As in the past, our November issue provides several articles to help our readers improve their business practices. One of these articles shows how the onset of COVID-19 eventually gave way to increased business for most farriers.

I wasn’t expecting that when I look back to March-April 2020. I thought that farrier business would suffer in the subsequent months. Wanting to help farriers protect their incomes in case of an economic downturn, we hosted free live sessions in which we discussed business advice with farriers. These included Tom Curl of Vero Beach, Fla., Dave Farley of Wellington, Fla., Shane Westman of Davis, Calif., and Alex Garcia of Shingle Springs, Calif. You can watch the recordings of these videos at AmericanFarriers.com/1121. Even though the discussion was built around business practices during COVID-19, I’d encourage you to watch these because there are smart business tips spread through each. 

But as most farriers found out, that downturn has yet to largely materialize in the equine industry. No doubt, there are owners who have suffered financially and reduced their number of horses, so their farriers lost income. But as many farriers reported in our survey, 2020-2021 has been a period of rapid client replacement.

Survey Reveals Tremendous Growth

Most farriers in the United States are enjoying surges in business. Already busy seasons of summer and fall seemed even busier, as prospective clients continued to search for farriers to provide hoof care. Among backyard horses, the backbone of the equine industry, 67% of these…