Jack Trainor, CJF

The first time Jack Trainor went along with his dad, Scott Trainor, to shoe horses, he was in a diaper and sleeping in a cradle. 

Jack’s father had studied social work in college, but one summer, after helping a farrier friend, he started shoeing part-time. By the time Jack was born, Scott had left social work behind for a life working with horses.

As for Jack, growing up, he didn’t always think he’d be a farrier. But he did know one thing: School was not for him.

“I just wanted to be outside.”

“I can't say it enough,” Jack says. “I hated, hated school. I couldn't pay attention. I just wanted to be doing something outside. And the days I wasn't at school, I'd be out shoeing with my dad.”

Scott didn’t want to push his son into horseshoeing. Instead, he offered to pay his son to work with him for the summer--if he wanted. 

“My dad always said, ‘I don't care what you do, as long as you're happy,’” Jack says. 

Money probably won't make you happy.

At the time, Jack thought making a pile of money would make him happy. When he approached a successful uncle to ask how he could do that, his uncle gave him a reality check. He said: “Money probably won't make you happy. It's just a side effect of doing other things.”

So Jack started thinking about things he could do. In the summer before his senior year of high school, his dad invited him along to work, and he agreed. Jack tagged along, pulling shoes and finishing feet, and, to his surprise, he liked it. The next year, Jack arranged a work-study program through his school, where he’d attend classes from 7:25 to 10:15 in the morning, and then spend the rest of the day working with his dad. 

“I always hated looking at the clock and being like, ‘When is this day going to be over?’ But when I was working with my dad, we never had to look at the clock. We were done when we were done. That really drew me to it.”

A love of learning (but not school!)

For the next several years, Jack continued to work with his dad. As he got better and learned more, he also found that, as much as he’d hated school, when it came to things like photography and horseshoeing, he loved learning.

“I’m obsessed with learning,” Jack says. “Several of my mentors, like Bob Slansky and Ben Mangan, taught me to never settle. They taught me to push the envelope of what good horseshoeing is. So I’m obsessed with doing better.”

In 2018, at 22 years old, Jack started shoeing for himself. Following the advice of Paul Papadatos, he decided to try for his Certified Farrier certification. On his first attempt, he passed the written test, and passed the shoe board (which took some 40 hours of work), but failed on the horse. 

The next year he tried again, and passed. 

If at first you don’t succeed…

After that, Jack set his sights on the Journeyman. For the next several years, he traveled around the country, learning from experienced farriers like Dusty Franklin, Doug Russo, Adam Pendleton, Meghan Coyle, CJF, and others. In 2021, he took the Journeyman exam for the first time, failing both the horse and the written part of the exam.  

Then he took the exam again. And he failed again.

Though his goal had been to get his CJF while he was still 25, Jack was undeterred. When he saw a test scheduled the week before his 26th birthday, he knew it was time to try again. 

This time—after one year, and four attempts—he passed. 

“Failing taught me a ton.”

“I put a lot of pressure on myself,” Jack says, “which was good and bad. But looking back, I don't regret it. Because all those times that I failed, I learned so much. That was a huge thing for me. Failing taught me a ton.”

With the Journeyman under his belt, Jack looked for his next objective: the 2023 American Farrier’s Association Convention in Reno. In particular, the bar shoe class. 

He says, “I really, really, really wanted to win that class.”

Jack set a goal of making 100 shoes before the Convention. When he finished early, he made 10 more. 

The Convention came, and Jack entered several competitions, including the bar shoe class. Even with all the preparation, years of working as a farrier, and all the mentorship along the way, he still didn't actually believe his work measured up. He was sure he'd be one of the weaker competitors.

At the recognition ceremony, they began to announce the class winners. Jack didn’t expect to be among them. He’d seen the placings for the bar class, and the specialty shoes, and he hadn’t won either. But there was one class left that hadn’t been announced.

Sitting there, Jack listened as Conrad Trow read off the results for the intermediate Journeyman class. As he heard the names, he wasn't surprised. He felt they'd all been making better shoes than him. 

But then they announced first place: “Jack Trainor.”

“Everybody at our table was freaking out, because I told them I thought my shoes weren’t up to par. That’s just how I am. So that gave me a bit of a self-confidence boost.” he says. 

Winning the journeyman class wasn't Jack's only surprise at the Convention.

It turns out, the competitions weren’t the only goal on Jack’s mind. He had also interviewed for the Edward Martin Cultural Exchange, which would send a farrier to Europe for three months, to learn about other traditions and practices. 

Jack recalls the interview: “I was sitting there in my suit, sweating like crazy and very nervous. They asked me: ‘Why do you want to go?’ And I said, ‘I don’t just want to go for the benefit of myself. I want to bring information back home to this country. And I want to be a certification instructor or examiner someday.’”

Once again, he didn’t think he’d be chosen for the exchange. And, once again, he was wrong.

“When they announced ‘Mr. Jack Trainor,’ it was like I went deaf. I didn't hear who even came out second. I was just in shock.”

Now, at just 28 years old, after having learned so much from the generosity of those who’ve come before him, Jack is looking down the road at how he can do the same for others. 

Passing the torch.

 “I feel like it's going to be my responsibility to pass on what others have done for me. That's what I really care about. That's why I want to become a certification instructor. Because if it wasn't for the certification program, I wouldn't be here. 

 “I'm only five years into having my own business. But it’s really important to me to pass the torch on and do what others have done for me. All the mentors I've worked with, they take time out of their day to help others. 

“And for me, that’s been life-changing, not just in horseshoeing, but as a person too.”

Q&A with Jack Trainor

With about 150 horses in his book, Jack Trainor, CJF, is building a successful business around the Western Massachusetts area, where he shoes a variety of disciplines and breeds, including some therapeutic cases. Here’s what Jack has to say about his career so far and his plans for the future.
 

You’re getting more settled in the profession, but what important lesson sticks out to you so far?

Early on in my career, when I first started shoeing, and legitimately didn't have a clue what I was doing, I'd always apologize for how long I would take. And I still do that sometimes. But now, instead of saying, "Hey, I'm sorry, I'm taking so long because I don't know anything." I'll say. "Hey, sorry. I'm taking a couple extra minutes because I want to know I did the best job I could."
 

Before the 2023 AFA Convention, why was it your goal to build 100  shoes? Was it just something that you felt like you needed to do, in order to feel prepared?

I'm very particular when it comes to horseshoeing. So it was more like I needed to prove it to myself. Because there's always somebody out there who wants to kick your ass in the competition world. So I was like: "I need to practice just as hard as these other guys do."

For someone who clearly makes plenty of their own shoes, what products do you reach for outside of handmades?

I’d say 30 to 40 percent of my horses are in handmades. The others go right into Mustad LiBero or St. Croix Forge Eventer Plus hinds. I like the Eventer Plus hinds because they are the only shoe on the market that actually has the toe shape of a hind foot in there.  I like the Libero fronts because they come toe-clipped, which saves time in the field.

For any handmade shoes, I’m typically punching for either the E-slim Nails or Endura-coated Concave Nails. Actually, the Endura-coated Concave Nail is probably my favorite nail to ever use. They drive well and never shear on me.

And recently, Mustad rep Kris Kibbey gave me a sample box of the Endura-coated Combo 5 Slims, and now I love those.

For rasps, I love the green tang Heller eXceL Legend because it’s just nice to the feet, and I hear from so many people that it’s the best rasp on the market. It doesn’t leave marks on the feet and almost gives them a sheen when new.
 

Earlier you said you did not like school. Yet with horseshoeing, you have this attitude of never wanting to stop learning. Maybe that shows that you love what you do?

Oh, a thousand percent, yes. I actually have an extreme fear that I'm gonna get hurt someday, and I won't be able to do this. That would be so soul-crushing to me if I couldn't do this--more than anything in the world, I think because I just love it so much.
 

What do you want from your life as a farrier?

That's a great question. I guess, depending on where life is gonna take me over the next couple years, I think the forging endorsement and therapeutic endorsement are at the top of my list. After that, maybe pursuing the English higher exams.

If you’d like to learn more about Jack, you can find him on Facebook.