Big shoes to fit

Photo by Yang Xinyu / For China Daily

He saw the worst feet he'd ever seen on competition horses in Beijing, Judge says, adding that some were virtually lame. But he liked the opportunity to provide the remedy and to stay in China.

"You are never working with the perfect shoes. But my shoeing can help them. I can see my improvement by their feet getting better," he says.

Qin Benchao, the chief veterinarian of the club, says Judge is an expert on horses' feet.

Although working as a vet for 12 years, Qin says he has gotten plenty of useful advice from Judge on horses' feet.

"For example, we have a horse which suffered bad shoeing for years and walked with an awkward gait. I had nothing to do with it. But Judge made him special shoes, lifting the injured feet and allowing the injuries to heal in a good way," he says, adding that he speaks little English and Judge speaks no Chinese.

"We use sign language in daily communication and diagrams at work," Qin says.

In China, equestrian sports have become popular in recent years as people become more affluent and seek a high-class lifestyle.

However, there is no school or qualification for farriery work in China.

"If I can teach two, and they can teach another two, hopefully we can pass the professional standards to more in China," Judge says.