A farrier practice is a business — that is no surprise. As professionals, practitioners have a responsibility to maintain accurate records, schedule properly, bill and receive payment promptly and track performance. At the same time, farriers also should keep records on clients and the type of work conducted on their horses, including photographs of the feet or radiographs shared by veterinarians.

As you build your practice, you likely will gain dozens of clients, details on their horses and any long-range goals can be difficult to recall.

Accurate notes on horses must be accessible at all times, as farriers never know when a client might call with an issue.

Professionals, such as veterinarians, like to work with other professionals and often will recommend those who appear more professional, as it makes them look better to their own clients.

Handwritten notes can still manage a practice, but using computer technology can improve efficiency, professionalism and ensure accuracy.

Move Beyond Handwritten

Starting out as a farrier, you should consider skipping pen and paper and manage aspects of your business with software. Farriers of the previous generation who utilize computer technology for records and invoicing say the first transition step is to recognize the motivation.

When David Nicholls started in farriery, home computers didn’t exist.

“I know that there…