An uncanny ability to understand horses led Beach to a career shoeing the toughest and the best.
In this episode of “Race Horses, etc.” we find out how Beach Faulkner, blacksmith for Thoroughbred stallions in Kentucky, did the impossible. No blacksmith could put shoes on Kentucky Derby winner Foolish Pleasure after he went to stud. He was vicious and unpredictable. But Beach knew what the horse needed just by looking at him. And it wasn’t brute force.
“A horse understands manners more than they do a cussin’,” says Beach. “You don’t have to hit ’em. You don’t have to fuss at ’em.”
So how did the legendary blacksmith learn the language of even the most difficult horses?
First of all, Beach grew up in Kentucky as the son of a sharecropper. His parents farmed with horses. As an infant Beach went into the fields with them, perched aboard “Kate the mule“. From this vantage point young Faulkner absorbed the nuances of his four legged teacher. And, as we will hear, Beach still recalls Kate with a smile, referring to her as his first babysitter.
Furthermore, Beach spent hours watching his father at the forge. The senior Faulkner was a talented blacksmith and Beach wanted to be just like him. Little did Beach know that he would be the blacksmith for great Thoroughbred Stallions in Kentucky one day. “I was just itching to get into the forge,” said Beach.
Faulkner Starts Shoeing at Ten Years Old
Beach got his turn at the age of ten when his father bought him a horse to care for. Beach quickly applied the blacksmith skills and horsemanship of his father. And found that his lessons from “Kate the mule” also applied to horses.
Later, as a young man Beach spent time shoeing various breeds of horses including Tennessee Walkers, Saddlebreds and Standardbreds. He credits understanding a horse’s path of flight with his feet to his own time spent studying them from behind in the jog cart.
The Blacksmith Makes an Impact with Thoroughbreds Stallions in Kentucky
Eventually Beach found his way to Thoroughbreds. He worked at the racetrack and the farms and quickly became known as a man who could handle difficult cases and troubled stallions. He also built the “Faulkner Ambulance” to help injured horses continue to move around. Movement and the ability to stand on all four feet is life-saving to horses.
As the blacksmith for Spendthrift, Gainesway, and Claiborne Farms, Beach worked with top farm managers like John Williams where he handled the great stallions like Nashua, Gallant Man, Pretense, Affirmed, Seattle Slew, Unbridled, Caro and Fleet Nasrullah.
Near the end of the podcast Beach regales us with stories of the famous Spendthrift groom Clem Brooks and their secret betting coup with Beach’s favorite stallion Blue Times. He also reflects on the legacy of his son Tyler Pate Faulkner who now shoes Kentucky’s great stallions.
Should be a fun read. I use to be a farrier.
Hi Robert. Thanks for the comment. I would love to hear your thoughts after you listen!
~ Carolyn
We’ve only known Beach for a few years and respect him greatly as one of the kindest men we know. Although we knew he was a “Farrier”, we didn’t know the depth of his career. Thank you for the podcast and wonderful interview that taught us more about our good friend Beach!
Hi Mike and Linda, I am so excited to hear that you learned more about Beach! He is a treasure of the Bluegrass!!
~ Carolyn
Carolyn,
Beach is an institution in both the blacksmith and the friendship worlds. You will have to look far and wide to find anyone that doesn’t love and respect this man. He is a one of a kind individual that is never anything but himself. A proud, resilient, talented, kind hearted and true to himself man. It is my pleasure to have known, worked along side and with him for over 40 years. Your interview was very enjoyable and brought back many wonderful memories of Beach.
Hi Dr. Murphy – I love your comments about Beach! Thank you so much for sharing your insight.
~ Carolyn
What can you say about a man like Beach , he’s a foot artist Beach did my work until his retirement and I dearly miss him , the days on most farms when you have the blacksmith coming it wasn’t a good thing but I looked forward to seeing him and learning from him. It is a honor to know Beach and consider him a great friend . Beach’s skills as a blacksmith are incredible and I consider his ability in his field just as equal to D Wayne Lukas there legend’s living in our own time . Always will remember a saying of Beach’s no hoof no horse couldn’t be more truth to that .
Hi Chip – I took a farrier management course at Colorado State many years ago. People asked me, “so what did you learn”? I said, “that my farrier deserves a raise”! Beach takes a difficult job so much further than that. He truly is an artist!
~ Carolyn
I loved the Podcast. Past lives in the horse business brought us back to a full circle with mutual friends (Mike and Linda Klutka.). Beach and Karen are wonderful people. It is so nice to see part of his wonderful career and how it began. What a story! Bassist , Deb Isenhoff
Hi Deb, Beach and Karen are the best! Can’t wait to have lunch with them again soon!
~ Carolyn
Beach is the best Blacksmith ever to pick up a hammer. He is truly a master at what he does. I am so glad he’s getting the recognition he deserves. He showed me so much about shoeing a horse and handling. Beach is one of my best friends in this whole world. He surely helped me a lot when I was younger. He took the time to explain things to me and how to get the right foot on a horse that it Just listened to it and it was great. Beach done a good job on the interview and it was really interesting. He does deserve the recognition for his skills and abilities to work on the horses. He is the best and that’s what I’ve told everyone for years. He’s also one of my best friends in the whole world. He showed me a lot about shoeing a horse and handling one. Not only that but helped me a lot in so many ways when I younger. He took the time to explain to me about how to get the foot on a horse that it needed. He’s been so kind and generous to me over the years and I greatly appreciate and love my old buddy
Beach is the best blacksmith to ever pick up a hammer. I’ve said it for years to everyone I know. I’m glad to see get the recognition for the work he has done for the horses. He showed me a lot about shoeing a horse and handling a horse especially thoroughbreds. He took the time to show me and tell me when he didn’t have to. I consider Beach as one of my best friends in the world. He is always a kind and caring person. He has surely helped me a whole lot especially when I was younger. I think we really got our friendship started when I told him about my gaited mule “Maudie May “. I deeply appreciate and love my old buddy