Our Featured “Staff” Members of the Month are Jack Zeggelaar and Morgan Davison!
Today, we are very pleased to feature Jack Zeggelaar and Morgan Davison as our farriers. While they are not technically Lancer “staff”, we rely so much on their great work and need to show our appreciation!
Horses in work need to have their feet trimmed or new shoes put on every 4-6 weeks. This is done by skilled farriers who are an integral part of any horses’ care regime. Keeping our horses sound is one of our top priorities, and Jack and Morgan play a big role in this. Jack has been working with Lancer horses for so long now that when we recently acquired a new horse named “Jack” we felt Jack was long overdue for a namesake, so we made his show name “Zeggelaar”!
Jack started shoeing when he was 18 and has been coming to Lancers for 37 years! He owns his own horses and very much enjoys attending clinics for the learning experience. Although he likes horses, Morgan isn’t a rider and self-admittedly “came by the horse skills honestly”. He joked that he has a stage presence which isn’t always good with horses and resulted in a lot of spooked horses and a learning curve. As a teenager, Morgan was addicted to blacksmithing but saw that on its own, it is not necessarily an easy career to make lucrative so decided to become a farrier. Morgan started coming to Lancers in the summer of 2014 when he was doing his practicum with Jack in Farrier Science at Olds College. Some farriers are hesitant to help farrier students because they are protective of their own clients and there is an element of vulnerability. Fortunately, Jack’s business was busy so he was happy to work with Morgan. They have now been working together for some years and make a great team, especially when it comes to servicing large barns like Lancers. Jack explained, “when you come to a barn like this and you’re by yourself, sometimes you don’t even know where to start when there are so many horses!” Being a farrier isn’t always easy. It often involves long commutes (Jack lives in Newport Corner and Morgan in Windsor) and long days. Being able to get along with vets, trainers, owners, and of course, horses (while not losing your mind) is necessary and the work is strenuous even if it doesn’t always look it. Jack also noted that there is a lot of other work that goes into being a farrier like unloading the truck and managing a business!
We’re very happy that Jack and Morgan choose to do all of this and together, come to Lancers roughly every two-three weeks. Some of our horses are just trimmed while others have shoes. When asked how Lancers compares to other places they have worked, Morgan claimed that Lancers is “like a petri dish”. Jack added, “I tell people that it is amazing to work here because we can really see how horses wear their feet and what shoes wear best. I learn from a lot of Lancer horses that I can then take other places”
From the time they spend at the Lancers, Jack and Morgan know our horses well, particularly in terms of their temperaments. When asked if they had a favourite horse, Morgan noted that Alice and Jake the pony are nice horses. Jack was quick to proclaim Bud as his favourite: “he has earned it. I think he is amazing and has a temperament that cannot be beaten. There is no one that holds a candle to him. He is honest and we do about 300 horses and he is so special”. Morgan added that Bud also has really nice, solid feet!
As we ask everyone being featured, we asked Jack and Morgan for a favourite memory from Lancers. While Morgan was a bit more business focused as it is a workplace, he said that he loves how well the horses are cared for. Jack, on the other hand, easily chose his favourite memory to be any time that he sees people in the therapeutic riding program. He added (with a tear forming in his eye), “when I see them smiling, I just think I might cry. You can see that person having the time of their life!”
Over the years, Jack and Morgan have seen some new horses come through our stables doors and have appreciated our wonderful old faithfuls like Bud. Just as Jack and Morgan appreciate Bud, we are equally thankful for their services and all that they contribute to our community. They keep our horses going and we are pleased to have them along for the ride!
Jack and Morgan, thank you for all of your hard work!
