There is more to operating a successful farrier business than shoeing horses. Maintaining a healthy profit margin is key to ensuring farriers can continue to do what they love. At the 2026 International Hoof-Care Summit, Paris, Ontario, farrier Andrew DeVisser explains how efficient scheduling can be an important aid to a farrier’s business.

DeVisser acknowledges that people often prefer to discuss increasing their income when it may be more effective and realistic to control expenses.

“In a lot of situations, you can affect your expenses a lot more than you can affect your ability to make more money if you’re already maxing out there,” DeVisser says. 

Expenses can be controlled in a multitude of ways, including purchasing smarter. Farriers can invest in a more fuel-efficient vehicle, spend some time finding the best deals for needed expenses and avoid eating fast food on the road. On the job, scheduling clients efficiently can save time and money.

“Instead of driving past a client you saw yesterday to go to a client today and then driving past them again on the way home, if you schedule a little bit better, sometimes you realize you can be driving 30-50% less,” DeVisser says. “If your clients can be flexible, you can say, ‘I’m going to schedule a string or a line of people, and I’m going to cover all those people in one day.’ ”

Creating a route that avoids doubling back while keeping the day’s clients within a reasonable area saves valuable driving time that could be used to add clients, pursue personal projects or practice in the shop. It also reduces unnecessary tire wear, minimizes the mileage added daily to your vehicle and saves gas money, which can add up quickly depending on what you drive and fuel prices.

For more tips on how to keep your farrier business healthy, read Téalin Robinson’s article “3 Strategies for Maintaining a Healthy Farrier Business”, featured in the May/June 2026 issue of American Farriers Journal.