​Josh Aikens is not new to the RFV, and he is now opening his farrier services to valley wide clients after a leave of absence.  When he first came to the RFV, Josh worked as a dog sledder and then joined up with Primal Meat Company and fell in love with cows and the more serious side of ranching. After moving into the Longmont Colorado area to grow his family, Josh went to farrier school, interned as a farrier and has now returned to the valley to shoe horses, when not attending to his ranch management duties. A former marine, Josh works with all breeds, and all sizes of horses.
 
A percentage of the cost of every horse we work on goes to Operation Equine, a Colorado non-profit that serves vets through equine guided therapy and back country pack trips. Josh’s experiences range from hot shoeing performance horses, barefoot trimming, aluminum nail and glue plates, corrective shoeing with diagnosis with vets involvement, and Josh is knowledgeable about Natural Balance and tradition shoeing techniques.  Josh can be called in cases of emergency, to stabilize and help recovering care in cases of laminitis, accidents or punctures with the assistance by xrays and an attending vet. 
 
He says, “there is nothing to me personally, more gratifying than watching a horse walk off soundly and happily, after I have worked with the horse and his owner. I am also available to provide training services for young and old horses that have never been schooled to stand for the farrier. There is an extra cost involved in this work."