The transition from a horseshoeing school student to a full-time farrier can be rough, even for those who graduate at the top of their class. New graduates and those just starting their farrier business understand the challenges you’ll face, regardless of education and skill.

Whether you’re injured on the job, planning a vacation or recovering from surgery, there will come a time when you need to be away from your practice for an extended period. Having a plan in place for such an absence will save you the headache of finding coverage for your horses, loss of income and potentially losing clients.

Crouching under a horse and banging on an anvil 8 hours a day, 5 or more days a week wears down the body over years of work. Farriers’ backs become stiff and sore, tennis elbow can develop and carpal tunnel can debilitate hands and wrists. In such a physical profession, any injury can mean time away from work and money lost. These worries may seem like a long way off to farriers who are just starting out, but certain practices put into effect now can help prevent ache and injury later.

After graduating from school or leaving an apprenticeship to begin a farrier career, what questions will cross your mind? Where will you find clients? How much should you charge? What type of clients do you want to work for? Certainly, there are dozens of other questions that will receive much deliberation.

Upon graduation from farrier school or completion of a mentoring program, aspiring farriers have the opportunity of guiding and shaping their careers to coincide with their goals. To be successful, you have to make many decisions, such as the location to build the farrier practice you want.