to 10 more." Obviously Negri has demonstrated demonstrated a keen interest in her chosen career. career. "It is a constant challenge. I am always learning." There is a science involved in learning about the "changes and problems in a horse's movements." As a farrier, the making of the shoes for a horse involves much more than pounding nails into a hoof. "This job forces you to be very honest with yourself. A horse can't talk. "You have to look at the wear and how the foot has grown." The on-going contact with the horses at the track provides continuous continuous care for the animals. Negri enjoys working with the horses and as part of the team of trainers and grooms. She works with five to six horses per day (that's 20 to 24 shoes). She and her partner, also do specialty work. Specialty work is most often done at the end of the day, when both horses and she are tired. "This is a job where you have to THE CORPORATION OF THE MUNICIPALITY OF CLARINGTON PUBLIC NOTICE TO ITS CITIZENS 1094 MUNICIPAL ELECTIONS II you plan to seek office In the 1994 Municipal Elections, you must register with tho Municipal Clerk before you solicit or accept contributions or Incur expenses for the purpose of tho election. For more Information contact: Patti L. Barrio, A.M.C.T., Clerk Municipality of Glnringlon 40 Tomporanco Street Bowmanville, Ontario L1C3A6 /T%. MUNICIPALITY OF ( ^larington ~~ ONTAIIIO Date of First Publication: January 12,1994 CS-Ind. 5007 be aware of your own moods. You have to be patient and give the horses horses the benefit of the doubL "You have to watch yourself. You have to be realistic and set your own limits." She noted accidents are more likely to happen when people are tired. Some of the specialty shoes she makes are a 'Trailer Shoe' which gives lateral support to the hind foot "It makes the horse travel wider and twist the foot out so he stops hitting himself," she explained. A 'Bar Shoe' is "normally used as a therapeutic shoe." "Shoeing is not a natural thing for a horse," Negri pointed out. That is why the research Negri is involved in is so important, and why farriers such as herself try "to make the shoe as natural as possible to maintain a healthy foot." The latest addition to the histories of the Township, is a volume by George F. Vice, The Post Office and Early Development in Bowmanville. Mr. Vice is a retired Postmaster from Bowmanville. It took quite a bit of searching to get at some of the old records, and some had been lost down through the years. In his book he lists the various Post Offices in our communities and tells us when they were begun and who the first Post Master at each one was. Here are some of the earliest post offices in our township: Darlington (Prcstonvale) 1825, Colonel James Black; Darlington Mills (Bowmanville) 1827, Mr. Robert Robert Fairbaim; Hampton 1851, Mr. Henry Elliott; Enniskillen 1851, Mr. John Ferris; Tyrone 1851, Mr. John Gray, Charlcsville, (Haydon) 1866, Mr. John Rowse; Solina 1869, Mr. C.W. Lent; Burketon Station 1885, Mr. N.E. Quigley; Darlington (Base Line), 1900, Mr. F.T. Guy; Darlington Darlington Station 1912, Mrs. Emily Franklin, Franklin, Port Darlington (A Summer Post Office) 1911, Mr. A. Tait. Actually, some fascinating points are brought out in this book. Did you know that door-to-door delivery didn't start in Bowmanville until April 4, 1966? Like many of you, I would have said that it was longer ago than that. So, just 30 years ago, our post offices were still the social gathering places we read about from the turn of the social gathering places we read about from the turn of the century. I guess you could say that things don't change as much as we think they do. One of the other interesting facts that Mr. Vice brings out in his book, is that the selection of a local postmaster postmaster was once a political appointment. appointment. Here is an excerpt from the book that might explain what I mean: "After the death of Mr. Fairbaim in 1906, three prominent people sought the position of Postmaster. Messrs. T. Bingham, R.D. Davidson (principal of the Public School), and Mr. M.A. James, Editor of the Canadian Canadian Statesman, applied for the position position through the local political organization. organization. "The members of the Patronage Committee which was the local Liberal Liberal Executive Committee were asked to make a selection. They chose Mr. R.D. Davidson. There were so many objections from the leading Liberals and others that the committee reconsidered their choice. Eventually, Mr. John McMurtry, son of William McMurtry, owner of the West End House, was chosen. Bom in 1837, he was seventy years old at the time... "His appointment created a great deal of controversy in the town, some because of his age and some on political political grounds. Mr. Carl Kent was the Acting Postmaster during the period until the appointment of Mr. McMurtry on February 25, 1907. "In 1912, the Liberal Government was defeated by the Conservatives. Immediately upon coming into power the Conservatives began making changes çn political grounds. On May 25, 1912, Mr. McMurtry received received a telephone call from a postal inspector in Toronto who told him to turn over the keys to the office to Major W.C. King at the close of business business for that day. His removal on political political grounds created as much controversy controversy as his appointment had..." Mr. Vice is not the only person to have recorded some of the postal history history of the area. A funny story appears appears in J.B. Fairbaim's book, History History and Reminiscences of Bowmanville. He tells two tales from his early days working in the Bowmanville Bowmanville Post Office. "Accidents will occur no matter in what business you are engaged. I am tempted to give an account of one which at the time caused me grave anxiety. "The old stove stood in the centre of the box-like room and I had been in the habit, when over-hauling the night mail, of throwing the canvas sack on it, the fire always being out. It so happened that my brother Tom, who was quite a kid, was rooming with me. A bright idea struck him and getting up before daylight, he made a blazing fire. Smelling something something burning, I awoke and rushed down stairs. Sure enough, it was too late! And as almost always happens the packages with the most important letters being on the heated metal, they were burnt to a crisp. I could make out from the remains of the less injured who they were for. One of the most important was for the Bank of Montreal, Mr. Simpson, agent. I went over to him in fear and trembling and explained how it happened. Instead of breaking out into à rage, saying nasty things and threatening all kinds of penalties, he smilingly said, "Don't worry about it. I will get duplicates duplicates of the drafts and documents." And this he did."... The other story told by Mr. Fairbaim Fairbaim goes like this "When alone in charge, I was asked out one night and Tom declared he would stay awake and take in the two o'clock mail. His eyes waxed heavy and he could not resist the over-powering desire to slumber. When I reached home I found the stage had left half an hour earlier, the driver having failed to rouse him. Here was a situation! situation! More important even than the mail we should have received was the one that should have gone out. Montreal was the principal wholesale centre and it took so long for letters to reach there that any failure to dispatch dispatch might be attended with bad results. results. I ran up to a livery stable then kept by Mr. McCutcheon (now the Prower Block (1906)), roused the men, got a saddled horse and left to overtake the stage, taking with me the bag and a key to unlock the leather leather one. I overtook Her Majesty's Mail this side of Newcastle and by the bright light of the silver moon made the exchange. The" passengers must have thought it quite a novel and extraordinary proceeding." LIMITED EDITION LEASE THE AU NEW 1994 CAVALIER Z 22 COUPE AND THE FIRST PAYMENT'S ON US! MINIMUM VALUE ,'nn Chevrolet Ggo Oldsmobile Dealers. 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