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BY YVETTE C. HAMMETT, The Tampa Tribune

Published: September 5, 2007

LITHIA - Howell Hunt doesn't get many browsers in his tiny shop at the corner of Lithia-Pinecrest Road and County Road 39.

Unless they're seeking out a hoof boot, a curved jaw clincher or maybe a hoof gripper.

Hunt, owner of Equine Corral Farrier & Barn Supplies, specializes in tools, horseshoes, nails and trimmers farriers can use to protect and repair the delicate hooves of some 11,000 horses within a 50-mile radius of his shop.

The farrier business isn't glamorous, but when horses are in peril, getting them care quickly often can save their lives, he said.

'My business is 80 percent to the farriers and 20 percent to the professional barn owners in the area,' Hunt said.

A former IBM employee whose job was eliminated a few years ago, Hunt said he was looking for a new profession, preferably in the horse business.

'I've been in horses for a while,' he said. 'We have seven at our house now, and my parents had horses.' His daughter, Ashley, is studying equine science at the University of Missouri, so she nudged him along in his quest.

'I started looking for where there was a need,' he said. What he found was that the closest farrier-supply businesses to Lithia are in Dade City and Sarasota.

'There was no local place for the farriers to get supplies,' he said.

'This is an equine-friendly community, and a lot of new horses are showing up,' he said. Upscale equestrian communities are increasing the horse population, he added.

His neighbor and employee, Pam Prysner, ensures that stock is on hand when one of the 60 or so farrier customers comes in with a need.

'When they come in, they certainly know what they're looking for,' Prysner said. 'There aren't many browsers. They are usually stocking up, or if a horse has a particular need, they're looking for a particular remedy.'
Farriers serve as sort of a roving doctor's office, typically working side-by-side with veterinarians.

'Most farriers visit their customers once every six weeks, but if a horse is foundering or suffering from laminitis a disease that affects horses' feet in the hoof, farriers might visit a couple of times a week,' Prysner said.

In addition to his shop hours, Hunt gives a cell phone number on his answering machine should farriers need to reach him at any time.

'It's a philosophy I've taken ... a business approach to make them as productive as possible,' he said. He even opened shop on New Year's Day once for a farrier whose polo pony customers arrived early and needed shoes.

'We'll open up for them when they need us.'

IF YOU GO

WHAT: Equine Corral Farrier & Barn Supplies

WHERE: 10427 County Road 39

HOURS: 7:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday; 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturdays

WEB SITE: Go to www.equine corral.com and click on Farrier Supplies

Reporter Yvette C. Hammett can be reached at (813) 657-4532 or yhammett@tampatrib.com.

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