Retired Claas agricultural engineer Tim Fogden of Suffolk forges new career as horseshoe sculptor, aged 88
Tim Fogden, 88, a retired agricultural engineer, has taken up a new hobby creating horse sculptures out of horseshoes. Tim takes a good look at his creation. Picture: GREGG BROWN - Credit: Gregg Brown
A retired agricultural engineer has discovered his inner artist at the age of 88.
Tim Fogden is forging a new career welding horse sculptures from old horseshoes.
Tim, who is married to Suffolk’s agricultural chaplain Canon Sally Fogden, lives at Sapiston, near RAF Honington, close to the Suffolk-Norfolk border.
He embarked on his second sculpture, which was recently finished, in April, and has now put it up for sale.
“We have a horse and a pony which my wife rides so we have a friendly farrier so plenty of shoes,” he said. “I originally saw a horse made out of shoes up in Norfolk somewhere outside a blacksmith’s shop several years ago. It had been at the back of my mind it was something I might like to try myself.”
Tim started on his first sculpture about a year ago - a pony made to about two thirds full size - and that sold quite quickly, he said.
His latest artwork represents an Arab horse rearing up.
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Tim, who worked for agricultural machinery makers Claas for many years, said he was “very much” enjoying his new hobby - although it was quite painstaking.
“It’s being creative I suppose,” he said.
“It could be of interest possibly to some gardening people.”
As well as welding, the work involved a lot of bending of the horseshoes to get them to fit, he said.
“I do it just in between other things - gardening and walking the dog etc. It took, I suppose, three months,” he said of his latest work.
“It seems to be appreciated,” he said of the reaction to his work. “I’m selling another one now - I’ve got the bug.”