The former tank driver turned farrier now breeding pedigree pigs in Yorkshire

Meeting HRH The Queen was once a regular occurrence for a West Yorkshireman who has since carved out a career in horses’ feet and hooves and also breeding and showing pigs.

Jason Knaggs grew up in the mining village of Dunscroft, now lives in Thurnscoe, travels far and wide as a farrier specialising in remedial work for the equine world and has his much-lauded pedigree Durocs at Epworth.

Jason said his involvement with Her Majesty came through a 17-year career in the Army.

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“I served with the Lifeguards in the Household Cavalry. I served in Bosnia for six months as a tank driver in Jajte collecting up munitions and bomb-making kits. It was unreal.

Farrier Jason Knaggs working on Easter, a traditional cob owned by James PetersFarrier Jason Knaggs working on Easter, a traditional cob owned by James Peters
Farrier Jason Knaggs working on Easter, a traditional cob owned by James Peters

“I didn’t see anything gory in my time as we weren’t in combat, but little kids handling you bullets was a bit mindblowing.

“Getting into the Household Cavalry’s Lifeguard regiment opened my eyes about what I could learn. I’d gone into the Army through signing up in Burnley, where I was staying with my sister.

“I’d seen a picture of the Queen, a Lifeguard and a Blues & Royals while in the Army Careers Office. I’d broken my arm falling off a horse called Snooker at Sandall Beat Riding School in Armthorpe.

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“Horses came up in my interview and I was asked if I liked them. I always had. I ended on the riding staff, becoming a showjumper and absolutely loved competing at the Royal Windsor Horse Show. I met Her Majesty many times.”

Jason keeps pigs at Epworth near DoncasterJason keeps pigs at Epworth near Doncaster
Jason keeps pigs at Epworth near Doncaster

When Jason’s thoughts began turning to what he would do when coming out of the Army it was a natural progression that saw him go into farriering.

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“I’d taken up my trade and had passed my farrier qualifications in 2005 before leaving the Household Cavalry in 2007 having made the rank of Corporal of Horse, equivalent to Sergeant in other regiments.

“The farrier training in the Household Cavalry is second to none and it gave me my foundations, but there are many more techniques and skills I have picked up since my Forces training.

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“I’ve earned a reputation for remedial work and I’ve saved a few horses’ lives, where others have said that they should be put down, because I’m able to solve their problems.

“My customers have generally, initially had some difficulties with their horse and when I fix it they tend to stick with me like glue. Anything that’s falling to bits and needs sorting out tends to be my first contact.

“I had one horse, Oliver, that had snapped his tendons in both his front legs. I took a look at him and put on what are called fishtail straight bar shoes and his tendons joined back together again. The vets were gobsmacked.”

Jason said that roughly fifty per cent of his work is now remedial with the rest of his work being with those whose horses he has put right.

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“I am now at that stage where every time I visit somebody it is someone I look forward to seeing and who respect me. That’s not always the case with the farrier trade.

“Farriers can often get a critical reception but in my experience where that happens is usually from owners who haven’t handled their horses properly.

“Fortunately, because I’ve earned a good reputation I now don’t have to suffer those kind of people very often and can choose who I work for.

“I now shoe for people I like and have many great friends through farriering. That doesn’t mean I won’t try to help a horse that needs looking after, it just means I don’t suffer fools gladly.”

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Jason said he has looked after donkeys’ and reindeers’ feet in the past but draws the line at mules and told of a line he has developed with polo ponies.

“I won’t do mules. They are the size of a horse and kick differently to a horse. Their kick is like an uppercut and the last thing I need is to be flattened by one. I’ve had enough injuries in my time. Farriering can be a tough job.

“I work for Dart Bloodstock’s polo ponies in Lincolnshire run by Ed Morris, who’s a smashing lad. I now do quite a lot of polo ponies.”

Jason’s other passion is pigs, which he said came about through buying a piece of land in Epworth and having initially shown Rhodesian Ridgeback dogs.

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He has since become one of the leading pedigree Duroc pig breeders in the country.

“Being a farrier you become an expert in quadrupeds, constantly looking at their gait, structure, bone angles.

“I’d started with Gloucester Old Spots, but before I started showing them I’d been showing these Rhodesian Ridgebacks and had had some success with one qualifying for Crufts.

“Going around the agricultural shows with the dogs I took an interest in the pig classes, checking out what others’ stock was like. I reckoned mine would do well, so I started and they began taking some prizes.

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“It was when I purchased two really runty looking Durocs that I found the kind of pig I could really do something with. I fed them like crazy and started my breeding programme.”

Jason said his pedigree Durocs, that have seen him with breed champion at the Great Yorkshire Show and saw him take reserve supreme champion at the first show of the 2022 season at Newark & Notts last month, along with many others over the years, are formidable animals.

“There is a Duroc boar line called The Hulk that through my efforts has been preserved. When I first took one on I put it with my fat ladies, my sows, and got my Hulk line to grow like them.

“The Hulk 184 is the father of The Hulk boar that I’m showing this year. I have never seen a boar like The Hulk 184. He’s almost the size of a donkey. I’m showing his son Hulk 271 this year.”