The quality of equipment you have will play an essential role in the quality of work you will deliver as a farrier. Equipment also will be one of your main investments when you are just starting out. With so many options and prices that run the gamut, how do you decide what to purchase? Three successful farriers with offer their insight on making smart tool and equipment purchases.

“Knowledge and education are the first tools for a farrier,” says Dan Bradley, a member of the International Horseshoeing Hall of Fame and who worked for many years as a representative for GE Forge & Tool of Grover Beach, Calif.

As for hardware, Bradley says, “To go out and shoe a horse, you basically need an anvil, a rounding hammer, a knife, a nipper or some kind of cutting tool, rasp, some nails and a driving hammer. That’s what new farriers need,” he says. “They don’t need grinders and high-end equipment to start out with.”

Donald Jones, another member of the International Horseshoeing Hall of Fame and the long-time owner…