(SUBMITTED BY Ali Guilbert)
Nevisian Jockey, now accredited Equine Podiatrist, Mr. J’son Liburd is collaborating with the Nevis Equestrian Centre to host a 4-day horseshoeing workshop from Wednesday the 25th through Saturday the 28th of October, 4 pm, at the Centre, where he initially began his horse shoeing career under the tutelage of John Guilbert and Dan Bartlette.
J’son is returning to Nevis to give back to his community by helping local blacksmiths develop their skills through sharing with them the latest horseshoeing techniques he has learned in an effort to guarantee that each participant’s craftsmanship will equal that of other blacksmiths in the industry.
This ‘no cost’ workshop will offer an intensive curriculum, focusing on blacksmithing, basic physiology of the legs and feet, corrective shoeing, and horse handling. Interested persons can register by calling NEC 662-8118 or 662-9118 prior to the 20th of October.
In 2011, enthused by a determination to learn more about horses, Liburd migrated to the US where he was trained as an Equine Podiatrist and apprenticed with three world-renowned Farriers, Dr. Redden, Ian McKinlay and Mark Dewey. Liburd acquired his accreditation from both the American Association of Professional Farriers (AAPF) Inc and the American Farriers Association (AFA). His clientele includes the racing stock of several elite trainers who participate at the Triple Crown Thoroughbred events; he has prepped horses for the Breeders Cup World Championships and the Kentucky Derby for four consecutive years and maintains horses for the Dubai racing industry.
J’son prides himself in effortlessly combining his technical competence with his horsemanship and is quickly becoming one of the most sought-after Equine Podiatrists at race tracks across America.