Location: Hartville, Mo.
Owner and manager: Reuben Glick
History: Reuben Glick began his training as a ferrier while helping his uncle when the family lived in central Pennsylvania. They moved to Hartville, Mo., four and a half years ago, partly due to expensive land prices in Pennsylvania, as well a lack of land for sale. Reuben enjoys his work, and continues to learn about all aspects of his job.
“If you get a horse that’s got bad feet, and you start working with them, they start shaping up, if you can see the difference, that they make, that’s probably the best part of it; keeping a horse sound,” Reuben said.
The harness and tack business began a year and a half ago when Reuben helped a neighbor with his business and eventually bought it.
“I just gave it a shot,” Reuben said. While he has a lot of business from the Amish community, he does work on saddles and other types of tack.
Products/Services: Reuben shoes a variety of horses, from buggy horses to barrel racers, trail horses to show horses.
Some of the horse he works with do not require shoes, only trims.
“They have good feed,” Reuben said, adding that he believes you should not put a shoe on a horse if they don’t need it.
Future: “There is an art to shoeing,” Reuben said. “I always want to change for the better. I always want to do a better job next time. I’m still reading everything I can.”
Reuben’s business is growing, and he is positive about the future.
“I’m getting more every year,” he said.
