Ann Melville puts on her farrier apron before trimming the hooves of a donkey in Poland named Paco on Sept. 24. Melville became a farrier 17 years ago, after studying entomology in graduate school. "I found out you couldn't make any money in it unless you worked for the pesticide companies," she said.

Ann Melville adjusts the fitting of a dressage horse's shoes at Inish Beg farms in Standish on Sept. 24. Melville uses the horse's previous shoes as a template for the new pair, and hammers the shoes from the template into the correct shape.

Ann Melville works on a dressage horse named Falco in Standish on Sept. 24. Melville said she enjoys taking her time, and ensuring that Falco is balanced and stable for dressage work.

Ann Melville's horseshoe nail carrier, seen on Sept. 24 before she shoed dressage horses in Standish.

Ann Melville hot fits a shoe to Falco at Inish Beg farms in Standish. Hot fitting allows an imprint of the horse's hoof to mark on the shoe, to give a farrier a guideline for how the shoe needs to be adjusted. Smoke from hot shoeing inhibits a horse's ability to see clearly, which is why some horses have an aversion to hot fitting. Melville tested Falco's aversion to the process by producing a small amount of smoke away from his hoof.

Ann Melville opens the barn door of her client Pamela Ross after trimming her donkeys' hooves. Melville was exposed to horses at a young age, but did not pursue a career with the animals until after graduate school. "My favorite part of being around a horse was always picking up their feet. It's bred into me. I think being a farrier is genetic," Melville said.