It ain’t no picnic!
The life of the modern-day cowboy is no glamour shoot, and neither is that of the horse shoer, but despite the grit and grime involved in both, there remains a certain romance to them.
In short, I would say that’s what a new book by Pat Coughlin, who lived both lives is all about. So You Want To Be A Horse Shoer??? is a privately-printed book by a man who spent years on the range in South Dakota and Nebraska herding cattle. After his career in the saddle, he took up the trade of shoeing horses and he practiced that craft in South Dakota and Texas until his retirement a few years back.
The stories of adventure
The book is a compilation of stories about various incidents in his two occupations. One, for instance, tells about the rattle snake who followed him around all day. Another about the horse who damn near killed him while he was attempting to put shoes on it. He writes about the little tricks of the trade he learned, often from some hard experiences. Then, too, there is a story about the horse shoeing work he did to help handicapped children have an opportunity to ride horses.
How to order
I published a limited edition version of the book in hardcover which is available, while a few copies remain, for $20, plus shipping. Later Pat Coughlin published the book in a paperback edition (photo seen above) which can be ordered directly from him for $10.99, postage in U.S. included, at fox11_93@msn.com
Happy trails to you.
Until later . . .
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