People took their horses in to have new shoes put on their feet, or just repaired. The shoe was heated in the forge, which you can see behind the man on the right in the picture below. A handle was turned to create a draft which made the fire, usually of coal, red hot. The horse shoe was placed in this until it too was red hot and then it was taken to the anvil and pounded to the correct shape.
The local Blacksmith was a very important person in the community. Unfortunately there seems to not be a wealth of information around about any of the local Blacksmith's. What is known is that the Providence Bay Blacksmith Shop was operated in the early days by Elizja Newall, Dan McDougall, Robert Griffith and then by Donald Caddle.
The Blacksmith Shop was demolished around 1950.
This submitted picture is of a typical 1899 blacksmith shop.