Traveling in France #3: Visiting Vichy, The Napoleon III Festival (Part 2 of 3)

The Napoleon III Festival in Vichy continues.  

The festival included all sorts of entertainers and artisans.  Along with some excited kids, we enjoyed a Punch & Judy show.   As always, Judy got the better of Punch.  

We also enjoyed watching the blacksmith and basket weaver at work.  

The festival included an assortment of animals.

Are you looking at me?

In addition to small farm animals, there were a lot of horses, including draft horses.

Pop Quiz: Can you identify the contraption pictured below?

Here's a hint:  A farrier uses the contraption.  

If you guessed a device for shoeing horses, then you are correct.  Well done.  

The contraption is a draft horse shoeing stocks.  The draft horse enters the stocks and bars are placed in front and back to keep the horse in place.  Straps are then placed around the horse's ankles which,  one-by-one, are cranked upward.  The farrier then sizes and nails the shoe to the horse's hoof.    

A horse in the shoeing stocks

Leg raised, waiting for a new shoe

Next Up:  More of the Napoleon III Festival