About
Farrier - Ray Delaney
 Raised
in both in Dublin Ireland and the United Kingdom and having been
around horses from the age of five, I developed a wealth of knowledge
in many disciplines in the equine industry, thoroughbreds, both
flat and steeplechase including point-to-point eventers. At
the age of 15, I entered a five year term as an apprentice jockey
for Palmerstown Stud, Nass Kildare, the beautiful 800 acre estate
and racing stables of Anne Bullitt considered
to be Ireland's first female breeders of Thoroughbred race horses.
Anne's farther was William Bullitt, Franklin D. Roosevelt's first
Ambassador to the Soviet Union.
While
in my apprenticeship, my daily duties were to exercise and condition
5 track horses that had upcoming scheduled races, this also included
breaking and training seasonal colts and fillies, among other
things I was a stand in assistant to the stud groom and assisting
farrier.
I
left Dublin Ireland in 1996 and headed to the USA where I
married my beautiful wife Jill from California, we now have four
wonderful children. Jill who has also been in the horse industry
for 35+ years, a trainer, specializing in breaking and starting
colts, also re-educating problem horses, including continued training
and advancement ... Jills web site is - Horse
Training From The Ground Up...
I
gained my certification under Max Williams and Kelly Case of the
Shur Shod Horseshoeing School in Missouri. Max Williams achieved
the highest level of certification possible under the America
Farrier's Association Certification Program. He also holds a Master's
Degree in Equine Science with an emphasis on hoofcare and horseshoeing.
Combined with these professional certifications and 40 years of
farrier experience, teaching farrier certification in several
states, shoeing horses on two continents and demonstrated forge
and shoeing techniques while touring Australia, I decided that
Max would be a good choice to be certified under which turned
out to be a really wise choice for me, because during my certification
Shur Shod Horseshoeing School was awarded the School Of The Year
Award at the 2007 Brotherhood of Working Farriers Association
Conference.
I
am now Shur Shod Master Farrier School Certified and B.W.F.A certified,
(B.W.F.A Brotherhood of Working Farriers Association)
'I'm not saying that Shur Shod Horseshoeing School is the best,
at the time that was my choice, but there are many great farrier
schools out there, Doug Butler, NE ... Oklahoma Horseshoeing School
etc .. if I had my way I would attend them all as I am a firm
believer in continued education....
My
personal goal is to continue my farrier education/passion and
if possible, work closely with some of the finest farriers and
barefoot/ natural hoof care practitioners in the USA in all disciplines.
| My
own personal beliefs regarding applying shoes
vs. natural hoof care. |
I believe there
are barefoot/ natural trimmed horses that do so much better shod
for both comfort and competitive levels, just as I also believe
that there are shod horses that would do much better with the natural
hoof. I believe both the shod and natural hoof method, are and can
be, extremely beneficial to the individual horse in it's environment
and circumstances, I am not here to argue or get into a debate as
to what is the correct method, shoes vs. natural hoof care, I have
been very fortunate, in that I was given the opportunity to choose
my profession (Farrier), be it shod or be it natural hoof, my obligations
are to the horse and making them as comfortable as possible and
know that they are all individual horses with individual requirements,
no hoof is the same and shouldn't be trimmed the same as another,
they are all very different and should be given their own unique
and individual care. you can play mind games with the horses brain
but you can't play around with a horses feet/hoof... my beliefs
and opinions regarding shoes vs. natural
hoof care ....to be continuded!
Hobbies/ Interests:
- All aspects
of farriery, farrier science, barefoot and natural hoof care,
theories methods and principles.
- An enthusiast
of the quarter horse, cutting and reined cow horse, reining
and many other equine
disciplines.
- An enthusiast
of great thoroughbreds - (Red
Rum) and great races, Aintree
Grand National, 2¼ mile (3,600 metres) course, where
challengers face 30 of the most testing fences in the world
of jump racing. etc .. As a young boy, I had the pleasure of
seeing Red Rum exercise on Portmarnock Beach as I was walking
to my school, I saw him 2-3 times, an amazing sporting legend!
- Extensive
knowledge and experience regarding farm and farm management
with horses, sheep, cattle, poultry etc... managing a 1000 head
sheep, 100 head cattle and a 34 thousand battery hen operation,
also owning fullblood cattle.
- Ranching
and rural living/ranch lifestyles etc...
- Web design
and development, coldfusion programming.
- A keen
dog enthusiast, IKC (Irish Kennel Club) life member, breeding,
showing, hunting, racing etc... having being around dogs and
the showing of dogs from the age of 5, and having family members
responsible/ founders of terrier breed clubs in Ireland, (Peter
Delaney) The Irish Terrier and (William Delaney) The Staffordshire
Bull Terrier, I am a keen dog enthusiast having bred and have
shown breeds, Wire Fox Terriers, Staffordshire Bull Terriers
along with being involved with Whippet racing and in general
enjoying the many hunt terriers and hounds, Jack Russell's,
Lurchers, Redbone Coonhounds etc...
- I was
also an Irish licensed Falconer/ Austringer for 20 + years,
owning and flying (Spars) Sparrowhawks ... both nest and (wild
caught) passage birds with excellent success and enjoyment all
round. My favorite Falconer/ Austringer book, A Hawk for the
Bush by Jack Mavrogordato.
Other
interests and hobbies ... to many to mention, wine making
(country wines), fishing, dirt bikes, hunting etc...
Miscellaneous:
I have also worked for Walt Disney productions, working with top
Disney special effects team to produce the Walt Disney movie soundtrack,
Jungle 2 Jungle with actor, Tim Allen, my involvement, working
close with UK Reggae band Maxi Priest to help produce the Walt
Disney sounding song and video called "It Starts in the Heart".
by Maxie Priest, for the Tim Allen movie, Jungle 2 Jungle.
Next
Generation:
My son Aidan Delaney, age: 11
 
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