LFP 45 A Tribute to David Gulley FWCF

David Gulley FWCF

On the 2nd of May 2024 we received the sad news of the passing of David Gulley FWCF.

Born on the 4th of August 1939 in Plymouth Devon, David grew up with an obsession for horses, his mother once telling him of his fascination of the Shire horses working in the streets Plymouth. When David reached the age of 15 due to the lack of farriery apprenticeships being available due to mechanisation, David took on a 4-year apprenticeship in Blacksmithing and Engineering. 

On completion of his apprenticeship in 1960 he was called up for National Service into the British Army. As he signed up, he asked about the possibility of being an Army Farrier, of which the ill-informed Army recruiting Sergeant replied, “there was not such a thing anymore”. David then opted to become a Driver. 

Whilst in basic training Davids unit was visited by a recruiting officer from the Royal Army Veterinary Corps (RAVC), looking for recruits. David asked the officer did they have Farriers? The officer replied “yes”. At that point David told the officer that if he could transfer to the forge, he would instantly sign up for 22 years’ service, the maximum engagement you can sign up for. In late 1960 David moved to Melton Mowbray and started working at the Remount Depot, now known as the Defence Animal Training Regiment, and started his life as an Army Farrier Apprentice at the old Army School of Farriery (ASF). 

Coincidently David joined the school 1 day after another farriery legend and lifelong friend David “Slim” Symons FWCF (hons). David was lucky enough to be taken under the wing of Jock Green a very well-regarded Army farrier instructor who pushed David to excel through hard work and determination. David managed to achieve the uncompressible feat of becoming a B1 Army farriery instructor and the rank of full Corporal in under 2 years.

After 9 years of being based at the ASF teaching and competing David took the decision to leave the army and set up his own business. These were the days pre regulation, which would not become an act of parliament for a few years. At the time there was a lack of good farriers in the Leicestershire area servicing the fledgling equine leisure industry, with many untrained farriers cold shoeing applying shoes poorly. David was lucky enough to get the opportunity to repurpose a disused cattle shed into a forge, which is where he remained for the rest of his life in Thorpe Satchville, Leicestershire with his partner Judy. 

It wasn’t long before David had built a busy business and the requirement for more manpower, so started his long list of successful apprentices. The first of which was Andrew Speck RSS, which went on to include the likes of Cecil Swan, Gary Darlow, Kevin Green, Joe Bryan and Andrew James. He went on to train 24 apprentices in total and was always proud of the achievements of all he trained and had said countless times that his proudest achievement was training his own son Micheal. On retirement he was presented a “Family Tree”, by some of his ex-apprentices, starting with David, his apprentices, their apprentices and so on. To this date there are 5 generations of farriers with lineage back to David, over time this will grow and will remain one of Davids Legacies. 

After leaving the Army David’s involvement with the National Association of Farriers, Blacksmiths and Agricultural Engineers (now known as BFBA) began. Joining his local branch, Leicestershire, David became an active member and very quickly rising to the position of chairman. With the registration act looming on the horizon, David was proactive in putting on training and testing for farriers in the area to achieve their Registered Shoeing Smiths (RSS) exams. In Davids own words this was all about trying to make farriers better. David always held horse welfare as the most important part of farriery.

He went on to sit t