Chris Pardoe

Chris has been a farrier and blacksmith for over 40 years. After a six year apprenticeship/improver he passed the RSS (Registered Shoeing Smith) with the Worshipful Company of Farriers in 1974 and in 1977 was registered in Pt.1 of the UK Farriers Register. During his apprenticeship in farriery, blacksmithing and wrought ironwork Chris also learnt to weld at college on day release obtaining the advanced City & Guilds Certificate together with the William Beard Lake Prize for Science & Engineering; eventually starting his own full time shoeing business in Essex. From 1980 – 87 he was employed by the Industry Training Board to teach welding and engineering, but still carried on his shoeing business part-time and competed successfully in many farriery and blacksmithing competitions. In 1987 Chris returned full time to shoeing and gained my AWCF (Associate of the Worshipful Company of Farriers ). In his spare time Chris studied with the Open University and in 1995 gained his BSc in Life Sciences. In 1999 Chris was introduced to Prof. Alan Wilson at the Royal Veterinary College, who was setting up the now renowned Structure and Motion Laboratory. He participated in many research projects and thanks to the S.& M. lab staff eventually completed his own PhD entitled “The mechanics of hoof impact and loading in the horse” graduating in 2011.