CC Hatfield Horse Shoers

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Prior to the automobile, horses were the main form of transportation in Wichita. Horses were ridden, pulled freight wagons, and guided the early street cars across town. All these horses needed constant care of their hooves. In 1910, a good horse shoer could earn $3 a day working in a shop. C. C. (Clarence) Hatfield Horse Shoeing Shop, located at 400 West Douglas, was one of the several horse shoers in town. Hatfield also advertised in the want ads that he could clip and boot your horse and would fix any faults. By adjusting the metal horse shoes, the shoer could fix many of the horses foot and leg problems. Shoers had blacksmithing skills and often worked to repair buggies and wagons. Once automobiles arrived, they frequently worked on them, too.