It’s a common sight around a barn: the farrier arrives with his truck and trailer and sets up in the aisle to shoe a horse. Chatting with your blacksmith is one of the many pleasures we horse owners have; after all, he or she is usually a source of great insight into the welfare of our animals.
For Sam Dracott, a UK-based farrier, his fanbase far exceeds those in the horse world. With over 3.5 million followers on his TikTok account @samdracott_farrier, his horseshoeing videos have gone viral.
The unassuming TikTok star told Horse & Hound that he joined the social media platform in April 2021, thinking that people might find his work interesting. Understatement alert! One video posted in August 2022 amassed 7.2 million views. And his other videos regularly break the million-view mark for a whopping 48 million total views and counting.
What’s unique is that Dracott uses only the organic sounds of his work as the soundtrack, and he doesn’t explain what viewers are seeing. The sounds of the filing, clipping, etc. of the hooves is all part of the draw, with followers commenting on how relaxing they find his videos to be. Others are concerned about whether the hot-shoeing process hurts the horse.
“I’m not trying to teach people about bone growth or formation of the hoof capsule, just trying to educate the general public,” he tells H&H. “They think it’s bad or it hurts the horse, but once they understand, they know it’s fine and it’s to benefit the horses’ welfare.”
Dracott took to the platform this week to ask his followers a question: “Would you want to hear me explain what I’m actually doing, or just continue hearing the sounds? Let me know.”
So far, the consensus is “both,” with a wish that he continues to post videos with only the natural sound, and others (his choice) with an explanation. One thing is certain, Dracott has this whole TikTok thing nailed.
Watch one of Sam’s videos here:
@samdracott_farrier Satisfying!! #samdracottfarrier #farrier #oddlysatisfying #horsetok #farmtok #asmr #horse #learnontiktok #equestrian #horses #satisfying #farriersoftiktok
