A few years ago, Ed Reardon hung up his apron and headed into retirement. This was his reward after decades of hard work and prudent financial planning. Reardon realized a problem with retirement: He missed the work. The Lee’s Summit, Mo., farrier questioned why he walked away from something that he still enjoyed and was capable of doing

There is a difference between wanting to work and having to work. Inadequate finances and poor planning force some farriers to continue working into retirement age, when they would prefer walking away. Finances weren’t an issue for Reardon — he saved for retirement as soon as he was paid for his first trim. It was a passion for the work that brought him back. 

Reardon “unretired” and returned to shoeing. Now 75, he typically works about 4 days a week, leaving Friday off. He operates his business differently this time around. He usually works alone, slashed his books to a fraction of his pre- retirement, multi-farrier practice and became very selective about the clients and horses he would still service.

On this “Shoeing for a Living” day, Reardon gave his skill and knowledge to help a few horses still on his books. He also offered advice for other farriers on how to achieve financial goals and land that horseshoeing retirement job if your spirit and body allow.