Society’s general understanding of the law is often shaped by what we see on television or in movies. The storylines depicted typically start with a search for the truth and end with a sense of justice served. In the real world, the law is not nearly as black and white; much more often, it’s shades of gray. Having completed law school before becoming a farrier, I have a deeper insight into the types of legal issues that may arise in this line of work and ways we can avoid them.

By the nature of our chosen profession, farriers are exposed to a lot of liability issues that could result in litigation. Every day we travel many miles on the roads, use dangerous tools and equipment, haul trailers, work with unpredictable animals in environments where bystanders are likely coming and going. In addition, we enter into contractual relationships and we’re increasingly using apprentices and helpers. For these reasons —…