Q: Has anyone had any experience buying a farrier business? Good or bad?

—KT, kenotimm@netscape.net

A: I’m not sure about buying a farrier business, but my clients wouldn’t go for me selling them to someone who hasn’t earned their trust. I consider the relationship I have with my clients to be one of trust — a trust that I have earned over a long period of time. It takes time and lots of hard work to gain that trust.

When I left Florida for Texas 21 years ago, I asked my former clients what they wanted me to do. I asked them if they wanted me to refer them to another farrier or spread them out with a bunch of different farriers? The overwhelming response was that while they were sorry I was moving, they had 6 weeks after my last appointment to find a new farrier and they could do it on their own. A lot of my customers had already been through most of the local farriers on my list or knew of other farriers through friends.

I guess it all boils down to a private treaty between horse owner and farrier.

—Gary, FtFrkGary@aol.com

A: When the day comes, I’ll be more than happy to sell mine, but who’d want to buy it? If I quit shoeing for a living, and you’re a farrier who works in my area, all you have to do is sit back and wait for customers who need a shoer to call you…