MEMBER SPOTLIGHT
Georgette Roseke
I first started shoeing in the summer of 2022. Before I ever picked up a rasp, I was working three jobs just to get by. Warehouse shifts on the weekends, helping a lawn care business during the week, and starting colts at night. Horses always made more sense to me than people did. I liked starting colts, but I never had the same patience for “starting” people. Vet school was on the table at one point, but I knew sitting in a classroom wasn’t for me, and the idea of years of student loans felt like a burden I didn’t want to be saddled with. That left farriery, and once I stepped into it, I knew I had found my place.
The people I’ve met while shoeing have been some of the best, even outside the IPFA. Two who stand out are Blane Chapman, CJF, from Texas, and Tobias Ellis, CJF, from Illinois. Both have shared words of wisdom that stick with me. Chapman’s line, “They can’t eat you or take away your birthday” is one I come back to often.
My accomplishments in this trade might not look like much on paper, but to me, they matter. I have helped a lot of horses and, in the process, learned to persevere through life’s challenges. One of my proudest (and maybe craziest) moments, was shoeing with a two-month-old in the truck. I wouldn’t exactly recommend it, but it proves I’ve figured out some version of work/life balance or maybe it just proves I’m a little off my rocker. Probably a little bit of both.
Outside of shoeing, horses are still a big part of my life. I’ve always enjoyed starting colts, though it’s not my full-time career. That passion belongs to my sister, Remsey Roseke. After a day of shoeing, you can usually find me riding alongside her and helping manage the 12 head we keep here in Vinton, Iowa. It keeps me grounded and reminds me why I fell in love with this way of life in the first place.
My best experiences so far hasn’t been under the horse, but standing nearby, broom in hand. Sweeping while another farrier works, has been some of my greatest learning. This year I made the effort to take a day off every eight weeks to ride along with someone more experienced. Each of those days has been worth it.
Chad Henderson taught me how to be faster and more efficient. Cale Danielson, CJF, helped me understand how the foot moves or distorts with our shoeing choices. Travis Gudenkauf taught me the value of mapping a hoof, and how to get different breakover with different shoes. Every time I spend a day with farriers like that, I walk away feeling sharpened and encouraged. It’s always a great day when you can hang out with uplifting people who want to see you succeed.
I have had my share of bad experiences under horses, the kind of stories I mostly keep for those close to me. What they’ve all taught me is to listen to my gut and walk away when it tells me to. I learned quickly that ego has no room in the farrier world. It is far better to look like a “wimp” in your everyday clothes with your good character intact, than to wind up a “badass” in a hospital bed or a fool on the nightly news.
What I love most about shoeing is simple, seeing the horse walk off better than when it walked up to me. That moment never gets old, and it is what keeps me in the trade. The part of shoeing I could live without, is the suspicion that sometimes comes from horse owners. I don’t enjoy having to convince someone that my intentions are good or that I’m not trying to sabotage their horse. Trust should be earned, yes, but it shouldn’t always have to be wrestled for.
If I could give advice to new farriers, it would be this: The trim is half the job. You must get that right before the shoeing can ever be successful. Without a solid trim, nothing you nail on will hold up the way it should.
Being part of the IPFA has helped me grow my business and continue my education. It has been a valuable source of knowledge and connection.