In 2018, Payden Talbott moved from Wyoming to Pulaski, Wis., to start his own successful horseshoeing business.

“The horses in Wisconsin are so numerous, more farriers were needed when I started and still are now, and it was a great place to land to start out,” Talbott says.

Gaining clients came early to Talbott, as local farriers and existing clients referred him to owners.

“I’ve found that word of mouth is king,” Talbott says. “Getting recommendations from other farriers is one of the best ways to grow your business and develop in the industry.”

The connections he made being a member of the Wisconsin Farrier’s Association also led to receiving numerous referrals. Because of referrals, Talbott advertised very little when he was starting out.

Talbott says that it is essential for farriers to focus on their business practices, especially early in their career.

“The mistakes I made were numerous. I focused on getting the horses shod, but not on setting up my business,” he says. “I think that’s a common mistake among farriers. Topics like retirement planning and advertising were not something I paid attention to, for no other reason than I tried to get as many horses shod as I could. As farriers, we are small business owners, so we need to make sure all parts of our business run smoothly, and make adjustments as needed.”

Talbott is the first place winner of the 2021 Rising Shoeing Star award after graduating from Heartland Horseshoeing School in Lamar, Mo.. Created in 2009, the award is to honor outstanding young shoers who are enjoying successful careers as farriers 3 years after graduation. It is co-sponsored by Adeptus Nutrition Inc., American Farriers Journal, Pyranha and Texas Farrier Supply.