THE age-old skill of the farrier is back in the Ryedale area following the ending of the foot and mouth disease outbreak and one of the best known farriers is Jarvis Browning who has just moved to the moorland village of Fadmoor.

Some 22 of his 32 years in the business have been spent in Ryedale, working at a forge in Normanby and the old station at Nawton.

Londoner Mr Jarvis travelled around New Zealand, Australia, Brunei, and South Africa before returning to England to establish himself as a mobile farrier.

It is a trade which is thriving in Ryedale, he says. "When I started in the area there were just 25 - now there are over 70 because there are so many families with horses and ponies which they keep for pleasure riding." In his area, which stretches from the Esk Valley across to Topcliffe, Great Ayton and down to Howsham, he shoes just one Shire horse - in sharp contrast to the farriers of generations ago whose main income came from shoeing farm horses.

"Last year was a very grim one for farriers due to foot and mouth disease and there being no agriculture shows where I certainly get a lot of business. Hopefully this year will be much better."

Echoing his sentiments is Jill Hindmarsh, a freelance instructor, who from her home at Pickering also runs an equestrian service. "We had great difficulty exercising horses and ponies because of the restrictions on bridleways," said Jill who is registered with the British Horse Society.

Her thoroughbred grey mare Heather was one of the first to be shoed by Mr Browning when he re-started his business following the FMD outbreak.

For the information of horse lovers, Mr Jarvis can be contacted on (01751) 430842, and Ms Hindmarsh on (01751) 473725.

Farrier's trade

Updated: 10:09 Thursday, February 07, 2002