Farrier for ten years, Guillaume Petit practices his profession with passion and precision in Royan Atlantique. It is at François Nicolle's stable, one of the best French trainers in the discipline of show jumping, which he flourishes in today, in contact with around a hundred horses.
Length of the video: 2 minutes 43
A farrier's days are intense and start early, at seven o'clock. Guillaume Petit maintains and shoes horses' hooves which grow about one centimeter per month. Thus, four hooves require one hour of work. In addition, each shoeing must be adapted to the morphology and needs of the horse.
To achieve this, Guillaume uses different materials: nails, plates, classic or aluminum shoes. For show jumping horses, he prioritizes comfort and flexibility. On the other hand, on the flat, he seeks lightness and performance. This adaptability makes all the subtlety of the farrier's profession.
This job requires patience, calmness and physical endurance, but the horses always return the attention given to them.
Guillaume Petit has the chance to follow the horses on major racecourses like Auteuil or Compiègne, but also during competitions in the provinces during the summer. One of his greatest privileges has been to ferrer Diamond Carl, winner of the Grand Steeple-Chase de Paris.
Deeply attached to his roots, Guillaume wouldn't leave Royan Atlantique, his native region, for anything. Between the sea air, the Coubre forest and the beaches of My dears, he finds a ideal living environment.
Coming from a family close to the animal world – his father was a veterinarian in La Palmyre Zoo – he grew up surrounded by horses. So he naturally followed this path. Curious, he is also interested in harness racing and enjoys attending major competitions like the Green Trophy withRoyan Atlantique racecourse.
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