Soul of 78: Tom Carroll
Horseshoe Farrier
Words by Thomas Ingle | Images by Ryan McGill
Tom Carroll's life story reflects a connection to the spirit of the Western lifestyle. Caring for horses daily and donning a cowboy hat at every opportunity, he certainly looks the part. But the connection is deeper than his appearance. Tom's strongest connection to the Western way is found in his work as a horseshoe farrier.
Growing up in central Alabama, Tom's early years were split between schooling and working alongside his father at the family business, Carroll Machining and Welding. Periodic vacations with his parents broadened his horizons, immersing him in the beauty of arid landscapes, plateaus, and the sweeping plains of the southwestern United States, where he developed a deep love for the Western way.
Tom ventured to Oklahoma State University in 1986 to participate in the school's acclaimed eight-week horseshoeing program, seeing farriery as an opportunity to meld his love for manual craftsmanship with his appreciation for the Western lifestyle.
"It was a lot about a horse's foot, its anatomy, the lameness problems horses can have, and how to fix the issues," Tom explains.
Returning to Alabama with newfound expertise, Tom balanced his time between assisting his father and establishing his clientele as a farrier. He traveled across Alabama, from Muscle Shoals to Tuscaloosa, and even to Mississippi to shoe horses.
Tom's approach to farriery was meticulous, focusing on maintaining the health and balance of the horses' hooves to prevent strain on their tendons.
"Most of it is trimming it up; you want to get both feet because you're taking that excess hoof growth off. The toe of the hoof grows faster than the heel of the hoof, so as it grows over a few weeks, the angle drops and puts more pull on its tendons," Tom explains. "You trim the sole and the frog part of the foot that helps cushion and absorb the impact. Then you shape the horseshoe, nail it, clinch it, and dress it up."
After a 38-year career shoeing hundreds of horses across the Southeast, Tom has shifted his focus toward metalwork. However, he remains physically capable of shoeing horses.
"I make a lot of tombstone grave markers, business signs, address signs, ranch and farm signs, and components for corn dispensers," he says. "But the Good Lord has blessed me that physically, at 63, I can still shoe horses like I was 25."
Tom and his wife of forty years, Vickie, now live in the house his grandfather built in the 1940s, another way he preserves the beauty of a bygone era. Tom also continues to embody the Western spirit as he cares for his horses and works in his shop.
Tom's story is not about the grandeur of the Western lifestyle but the everyday commitments that define it. The cowboy spirit is no longer found in the broad strokes of heroism depicted in tales of the old West, but in the quiet, steadfast lives of individuals like Tom who carry its values into modern day. 78