#1 … Learning To Say “No”

The most difficult word for a farrier, especially one new to the trade, is “no.”

For deceased Rochester, Wash., farrier Bill Miller, learning to say no meant realizing that he had taken on too much work. He recalled one time working himself to exhaustion, which he later decided was ridiculous.

If you start encountering potential problems because of your schedule, Miller warns against blaming the work. “Horseshoeing is always going to be what it is, and the job is what you put into it,” he said.

And if money is what drives you as a horseshoer, it’s likely that you will be overbooked.

#2 … Remember, All Horses Are Different

Like people, horses have personalities and each one can be entirely different, says Lapeer, Mich., farrier Dick Becker.

He says there are horses where the farrier can pick up a foot, clean it and smoke a shoe on without any difficulty. Other horses will need to be trained to tolerant this work .

Becker likes to work with retired racetrack Thoroughbreds because they have learned to be flexible. Even so, a farrier has to train them to deal with the smoke, which can take time. Buit he adds that it’s always nice to have a hot shoe, a good burn on the hoof and a good fit.

Lastly, Becker says a typical barn situation occurs when you have two horses in cross-ties or a rider down the barn aisle is saddling a horse. Unfortunately, he says this has the potential for creating a very dangerous footcare wreck.

#3 … Know Your Hoof-Care Limits

Farriers are the equine professionals that spend the most time with clients, says Danvers Child, a West Lafayette, Ind., farrier. As a result, horse owners and trainers rely and depend on farriers to help them learn more and stay informed.

Child says this can be both a blessing and a curse. On one hand, it makes a farrier feel good., Yet it can also encourage farriers to cross boundaries that probably should not be crossed.

As an example, let’s say a farrier gives out a home remedy for treating scratches when instead he or she should have encouraged the client to call a veterinarian.

“You have to find that balance where we’ve in a referral source as well as an information source” concludes Child.