Months into the COVID-19 pandemic, opinions greatly differ on the seriousness of the subject, as well as the response by the government. Regardless of your opinion on public health risks and resulting actions, it is a fact that every industry is affected by the pandemic.

In the April 2020 issue of American Farriers Journal, we featured results from a survey showing how the pandemic has affected farrier business practices. To see how farriers are adapting, we’ve continued to monitor these survey results as the weeks progressed.

Industry Remains Optimistic

Surprisingly, optimism on their business health grew among farriers, as seen in the charts in this article. Reuters surveys indicate general pessimism about the virus growing among the public, with 59% reporting their work has been impacted by COVID-19.

The most common factors affecting farrier businesses remain the same, although there is a difference in the number affected. The cancellation of equine events certainly has had a ripple effect beyond the immediate impact. But this saw a 9% decline in farriers affected compared with the previous month. Without events, farriers have replaced income with other accounts, or there is no significant loss because horses…