Gaited show horses are a small niche within the horse industry, and shoeing them is equally so within the farrier industry.

Before putting on an apron and picking up a foot, a farrier must understand the discipline, potential clientele and what is expected in the horses’ hoof care.

Clients and Their Horses

Only a few thousand horses are registered each year including American Saddlebreds, Morgans, Arabs, Hackneys, Shetlands and a few others. Show horses are cared for and trained much differently than those in most other disciplines. As such, their hoof care is equally different. Farriers must be specialized to properly accommodate the requirements of the discipline.

Upper-level show horse owners are usually wealthy and rarely present on a daily basis with their horses. Horses with a strong presence and elegance are desired by the clients. World champions are a combination of genetics, training and management. They pay a premium for winning horses, whose value can be several hundred thousand dollars.

They also place a high standard on the horses’ care…