Show us your handmades

You need a translator.

No your not that bad yet

most of these are the Union test shoes for the International Union of Journeyman Horseshoers...........a plater's test that was done many years ago on the racetrack.
it was 2 swaged barshoes with brazed in toe-grab and block and sticker hinds and shoe a horse in 6 hours with also making to 2 barshoes; 1 plain stamped and 1 fullered and stamped; which is in the 1st pics which were the late John Reed Sr.'s c.1973 JHU test barshoes.

the standardbreds hinds c. 1930-1960??? are of the late Clem Bacon [ the late Seamus Brady's colleague and friend] when he took both the standardbred test and thoroughbred test for the JHU.
the rest are with the John's family; and I don't have access to them.

a couple of them are mine from practicing the test.........
..............blocked heel hind shoe that is very muley is mine. messed up on that one in c. 1994
the 1 barshoe that is straight across; not the good one with the frog plate....that is John's; and I think the other block heeled are mine except 1.
I'll have to make more up now..............show the difference in the test is.

why 6 hours?

that's about how long it takes to do the standardbred or thoroughbred test.
you make the 2 barshoes; 1 plain, 1 fullered; then pulled old shoes off, trim, swage out the whole test, shoe the horse with the handmade swaged shoes that fit the horse; then the horse is evaluated by the stewards, paddock blacksmith, 3 platers; then is it then tacked up and driven or rode around the track to make sure it is sound; and then the vet has to evaluate it to make sure it is not lame.
John Reed Sr.'s test took 3 1/2 hours.......which was the fastest ever done.
his son took 4+ hours, and most did it in 5-6 hours.

It seems alot of time

it is! and you have to do it on a Dark day at the track; which is only a couple days out of the week.
I took a similar one; explained on George's site; and that was trimmed done to a 3 hour test! back in 1994.
I was the last one to take this test and I also took the Union's test; but mine were to a pattern; didn't need to shoe the horse; since I had already proved that part of the test.

the shoes seem to be easy

it's not that bad; and we cannot get anyone here to take this test for the racetracks; nor is anyone interested in learning it.
the Jockey Club used to demand this test and apprenticeship ; before you could get a licence to shoe on the tracks and in Canada; but they have dropped the ball and now anyone can go in; shoe without any training at all
It's appalling !!!!!

and smitty.......a couple of them our mine

If testing isn't required then not many will do it - and why?? Is their thinking.