10 Ways to Become a Better Farrier

There is always something you can do to keep improving your work as a farrier. Here are my top 10 tips on how to become a better farrier.

1. Learn one new farrier skill every year.
2. Join your local farrier association.
3. Buy another book on farriery.
4. Attend clinics and workshops.
5. Meet and mix with good farriers at every opportunity.
6. Find a mentor and try to meet regularly.
7. Develop a 5-year business plan.
8. Listen to educational podcasts while traveling between barns.
9. Have a hobby that doesn’t involve horses.
10. Be self-critical without beating yourself up.

— Simon Curtis, Newmarket, England

Younger Owners Expect to Add More Horses

Some 25% of survey respondents that were 18-24 years of age reported owning/managing more horses in 2018 than in 2017. Some 39% of these younger respondents expected to own or manage more horses in the future.

Among owners over 65 years old, only 7% of the respondents reported owning/managing more horses. During the following year (2019), only 9% of these older respondents expected to have more horses.

Both trends bode well for the future of the horse industry. An active group of younger participants is essential for the equine industry to remain healthy and growing.

— 2018 American Horse Publications Equine Industry Survey of 9,012 horse owners sponsored by Zoetis