Finksburg, Md., farrier Harry Serio resisted upgrading from a flip phone to a smartphone until 2016. While Serio doesn’t consider himself a tech-savvy person, he’s learned his way around the phone, although he says it has more functions than he knows (or cares to know) how to use. Purchased mainly for GPS capabilities, Serio soon discovered several Facebook groups for farriers and joined the conversation.

“I requested to join several of them and got to be pretty active with a few,” he says. “As time went on, I noticed a lot of things going on in some of the groups that I didn’t care for. There was a lot of farrier bashing and some came across as wanting to be the smartest person in the room.”

While the information he learned from farriers posting around the world was eye-opening, the negativity and disrespect were frustrating. His response was the creation of a group he called Farriery 101 Professional Discussions in March 2020. It’s since grown to more than 8,000 members and sees frequent posts daily.

“The group doesn’t have a lot of rules,” he says, “but I’ve made it clear that the goals are to help one another through sharing rather than ripping into them in response to a question or post.”

In its very best form, social media is a useful tool for a cost-effective method for connecting with other professionals worldwide to share ideas and promote the hoof-care industry. At its worst, it promotes criticism, bullying and the spread of misinformation. Finding the middle ground is key. Try these tips for making the most of the benefits social media has to offer and contribute constructively for the good of the entire industry.

Social Media is Here to Stay

Kia Apple, the social media and marketing director of Dixie’s Farrier Service based in Cicero, Ind., has seen increasing numbers of farriers popping up on multiple platforms. People use it for critiques, advice, references, education and marketing in the horse industry.

If you don’t use social media correctly as a business, she says, you might just be posting to a void. And if you’ve ever received harsh criticism of a genuine question, you may be reluctant to join the conversation.

“More than 70% of people in the United States have a social media account,” Apple says. “While word of mouth is still the primary source in client leads, especially in boarding barns, social media has become vital in marketing your business to clients in younger generations that are on social media daily.”

One of the most popular online activities is the use of social media, according to Statista Research Department. In 2020, Statista reported that “over 3.6 billion people were using social media worldwide, a number projected to increase each day to almost 4.41 billion in 2025.” Typically, people spend 144 minutes a day on one social platform or another.

How you leverage social media can have a lasting effect on colleagues
and clients.

Remember Your Roots

Most online farrier social media groups include professionals at all stages of their careers. A new farrier starting is going to have questions about a technique they might be struggling with. Experienced professionals also might have a unique or difficult case and are looking for input.

“Remember where you started, where you put your roots down and what you didn’t know when you got started,” Serio says. “Design your responses around that thought process. No matter how trivial you may feel the question is, the person asking it is concerned or probably struggling and looking for input. They deserve an honest, quality answer.”

Before responding, he recommends thoroughly reading the post and then rereading it to take the time to get a good understanding of what the post is about. Then he recommended sticking to the “nuts and bolts” of techniques in the comments. Failing to fully understand the scenario or taking it off-topic takes the post in countless unrelated directions that serve no purpose.

When a Post Goes Sideways

On the positive side, social media groups give every person a voice. Some people are uncomfortable getting up in front of a room to share information or ask questions, but feel empowered to do so online. On the flip side, the remote nature of the platform emboldens others to offer harsh criticism without considering how the message might be received and the effect it has on a person. It’s a lot more difficult to respond with a rude comment in face-to-face conversations than it is to type an emotion-filled response.

“Unfortunately, a majority of posts that blow up become negative,” Apple says, “whether it is a farrier asking for advice and getting unhelpful, mean comments on his work, bashing a client or farrier for behavior or lack of knowledge or clients complaining about prices.”

Most negative posts that go viral are in Facebook groups, Apple says. On the positive side, moderators have become better at turning off comments, deleting the post or blocking people to manage civil discussion, she adds.

“For posts that are public, a clarifying comment is helpful if there is a misunderstanding or confusion, but I would not address comments that do not contribute to the conversation in a meaningful way,” she says. “It’s also OK to not respond. In a few days, most people will be on to the next topic.”

One of two things typically happens when a person feels attacked — they fight back to defend themselves or remove themselves from the situation. That’s as true online as it is in person.

“When a post turns into a bad situation, it spirals out of control or the person just quits the group, which doesn’t serve the industry either,” Serio says.

Serio had this happen to a young farrier in his group. She had been working in the field for about 3 years. She proudly posted a photo of a horse’s foot she had just trimmed, shaped up and shod. She included a photo of the old shoe to show the transformation. Most responses were positive, even complimentary except for one farrier who jumped in and among other things shared, “If I did what you did, I couldn’t sleep at night.”

“That is no way to talk to somebody who has been in the trade and is looking for help. It does no good to grind anyone,” he says. “Discouraged, she quit the group.”

When discussions don’t take place physically in front of an audience, there is a tendency to let one’s ego fuel the fire and confidence for making snarky remarks. It’s not always what you say, but how you say it. There is room and a real need for constructive conversations about cases.

Social Media Decorum

With as fast as social conversations change, it’s easy to take for granted that they will be forgotten or disappear over time. Once shared, even a deleted post, can circle back around. Screenshots mean any viewer could save and return to a post several days, weeks or years later and can translate into lost clients.

“Assume anything you post on your business or personal social media accounts will be seen by current and future clients, respected farriers and vets, show organizers and other people in the field,” Apple says.

When posting, keep in mind that the majority of people in the groups are there to help you. It can be intimidating to raise your hand and ask a question. But the intent of many of these groups is information sharing to better care for client horses. Make the most of the questions you do post by including specific details about the situation and include a photo when possible.

“Participating in professional online farrier forums and Facebook groups is like attending a class — there is so much to be learned,” Serio says.

Approach social media as an opportunity to improve the industry and the knowledge of the farrier community. By helping people, you’re elevating the entire trade. And, your online actions reflect on your business equally — for the good, as well as the bad — so be mindful of the image you want to portray. Like all aspects of life, the best approach to being a good social media citizen is simple — it boils down to the Golden Rule, treat others the way you would like to be treated.