Farriers come into the business in many different ways and from many different fields. But Matt Frederick, who shoes in Napa Valley, Calif., may come as close as any to having a unique beginning.

While a farrier's top priority is normally the care of hooves, you must be equally concerned with earning a living and dealing with the business aspects of the profession.

As a farrier and a veterinarian, we have a unique working relationship. Over the past several years, we've treated and rehabilitated rescue horses at the Grace Foundation in El Dorado Hills, Calif. Our work provides the students at the Pacific Coast Horseshoeing School with a view on how a good working relationship between vet and farrier benefits the team and the horse. Also, because many of the horses are in poor condition, the students get to see some of the most devastating hoof conditions that horses can suffer.

Even in a profession known for unlikely beginnings, Mike Hayward’s route to becoming a farrier is unusual. Before he turned to shoeing horses, Hayward, a native of Somerset, England, was the head elephant trainer for the Blue Unit at the Ringling Brothers Barnum & Bailey Circus.

Any boy worth his salt in snips and snails and puppy dog tails has dreamed of running away with the circus. For most of us, mortgages, car payments and other lackluster adult concerns eventually replace any aspirations we had of joining the circus.