At 74, Dick Becker isn’t talking retirement. While contemporaries might look to call it a day, Becker dismisses retirement for now, saying he isn’t interested in playing golf. Instead, he still finds motivation working with horses and clients. Especially at his age, there is a difference between shoeing because you want to and shoeing because you have to.

When Chino Valley, Ariz., farrier Shaun Woodsum started shoeing horses more than 30 years ago, it seemed like a good way to pay for his college education. His father Bob James was a horseshoer and the aspiring heavy equipment operator was acquainted with the profession — he knew it would offer a flexible schedule to earn a living and pursue a degree. Once he got a taste of the industry, however, Woodsum quickly changed course.