The greatest danger to a farrier practice is complacency, according to Dave Farley. He recalls many farriers who had the business and income that they wanted because they believed change would never come. The Coshocton, Ohio, and Wellington, Fla., farrier told attendees at the early November 2014 Cornell Farrier Conference that this mindset allows someone who is hungrier to pass by the complacent farrier.

“Even if you are on the right track, you’re going to get run over if you just sit there,” he says.

And while the willingness is crucial for success, it is meaningless without experience.

“You can’t teach experience,” says Farley. “Experience means you must be there when it happens. Also, learn from those who have experience — you are who you hang with.”

Enthusiasm and experience are present in all top farriers, according to Farley. During his presentation, he laid out other keys to make your business the best it can be.

The Necessities

To first analyze how you are doing as a practitioner, the Hall Of Fame farrier says there are core areas that are necessary for all farriers. Take time to think about your skill set in each and in which areas you need improvement:

• Art of farriery. “We are scientific and artistic — they go hand-in-hand,” he says. “I placed this first because this is one that I have trouble with. I had to learn to see my lines and picture what I want that foot to look like when I’m done.”
• Understanding…