Lucky horseshoes on show at TABCorp Park

When it came to finding an artistic centrepiece for the TABCorp Park hotel at Melton, you could say western Victorian harness racing trainer Michelle Wight was a “shoe-in”.

The horsewoman has made a name for herself with her rustic horse-shoe sculptures, and this time of year is undoubtedly her busiest, with horses and with welder in hand. But being asked to create a work for the TABCorp Park foyer was a special honor.

Michelle is a regular at markets around her region, but also took her horseshoe creations to the opening ID22 series meeting at Ballarat and was surprised by the interest, particularly in her horseshoe spheres.

“I always take a book when I go to the markets, but I went to Ballarat with a book that I didn’t even get to pick up – and during the night I was asked to do a sphere to go on display in the hotel, which is exciting,” she said.

“What I would love is to use steel shoes that have come from horses that have raced at Melton, so if people have a special horse, they’d like honored they can send me a shoe, regardless if the horse is a champion or a battler.

“My sister Kerryn (Manning) has already found some from Plymouth Chubb and she’s also trying to track down old shoes belonging to Arden Rooney. There’ll be a plaque listing the names of the horses that wore the shoes included.

“I’ll need over 200, so there’s an opportunity for a lot of horses to be recognised, even with horseshoes from clerks of the course horses or pony trotters. But I am hoping for fresh ones because the rustier shoes take so much more preparation! I’ve got to get the rust off to get a good hold with the weld and then the nails need to come out and the shoes straightened.”

Anyone interested can get shoes, with the details of the horse, to Michelle through Kerryn, Donna Lewis at Garrards Horse and Hound, other trainers and drivers in the Great Western area, or by post.

In the weeks leading up to Christmas, Michelle is “flat out” with her projects – a passion that has continued to grow since she began her learning with an old arc welder five years ago.

“I could spend all day creating stuff. But I’ve got to make things that are proven sellers or what customers order,” Michelle said.

“I’ve never had any lessons with the welding. Dad (legendary horseman Peter Manning) showed me the basics and I suppose it’s just been trial and error ever since.

“I reckon I’ve improved out of sight after getting a MIG welder as a Christmas present a few years ago! This is the time of the year that’s my busiest by far. It just goes mad every November and December.”

As well as attending the Central Highlands regional markets, some of her works are on display at a local winery in Bests. Michelle says some of her most popular works are Christmas trees, reindeers, flower petals and garden butterflies, but her spheres are the most challenging.

“The first one I made was big. I just kept plugging away and really didn’t know where it was going to end and how big it would be. It’s now on display in the front garden,” she said.

“They’re the creations that seem to catch people’s eye the most. A guy in Stawell was good enough to show me the trick of how to make them, which was awesome, because it’s a bit of a secret art!”

by Terry Gange, for Harnesslink