Former top notch Jockey on Nevis and now certified Farrier in the United States of America, Jason Liburd, is giving back to the Nevisian community, in a real way.
(A farrier is a specialist in equine hoof care, including the trimming and balancing of horses’ hooves and the placing of shoes on their hooves, if necessary. A farrier combines some blacksmith‘s skills (fabricating, adapting, and adjusting metal shoes) with some veterinarian‘s skills (knowledge of the anatomy and physiology of the lower limb) to care for horses’ feet.)
Liburd commenced a workshop at the Nevis Equestrian Center on Wednesday 25th October, during which he will be training interested persons in the general care of horses and with emphasis placed on the care of horses’ feet.
In an interview with NTV Sports page, Liburd indicated that his love for horses started right there at the Nevis Equestrian Center, when John and Ali Guilbert, gave him the opportunity to learn to ride horses and care for them. He thanked them for the start they gave him to his now quite lucrative career.
He later moved on to be one of Nevis’ finest Jockeys and then migrated to the USA, where he is now establishing himself as a top Farrier and now cares for the horses of some of the big names in Horse Racing.
He stated that he is currently working, mainly between Florida and New Jersey and he has a week off from his schedule and in speaking with John and Erika Guilbert, arranged to come home to Nevis, to conduct the workshop-free of cost.
The workshop is expected to conclude today Friday 27th October but Liburd is promising that whenever he gets the opportunity, he would always be willing to share his knowledge, especially with his Nevisian family.
Some of the practical subject areas covered included: What to look for; how to put the nail in the foot; how to turn the nail; how to balance the foot and how to dress the foot.
“I threw a lot of things at them, hoping that most of it would stick,” Liburd said.