Member Spotlight

The Member Spotlight pages are to focus on one of our members and to let everyone read a short history about that person’s background

MEMBER SPOTLIGHT

Doug Russo, CJF,  AWCF

While I was still in high school, I remember trying to figure out what to do for a living and my Dad suggested I shoe horses. I had been working around horses since I was 14, but never owned one and didn’t grow up with one in the backyard. I loved them and rode every chance I got. When I was 19, I worked on a ranch in Olney, Montana. The second day I was there, the owner handed me a horse and said he’d lost a shoe and I might as well reset both fronts. I told him I didn’t know how, so he ran me through the cowboy school of shoeing, which contained a full hour of in-depth curriculum. I hated every minute of it. After that I occasionally trimmed or nailed up a horse, but never considered farriery a career. In the meantime, I spent 10 years in Montana; I worked as a cement man, carpenter, trim carpenter, cabinet maker, and ranch hand. It wasn’t till I was married at the age of 27 that I decided to become a real farrier. In my own ignorance, I chose an awful school (I won’t name it). It was supposed to be a six-week course, but after a couple of weeks, I got my money back and left. We moved back to Michigan, the place of my birth, after securing an apprenticeship with Richard Becker, CJF. Dick was a great mentor, driving home the basics, focusing on forging and fit, and teaching me how to run a business and deal with clients. I was disciplined enough to study anatomy on my own and stayed active in the Michigan Horseshoers Association (MHA), attending any CE I could find. I will always credit Dick for my success. He put me on the right path and introduced me to the right people. He pushed me to compete and accomplish certification through the American Farriers Association. Getting involved in the MHA and AFA early in my career was the key to future accomplishments.

The other key to my success goes back to my parents and my wife. I’ve been richly blessed when it comes to my parents. They raised me in the church, loved me unconditionally, disciplined me fairly and consistently, and, most importantly, taught me that I had an obligation to God and others. These things combined instilled in me a work ethic, an obligation to others, and honesty when running a business. My wife, Sue, was loving and supportive while I ventured into this new career. We were married and expecting our first child when I left for school. Our first child, Bella, was 6 months old when I went to work for Dick, making $60.00 a day.  Life was a struggle for a while, and Sue did without many comforts and made do with very little. I could never have done it without her; 24 years and three kids later, Sue remains my best friend and the love of my life. During the time I worked for Dick and slowly developed my own business, we had two more kids, Levi and Henry. As a family, they have all supported and encouraged me to do my best, often working hard to hold down the fort while I was away at clinics or certification.

I have had too many mentors to name, the list would fill this paper. Outside of Dick, there were many in the MHA that helped me. Jeff Powers was one of the first Michigan farriers I met. He was wrapping up an apprenticeship with Dick when I started. I often worked for Jeff when he needed me. We hit it off. Jeff helped instill good basics in-between the practical jokes we played on each other, even though, more often than not, Dick was the target of our pranks. Tim Quinn, Mitch Murphy, Garnett Oetjens, Jim Dolson, and Larry Lockhart are just a few of the Michigan farriers I initially met before meeting Jennifer Horn, who is like a sister to me now, and Henry Detweiler, who ended up being my third cousin, close friend and my youngest son’s namesake. I developed the same relationships throughout the US, Canada, and many places worldwide as time passed. Some of my early AFA mentors were Walt Taylor and Bill Miller. Their genuine interest in me humbled me at a time when I was a nobody with very little skill. They remembered my name and took an interest in my accomplishments. Walt, to this day, remains my close friend and mentor. There were many more friends and mentors to follow as I developed relationships on a national and international level. I fear hurting feelings If I attempt to name them all, but I’m sure they know who they are.

This friendship and comradery were unlike any other I’ve known outside of the church. This really hit home after my first surgery. I had to have surgery on both shoulders, leaving me with both arms in slings for 4 month. I was out of work for nearly 6 months. My friends from the MHA made sure every one of my horses were shod or trimmed, and they sent me all the money. This was one of the kindest and most humbling life events I had experienced. Until 2018, when I cut my thumb off roping in a ranch rodeo in Wyoming. An attempt was made to reattach my thumb, but it wouldn’t prove successful. I arrived home 4 days later, and checks were already being mailed to me from farriers all over the county. I was working at Iowa State University when it happened and my apprentice at the time, Joel Armstrong, did amazing keeping up with our caseload. Another time, I was in the process of constructing a pole building when I got hurt. I didn’t need any help keeping horses shod, but still , a group of farriers from Kansas, Nebraska, Iowa, and Minnesota arrived at my house and spent an entire weekend finishing the building. These gestures have moved me to tears on more than one occasion.

I spent 10 years in Michigan after apprenticing with Dick before going to work for Iowa State University’s large animal hospital. It is hard to believe I’ve already been here for over 10 years. The move to Iowa was a wise choice. Shoeing lame horses in support of our equine surgery veterinarians proved to be one of the best and most challenging jobs I’ve had. I teach a 2-week clinical rotation for fourth-year vet students, co-teach an equine lameness course, and provide several wet labs. I love my time with vet students and feel I am making a difference in their education while improving vet/farrier relations. I joined the Iowa Professional Farriers Association (IPFA) shortly after moving. They turned out to be everything I’d come to expect while in Michigan. I hosted an open house at the farrier shop at ISU. I informed them that I would host a contest and clinic at ISU yearly and would prefer to include them in the clinic. They responded enthusiastically and continued to help and take over many tasks. They continue to encourage me, and as enthusiastic younger farriers join them, this helps keep me motivated. The IPFA has many wise mentors, Ray Legel, CJF, Roger Alston, CF and Mike Hansaker, CF, to name a few; all three of these accomplished farriers are retired but continue to come to IPFA events. They do the hard work that often goes unnoticed: holding horses, taking out the trash, shoveling manure, etc. Their humility and dedication are inspiring.

Some of the best experiences I’ve had shoeing have been the opportunities I’ve had to work alongside other farriers. Every time I get to do this, I learn something. I don’t care who they are or how long they have been shoeing, I always come away better than before.

Some of the worst experiences I’ve had were during the years I was developing my own clientele. I was apprehensive about setting rules for new clients or firing the bad ones. Consequently, I put up with rude horses and clients who did not care about my well-being.

What I love most about shoeing horses is how they combine many aspects. You have to get along with people and learn to be kind and courteous while still being to the point and diplomatic. You must know your anatomy. You must be skilled with your hands, artistic and creative, but none of that matters if you can’t get along with horses. So, this trade with so many components, helps keep it from becoming monotonous. The best part remains the comradery within the trade and the relationships I’ve developed.

My least favorite part of shoeing is the ignorance of some horse owners and their willingness to tolerate rude behavior by their horses, indicating that they don’t really care if you get hurt.

The biggest thing I have learned is that this will be a lifelong endeavor; the more knowledge I gain, the more I realize just how ignorant I am. This has been an incredibly humbling journey.

I advise new farriers to stay humble and active, pursue AFA certification, and never stop pursuing knowledge.

My hobbies include riding, ranch roping, hockey, snowboarding, knife making, hunting, and spending time with family and friends.

My biggest accomplishment was life perspective. I’ve learned that God and family must remain my priority. My accomplishments as a farrier should help me support and provide for them. They deserve my love and dedication, my career comes second. I regret that it took some time for me to realize this, but despite my flaws, we have raised three wonderful children of whom I am incredibly proud.