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The wagon is due back from the carriage maker by Saturday. At that time, it should be sporting it’s new canvass.
The steel work for the trailer is done and I’ll finish fitting it out today or tomorrow.
Yesterday, I took a drive down to the Amish community in Odon, IN to pick up some supplies for the trip. My first stop was at Graber steel. I needed a bunch of hard-surface horseshoes made up, so Philip Graber got to work on them while I went up to the Odon Locker. The “Locker” sells some of the best meat I ever had, and I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to get some.
On my way back to Graber’s, I took a picture of some nice Sorrel Belgians grazing in a field (Horse Bob always enjoys seeing some cute Sorrels).
While Philip finished making the shoes, I got a chance to chat with the owner and good friend, Nick Graber. Graber steel came up with the process for applying tungsten-carbide to the bottom of horseshoes using a wire welder. This makes the bonding agent in his “drilltex” shoes steel, rather than the bronze bonding agent, used in most “drilltex” shoes. I find Graber’s horseshoes wear about 25% longer than the standard made “drilltex” shoes. You also can’t beat the price: $38 for a set of 4 Kerckhaert drathorse shoes. This is only 50% more then you pay retail for a set of Kerchhaert blanks (you can’t make hard-surface shoes for that price). Grabers makes hard-surface horseshoes for all sizes - small pony to #8 draft horse.
If you’re interested in buying hard-surface shoes from Graber Steel, give them a call at (812) 636-7733. Nick said he’ll UPS them right out.
On my journey west, there won’t be too many places I can resupply, so I bought a year’s supply of horseshoes, nails, and a new neckyoke and evener.
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