Todd Boston

From bluegrass to desert sands and back again 

Todd Boston’s career as a farrier brought him halfway around the world, into the palaces of sheiks and the outskirts of Paris. But, ultimately, it brought him back to Kentucky where, in addition to shoeing some of the most successful horses in America, he enjoys consulting with his father, working with his brother, Chad Boston, and riding his Harley.

The son of legendary racetrack farrier, Bob Boston, Todd was no stranger to farriery, the hard work that accompanied it, and the challenges of working in a high-stakes market. Surprisingly, or unsurprisingly to other second-generation farriers, Todd wasn’t exactly eager to join the family profession and was looking to find his own path, not knowing at the time that he was destined to come back to the racetrack. As he realized decades later, “The thing about the horses is— they get inside you, and sometimes you don't even realize it.”

Finding His Niche 

Like many other young people, Todd decided that he would change the course of his life through a typical college education. But a year into Sullivan University, he wasn’t thrilled with the prospect of an office job. So he finally decided to take his father up on his offer of an apprenticeship.  “Within two weeks of working, I found my niche.” 

Working with his Dad wasn’t an issue, but working for a world-class farrier was never going to be easy. “I went into my apprenticeship feeling like I've got to prove myself to my father. He's probably had 10 or 12 apprentices over the years, including my younger brother. I just tried to go up-and-above just to prove myself to him. At that age, I was up for the battle.” 

After the four-year apprenticeship with his father, he spent five years establishing his own solo practice. He was newly married, adding clients, and building a name for himself with the quality of his work. Through the quality of work he was becoming known for and the recommendation from a colleague, one introduction and good impression were about to change his life. 

To Palaces and Private Jets

Sheik Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum was looking for a younger farrier when blacksmith Jim Bayes, Sheik Mohamend’s horseshoer, and Todd’s mentor, mentioned Todd as the ideal candidate. The next thing Todd knew, he was flying to the Breeder’s Cup to meet the Sheik’s racing team and secure his place as the Sheik’s newest farrier. Soon, the young farrier, who’d never even had a passport, found himself flying all the way to Dubai for a whirlwind opportunity that would take him all over the world.  

To say that this new environment, the customs, and shoeing culture there was a very different world is, in fact, a colossal understatement. To start, the Sheik was the largest horse owner in the world, with farms and horse facilities in places such as Lexington, England, Ireland, and Australia, in addition to Dubai. Even the shoeing facility in Dubai was unexpected, an impressive “20-by-20 air-conditioned area with a poured rubber floor, a ceiling fan, all the tools I’d ever need, and a helper who held the horses for me.” 

Because horses were the Sheik’s passion, Todd had a level of access to him that even the employees of his petroleum companies did not. Knowing the Sheik led to experiences far beyond shoeing. Once, as Todd was about to leave for the day, someone said, “Hang around. The boss wants you to meet Tiger Woods.”

As it turned out, the Sheik, an admirer of the elite golfer, had named one of his horses Dubai Tiger. But when the golfer was in the United Arab Emirates for a golf tournament, Todd got the chance to meet the athlete himself through his connection with the Sheik. Not only was Todd invited to dinner by the Minister of Petroleum but also the Deputy Prime Minister of Qatar. Another time, Todd and his family were gifted a weekend at the Al Bustan Palace, an opulent hotel that overlooks the Bay of Oman. Between the luxury and the heads of state, Todd still recalls the extraordinary way mundane tasks seemed to unfold, like trading in his typical rig for a private military jet or adding more pages to his passport, despite never having traveled before. 

For all the excitement of working for the Sheik in Dubai, France, and California, Todd was finding it increasingly difficult to resist the call of his Kentucky home. In 2002, he gave his notice and returned to the bluegrass state and the farrier community that gave him his start. 

Back home to Kentucky—and the Heart of Racing 

Todd’s business returned quickly after coming home, establishing himself early on as a hyper-focused, racehorse farrier. He’s done all right. “I remember growing up, hoping one day I could work on one horse in the Kentucky Derby. This year they ran 20 horses in the race, and I worked on seven of the 20. Actually, I’ve worked on eight horses that have won the Kentucky Derby at some point in their careers.” Apart from Derby winners, he’s also shod Knicks Go, the 2022 American Horse of the Year. When asked about the coming season, Todd says he’s just “waiting and smiling.” 

Todd’s experience working on high-stakes horses in high-stakes races speaks for itself, and those talents make his advice on product development priceless. The recently redesigned St. Croix Safe Toe (ST) Fronts reflect his detailed knowledge of racehorses, indicating the performance advantages of a tapered heel to help with breakover. The shoe also has 12 nail holes for precise positioning. Todd remembers a time when farriers had to carry hole punches, because the dominant racing shoe didn’t have enough holes while the manufacturer refused to add more. He also uses Heller eXcel Legend rasps and Comfort Mix Supersoft A15 Hoof Cushion with Jim Blurton 3D Pads to provide the mix of support and cushioning that race horses often require.  

For all of his technical skill, Todd explains the importance of horsemanship and its influence on his approach to farriery. “Horses can sense if you're uptight and you're upset. So you need to have a calming influence on them, especially since we're doing racehorses. We don't want to put them in cross-ties where they might get hurt. You just go up and introduce yourself to the horse. You might just give him a little pet, maybe a rub on the head. Let them know you're not there to harm them. Some horses get tense and, when you reassure them, you'll literally hear a horse kind of exhale.”  For Todd, taking the time to understand the horses isn’t simply a part of the job, it’s the reason why the work is extraordinary.  “When you walk in the barn, and you see their personalities, you feel like you're cheating life a little bit.”

Despite the intensity of the job, the excitement is hard to beat.  “I love what I do. It takes so long to get to this stage, and I sure as hell don't want to bow out now.”