From: hayesstw@telkomsa.net   
      
   On Mon, 23 Apr 2018 10:00:00 +0100, Chris Pitt Lewis   
    wrote:   
      
   >On 22/04/2018 05:56, Steve Hayes wrote:   
   >> I'ce found some pit pony carers with additions of (underground) and   
   >> such things.   
   >>   
   >>   
   >Many years ago I had a fascinating conversation with an old man who had   
   >been a farrier in one of the South Wales pits. The pit ponies lived   
   >permanently underground. Consequently, when they needed new shoes, they   
   >were fitted underground. Lighting a fire was obviously not an option, so   
   >he had to cold-shoe them.   
   >   
   >No doubt the horseshoes were made above ground, but the final shaping so   
   >that they fitted properly had to be done on the spot, and involved   
   >hammering the cold shoe. I imagine this was at least part of the job   
   >recorded in this census entry, though I suppose there was also other   
   >metal work underground (rails, trolley wheels, tools?) that required   
   >maintenance.   
      
   That is certainly what I pictured a striker doing.   
      
   In my youth I often took horses to have shoes fitted (though not   
   underground), and the blacksmith wououd hold the shoes with tongs on   
   the anvil with one had while striking them with a hammer to shape them   
   with the other. I imagine that a general blacksmith (as opposed to a   
   farrier) might deal with things bigger and more awkward to hold than a   
   horseshoe, and would use both hands to place them on the anvil while   
   an assistant did the striking.   
      
   --   
   Steve Hayes   
   Web: http://hayesgreene.wordpress.com/   
        http://hayesgreene.blogspot.com   
        http://groups.yahoo.com/group/afgen/   
      
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