Not many veterinarians are certified journeyman farriers with the American Farriers Association. This time next year, fourth-year veterinary student Sheldon Thomas hopes to be among the few after he earns his Doctor of Veterinary Medicine from WSU. Sheldon grew up in Arizona with horses, cows, pigs, chickens, dogs, and cats. He plans to return to Arizona after graduation with his wife, Karina; his 3-year-old, Clancy; his 2-year-old Colt; and another son on the way who will likely be born on the Palouse.
Sheldon hopes to focus on horses and other large animals. He has a knack for shoeing horses, which he says is more like a hobby than a job. He also created a YouTube channel, “S&S Shoeing,” which has 284,000 followers and provides advice on horseshoeing. Sheldon puts an incredible effort to perfect his craft – no matter if it is in the realm of veterinary medicine or his high school talent show. As a freshman, he won the contest by riding a unicycle, juggling, and balancing his friend on his shoulders at the same time. “I think we still have the unicycle somewhere in my parents’ garage,” he said. He said his favorite thing about the Palouse is having his family here to enjoy it with him.