Another month of bills has come and gone and your checkbook is more barren than the Sahara Desert. It’s not that your farrier business is going downhill, but it would be nice to pocket some extra money.

Sure, peddling products out of your truck can be a lucrative way to earn a few extra dollars but Jay Proost, the executive director of the American Society of Equine Appraisers (ASEA) in Twin Falls, Idaho, offers an alternative.

“There are only 380 qualified equine appraisers in Canada and the United States,” Proost says. “There has been a gradual growth in this industry and I think the sky is the limit.”

Cash, Credibility, Confidence

The equine appraisal business is a worthwhile endeavor, even for those farriers putting in more than 40 hours a week.

“It started as a part-time income addition and now it is approaching a full-blown income itself,” says Gordon Wadds, a 20-year farrier and horse trainer in Ovid, Mich. “It’s not something I’ve regretted at all.”

Wadds gets on average a $1,000 retainer to appraise a horse, which normally takes about 5 hours.

“It’s given me some readily available additional income,” says Ray Miller of Spring Green, Wis. “It’s also given me more credibility. When you hold another certification, it presents more of a professional attitude.”

That professional attitude translates into more dollars for all of his businesses. 

“The money rolls off the top,” Miller adds. “Each business complements one another.”

Miller also recommends the equine appraisal business for farriers…