The mindset with which you approach your journey into the world of hoof care can often be the difference between fulfillment or frustration with your chosen career.

It seems that this success mindset has been adopted by many highly successful people in many career fields. When this mindset is adopted early and followed regularly, it tends to allow beginning farriers the courage to try new things, learn from experiences and approach their chosen trade without being controlled by fear of the unknown. Let’s look at these ideas and how they can help you develop a successful, fulfilling career in hoof care.

Avoid Boxes

One of the first concepts we encourage our students at Equine Lameness Prevention Organization (ELPO) is to adopt how they evaluate the concepts of good vs. bad and right vs. wrong when it relates to hoof care. 

The majority of hoof-care practitioners have the best intentions with each animal they work on. However, despite our best efforts, sometimes we inadvertently cause pain and discomfort. This can be done through experimentation with new concepts, or simply misjudging…