Joe's life story could be titled "An Equestrian Apostle”. Since his early teens his passion and devotion to all things about horses has dominated his life. By the age of 16, he had won two Grand Prix jumping events in B rated shows. This led him to start a summer riding school for young people, and by 17, was teaching handicapped people to ride as part of their therapy.
His devotion to horses quickly led him to need to help the animals more than the people, so he apprenticed for two years to learn Farrier skills for Hunter/Jumpers. This marked the beginning of a 40 year career as a master Farrier that included every kind of animal— including Pacers, Thoroughbreds, Polo ponies, Dressage, as well as the less glamorous but most loved personal riding horses of every type.
He pursued new strategies and innovative solutions like a scientist seeking cures for diseases. He apprenticed with Dr. Gilman to learn more about Therapeutic Shoes. He went on to develop therapeutic braces for such great racehorses including "Jose Binn" and "Track Barron”. He became the Farrier trusted to handle entire stables for the likes of Pen Mor Farm, Peter Brants famous White Birch Farm in Greenwich Ct, and the great yearlings of the United Arab Emirates in training with Jeremy Tree in Marlboro, England in the early to mid eighty's, the great 40 Goal Polo team of Argentina in the 1980s, and the United States Polo Team. While he achieved the highest status in his profession, he never lost sight of his first priority— which was to find ways to relieve and cure various foot ailments that frequently were diagnosed as "incurable” or "un-solvable”.
Before the advent of the use of glue for shoes in the 1970s, Joe was suturing shoes on foals when needed. He would custom fit various unique devices to correct deformities in the foal's legs. Many mares were saved for breeding because Joe devised braces that saved the animal and gave them useful lives. This need to "cure the lame” was his passion and love; Joe is known throughout the Equestrian Community for generously giving the same love and expert attention to undistinguished, but much loved riding pets, as he provided for expensive bred animals. Many a precious pet has been quietly saved by his selfless efforts.
He suffered a career ending injury in 2007 when he was kicked, resulting in three cracked discs. To compound the problem, he suffered a failed surgery, which after a second operation, left him in a wheel chair where he was told he would not walk again. Employing the same faith in his devotion to healing animals, Joe rejected the diagnosis and spent the next year learning to connect new messages in his body so that he was able to get out of the chair, and begin to take "baby steps” with a walker. Within a year, while continuing to endure great and mostly constant pain, Joe was able to "bless” the walker and toss it into a lake. While he has a "drop foot” and still endures the pain of phantom nerves, he walks with the occasional aid of a cane and is mobile— though unable to perform any kind of Farrier duties.
Joe decided that his lifetime of work with horses and his accumulated body of knowledge should not lie fallow. He realized that almost every facet of Equine life had special insurance needs that only could be addressed properly and professionally by someone with intimate knowledge. He decided to marry his lifetime body of work with a completely new profession, and diligently studied and acquired Insurance licenses enabling him to service the Equine Profession— from owners to workers— from an intimate perspective. Through his faith and hard work he now devotes the same passion to solving unique problems in insurance, just as he helped the "lame to walk”.
