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| Sparks are flying over the Horse Drawn Tram ... A roaring forge is drawing the crowds to the Horse Drawn Tram ticket office on the historic Causeway in Victor Harbor. This is where 23-year old farrier Budd Glazbrook is sweating it out to re-shoe Victor’s favourite Clydesdales – the gentle giants that pull the tram across the wooden Causeway to Granite Island.
After Christmas day, the horses were shod in public for the first time. Only, the event is proving such a hit – drawing groups of up to 100 people at a time – that there are hopes it will become a regular attraction. “I’m really enjoying it,” says Glazbrook, a third generation local and also the son of a farrier. “It’s certainly a bit different to be playing to a crowd, and the people love it. And at the end of the day, the Clydesdales have got to be re-shod!” The farrier finished his apprenticeship two years ago and set up his own business. “Actually, my boss was working on Clydesdales, so I did my trade on these horses. When I finished as an apprentice, my boss didn’t want to carry on doing them – he was 63 and he felt they were too big and too heavy for him. So I took over the work …” It’s a pretty dramatic looking process, with flame from the forge, sparks from the anvil, and clouds of smoke when the shoe is pressed onto the hoof. “Unlike light horses, Clydesdales have to be ‘hot-shod’. The shoes are three times the size of a normal shoe, and so thick that to work the metal into shape, you have to effectively melt the steel. But when the shoe and the hoof meet, it’s actually the best fit you can get – a perfect fit.” The differences don’t stop there. A light horse, cold-shod without the forge, typically takes an hour to re-shoe; in perfect conditions, a Clydesdale takes at least 50% longer. It also takes a greater physical toll on the farrier. “Everything is on a bigger scale, so its heavier, harder work. It really gets you in the legs and in the back. You hold the foot between your legs, and you’re taking some of the weight of the horse.”
At least the Tram horses do their bit to make the job easier. “They’re very pleasant horses to work on – very quiet. But they have to be, with the job they do.” As he works, Glazbrook explains his techniques to the crowd. “I’ve been surprised how many people come to watch. And they always ask questions – most commonly whether it hurts the horse. I tell them that the hoof is like nail: there are no nerve endings and the foot doesn’t transmit heat. Or cold for that matter, which is why horses can also work in snow.” Not that there’s been much cold over the summer holidays. And certainly not next to the coke forge, which heats up to 1000 degrees. “Actually I don’t mind working in the heat, but in summer the hooves are harder to work. A hoof grows three-quarters of an inch every seven weeks, which is when we have to re-shoe and trim them – only in summer, the heat makes them dry and much harder to cut.” The farrier will be demonstrating his work at the Causeway office until Sunday 13th (making lucky horseshoes!) and says he’d be delighted to work further with an attraction that he and his family have grown up alongside. “It’s great that people can have a tram experience as well as a tram ride,” he says. City of Victor Harbor Mayor, Mary-Lou Corcoran says she also hopes the demonstrations will become a regular attraction. “It’s real local colour with an historic perspective,” she says. “It’s not every day you get to see a farrier at work.” Mark Przibilla will be hosting a ‘Clydesdale and farrier’ photo / interview session on Wednesday 9th January from 11am for more information contact Mark on (08) 8551 0520 or 0417 809 194. Australia's largest outdoor art show opens January 11th! Warland Reserve beside beautiful Encounter Bay will be awash with colour when the Victor Harbor’s Annual Rotary Art Show opens its marquee for the 29th year. With the Exhibition and Sale of Works displaying 1,490 artworks by over 623 artists, it still lays claim to being the nation’s biggest outdoor art show.
“We’re definitely the biggest,” says publicity director John Cunningham, “and thanks to the corporate prize of $10,000, we continue to attract entries from all over Australia.” The event, held on the green beside the Causeway, will display artworks to a total value of $1.2m. “Last year, over a quarter million dollars of art was sold – which is no small amount for a regional show! But this year our panel of judges have been more selective, and with increased quality of entries, we hope to build on that amount.” The event was started in 1979 by local artist and Rotary member Alfred Engel. As well as funding local charities, the aim is to provide an exhibition of paintings in a relaxed holiday atmosphere. An estimated 10,000 people view the display each year. The 29th Annual Rotary Art Show show opens Friday 11th January, running until the 19th. Admission $4. If you would like to attend the opening of the Rotary Art Show, Mark Przibilla can make arrangements. Contact him on (08) 8551 0520 or 0417 809 194. ----- Ph: 08 8551 0520 |
