Zepp

Biodata

Feature	Details
Name	Joseph “Zepp” Schmidt (泽普)
Alias(es)	Zepp; “BOSS” is his usual address for Kitano 254
Species/Race	Human
Gender	Male
Nationality	German
Date of Birth	March 1, 2006 87
Age	19 at the time of his introduction 87
Affiliation	Mejiro Farm/Nishiken Farm; expedition team; formerly assigned to Arayama Stable as a stable hand 87 130 359
Occupation/Role	Chief farrier; deputy ranch manager; agricultural-work supervisor 359
Status	Active
First Appearance	Chapter 87: “The Expedition Team’s Sixth Member”

Background / History

Zepp was raised in a multigenerational German farrier family and apprenticed in his father’s workshop from childhood, beginning once he could lift an eight-pound hammer. He became a licensed basic farrier through the Bavaria Chamber of Skilled Crafts, though he had previously struggled with equine-anatomy and hoof-care examinations. His attachment to horse racing—and particularly Mejiro McQueen—helped him through this difficult period and renewed his commitment to the profession 87.

After Kitano requested an in-person interview, Zepp traveled from Germany with striking speed to apply for the expedition team. His certificate was verified as authentic, while Arayama judged that his practical ability could exceed that of many far more experienced Japanese farriers. Because Zepp lacked JRA and NAR registration, Kitano employed him on paper as a stable hand under the expedition’s personnel allowance, allowing him to work as the team’s farrier 87.

His first days at Arayama Stable established a contrast that would define his role: he was disastrously unreliable at ordinary stable chores, including measuring feed, but exceptionally precise in hoof work. He became Mejiro Sakuya’s dedicated farrier, using computer-assisted modeling and custom shoes to address her right-hind-leg lameness 89 130.

Zepp accompanied the team on international campaigns, inspecting the Saudi dirt surface with Arayama and Wada, contributing to changes in Sakuya’s shoe design, and later continuing gait analysis during overseas preparation in Dubai and New York 94 186 266. He also traveled with Kitano to Australia, where he recognized similarities between Bang Bang Farm’s stride-monitoring systems and his own hoof and gait modeling 131 132.

As Mejiro Farm expanded, Zepp’s duties grew beyond shoeing. He was promoted to deputy ranch manager while retaining his position as chief farrier, with agricultural work added to his responsibilities 359. He has since remained involved in horse intake, yearling management, breaking-in support, equipment inspection, facility work, and the farm’s increasingly data-driven care systems 361 377 500 581.

Appearance

Zepp is a very tall, heavily built young man with blond hair and a thick beard that initially makes him appear older than he is 87.

• Burly enough to be compared to a charging bull during his first meeting with Kitano 87
• Blond, bearded, and broad-framed; his youthful skin and clear eyes reveal his actual age beneath the beard 87
• Often dressed casually, sometimes inappropriately for formal racing environments 99
• Uses rimless glasses when working at a computer 154

Personality

Zepp is intensely enthusiastic, impulsive, and socially overwhelming. He introduces himself with forceful handshakes, rapid declarations, and an eagerness that regularly leaves the more reserved Kitano exhausted 87. His excitement extends to horse racing, Mejiro horses, Japanese pop culture, jockeys, merchandise, robots, and sightseeing 89 254 255 500.

His confidence can become arrogance, particularly when discussing farriery. Zepp openly argues that shoeing is a reproducible technical discipline rather than an intuitive craft, but his results consistently give weight to his claims 89. Away from hoof work, however, he is forgetful, clumsy with routine tasks, and prone to theatrical reactions when inconvenienced or teased 89 359.

Despite his blunt humor and erratic energy, Zepp is gentle and patient with horses. He handles nervous or vulnerable animals carefully, takes their long-term welfare seriously, and becomes emotionally invested in those under his care 162 377 485.

Abilities & Skills

Farriery

Zepp is a professionally licensed farrier whose hands-on technical ability is considered exceptional despite his basic-level formal certification 87.

• Trained in his family’s workshop from childhood 87
• Holds a Bavarian basic-farrier license verified by the Bavaria Chamber of Skilled Crafts 87
• Arayama believes his practical skills may exceed those of many experienced Japanese farriers 87
• Works patiently with inexperienced horses during first shoeings and can keep them calm through hot shoeing 162 248
• Identifies structural issues such as soft hooves, weak hoof walls, cracks, deformities, and gait-related imbalance 162 377 485

Hoof Modeling and Corrective Shoeing

Zepp specializes in applying measurement and biomechanics to shoeing decisions rather than relying solely on visual judgment 89.

• Reconstructs and analyzes all four hooves through computer models, including angles, surface area, centers of gravity, and hoof-growth patterns 89
• Developed padded corrective shoes for Mejiro Sakuya and adjusted her right-hind breakover point by 1.5 millimeters to reduce impact and improve stride efficiency 89
• Collaborates with trainers and jockeys to alter shoe design for unfamiliar surfaces, including lighter aluminum shoes with deeper grooves for the Saudi track 94
• Adjusted Mejiro Traveler’s shoes to reduce his tendency to pull right during hill training 386
• Proposed glue-on shoes and long-term trimming for Sawin’s deformed, weak-walled hooves, while warning that meaningful improvement could take years 485

Research and Technical Adaptation

Zepp actively studies equipment, movement data, and new methods of horse care 131 154.

• Assists with gait-analysis work for Sakuya’s post-surgical right hind leg 186
• Takes interest in motion-monitoring systems and compares them with his own gait-modeling methods 131
• Imports or arranges German farrier equipment through his father, including hoof nippers with improved working angles 154
• Supports data collection during hill training, though the farm initially struggles to fully interpret the implanted monitors’ complex outputs 386
• Closely inspects and eagerly evaluates new ranch technology, including the farm’s customized work robot 500 501

Stable and Farm Management

While unsuited to basic stable chores, Zepp has developed into a dependable operational member of Mejiro Farm 89 359.

• Originally hired as a stable hand to satisfy expedition employment rules 87
• Promoted to deputy ranch manager while retaining responsibility as chief farrier 359
• Assigned agricultural duties during the farm’s departmental reorganization 359
• Participates in auction inspections, focusing especially on hoof quality and physical soundness 232 239
• Helps prepare horses for public presentations, transport, rehabilitation, intake examinations, and winter hoof care 153 502 581

Equipment / Items

• Extensive personal farrier toolkit, carried from Germany in his suitcase and backpack 89
• Computer-based hoof-analysis and gait-modeling setup 89
• Shock-absorbing padded corrective horseshoes for Mejiro Sakuya 89
• German hoof nippers supplied through his father 154
• Glue-on horseshoe plan for Sawin’s weakened left forehoof 485

Relationships

• Kitano — Employer and “BOSS.” Kitano recruited Zepp for the expedition, later retained him as a private employee, and relies on him as both a farrier and a practical traveling companion 87 130 353.
• Mejiro Sakuya — Dedicated farrier. Zepp’s corrective shoeing and gait analysis are central to managing her right-hind-leg problems and supporting her overseas campaigns 89 186.
• Arayama — Trainer who recognized Zepp’s ability during his interview and regularly collaborates with him on Sakuya’s movement and shoeing plans 87 94 186.
• Ogawa Masaru — Fellow expedition member who verified Zepp’s farrier license and frequently handles the stable work Zepp is poor at 87 89.
• Majima — Friend bonded through their shared obsession with the Mejiro line 89.
• Rachel Ho — Farm colleague who works alongside Zepp in horse care, training logistics, and ranch management 359 386.
• Ravide — Senior colleague and practical adviser; the two cooperate on welfare, hoof-care, and farm-management issues 162 359.
• Moon Radiance — Young horse Zepp handles gently during hoof inspections and whose development he follows closely 377.
• Sawin — A vulnerable horse whose serious hoof problems prompt Zepp to formulate a long-term treatment plan and form a visible emotional attachment 485.

Trivia

• Zepp is a devoted fan of the Mejiro horses and of Uma Musume; his enthusiasm for both is a frequent source of comedy 87 93 255.
• He ate five Christmas turkey meals by himself during his interview, then signed his employment contract shortly afterward 87.
• Although German, he complains about cold weather strongly enough for his coworkers to mock him for it 336.
• His enthusiasm for shopping and pop-culture attractions can overwhelm even an entire day in Shibuya 254 255.
• He is a joint owner through Silk Club and Sunday Racing 534.