NORTH EAST — New careers often involve flexible schedules. Jerry Alcorn's recent job change required a flexible body as well.

These days, Alcorn, 53, bends his body almost in half to perform his duties as a farrier, which involves trimming and shoeing horses' hooves. The 5-foot-4 North East resident feels blessed that he doesn't have to bend too far to reach out for his four-legged customers.

In September, Alcorn spent four weeks learning the trade at Shur Shod Horseshoeing School in Cimarron, Kan. Now his own farrier business, Alcorn Acres Horseshoeing, is racing along.

He operates his mobile business from his truck and stocked equipment trailer that carries all his tools from farm to farm. Because some horse owners don't have trailers to transport their animals, it's easier for Alcorn to work at their locations than it is to transport a horse to his.

At shoeing school, Alcorn's classes included basic forging demonstrations, lectures on trimming and shoeing, and hands-on training in forge work. Students also were taught horsemanship skills, anatomy and physiology of a horse, gaits and operation of a horseshoeing business. He was in a class of four students.

"It was all hands-on and we worked all day making our own shoes and everything we needed," Alcorn said.

Each student was required to spend eight hours in the shop each day, but they all spent several hours each evening working on their own.

"After supper, we'd have free time to work in the shop all night long," Alcorn said. "People would bring in their horses from Dodge City and Cimarron."

Alcorn came home with skills that would allow him to start a new career without straying too far from his home at 10241 Townline Road. He returned from Kansas with a desire to look the part of a farrier, too, so he grew a long mustache shortly after coming home.

Now that he is back at his ranch, the training continues.

"Every day you learn different things," Alcorn said. "Every horse is different and I meet a lot of nice people. They are county folk."

He said horses' hooves should be trimmed every six to eight weeks. He normally does the job on location at his clients' farms or wherever a horse is boarding. During winter, most hooves mainly need trimmed and balanced. Horses' hooves are usually shod in the spring or summer.

Alcorn is no stranger to horses.

"He's been riding since he could sit up," said his wife of 35 years, Denise Alcorn. "I didn't ride until we were married."

The future farrier first got turned on to the trade one day when he was about to compete in barrel racing with his quarter horse, Indy. At the last minute, Jerry Alcorn realized Indy needed shoes, so he called the man who had been caring for the horses. The man had been ill, but agreed to come anyway. Halfway through the shoeing process, the man got sick and had to talk him through the process.

"He came in the house and said, 'I can do this,'" said Denise Alcorn. She and her husband have worked together for most of their marriage and spend very little time apart.

For 20 years, the Alcorns owned their own automotive business in North East. They ran West Main Auto on Route 20 for 10 years before throwing in the towel on the vehicle industry.

"Four years ago, we went into work and finally said, 'What are we doing?'" Jerry Alcorn said.

The couple didn't have a plan before they left their work behind.

"I still miss the people, but we were burnt out," Denise Alcorn said.

The couple took about a year off to get their bearings and then he spent a year working for Lindsey's Refrigeration before getting laid off. Then they both began working for Hoffman Riggers in Erie. When Jerry Alcorn got laid off again, they both decided to try something new.

Denise Alcorn found a job working three and a half days a week for a doctor in Ripley. Jerry Alcorn moved forward with caution.

"I tried different little things and didn't want to work for anyone else," Jerry Acorn said. "Usually I jump in with both feet, but this time we weaned our way in and I took a job that I wanted instead of (going) on the faith that this would work."

The Alcorns were encouraged by Floyd Piazza, a local farrier who has been working in the trade for more than 50 years.

"He told me that he did over 800 horses in a summer," Jerry Alcorn said. "He's out there doing it; he's a good man."

Now Jerry Alcorn schedules appointments as the calls come in. Denise Alcorn also helps run Alcorn Acres Horseshoeing.

"I do all the book work just like I did in the garage," said Denise Alcorn, who often goes with her husband to the farms. "Sometimes I will hold the horses or go to keep him company."

The Alcorns spend their free time with their family that includes three sons, Marc, Todd and Tim, who are all married, and seven grandchildren who all love to ride the horses.

"They have all ridden since they were little," Denise Alcorn said. "The littlest ones would go right out to the barn; and it's good that we have good horses."

Content republished with permission from The Erie Times-News (PA).

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