This special publication is published once per year by American Farriers Journal. The career guide delivers advice from farriers on how to establish and operate a successful equine footcare practice.
Farriery is not a typical job. In fact, many argue that it’s not a job at all; it’s a lifestyle. You see, hoof care is not far from a farrier’s mind. The welfare of the horse is a responsibility that’s not taken lightly. It’s often a hallmark of a successful farrier.
The graduation ceremony is over. That unforgettable feeling of finishing the first horse without the instructor’s help is still fresh. The former strangers who became close friends during the long days of learning and practicing must now go their separate ways.
About 20 years ago, Jessica McGrane wanted to begin a career as a farrier. She asked West Chester, Pa., farrier Dave Werkiser if she could learn the trade from him. Werkiser admits that he was at first hesitant, having had some previous helpers join his practice, but leave just when they
became useful.
Farriers are self-employed small business owners. Each one of us wants to work hard and earn lots of money. That’s possible, and with a little thought, we can make just as much money with the same amount of effort or less.
Being successful will mean different things to each person and the pictures of success will change as you go through different stages of life. Just as life has different stages, every small business will go through different stages of growth.
In an ideal world, horse owners would be model clients with mounts that had perfect conformation and feet. Rather, it’s necessary to ask questions and gain some insight about the horse and client before saying “yes.”
There are differences in how every farrier approaches his or her business. Still, the most common and effective way to manage the finances of a farrier business remains knowing what it costs to shoe a horse.
The graduation ceremony is over. That unforgettable feeling of finishing the first horse without the instructor’s help is still fresh. It’s time to head into the real world of farriery. Where do you start?
American Farriers Journal has compiled the most reliable information concerning the farrier industry’s economic impact to provide a snapshot of the industry you are entering.
Referring clients to a specialist is a common and valuable practice that’s proven extremely advantageous for patient outcomes. It is also proven valuable for professional development and advancement.
Any web search on “how to achieve a goal” will yield a seemingly endless list of articles. Likewise, search on “why are some people more successful than others” to find even more advice on self-improvement.
Last year, a younger farrier rode in Tom Trosin’s shoeing truck. While chatting between stops, the junior horseshoer identified one aspect of farriery that the Oklahoma farrier excels at — and it has nothing to do with trimming and shoeing.
Finksburg, Md., farrier Harry Serio resisted upgrading from a flip phone to a smartphone until 2016. While Serio doesn’t consider himself a tech-savvy person, he’s learned his way around the phone, although he says it has more functions than he knows (or cares to know) how to use.
Rich Lomen and Nate Stener need a warm, dry, efficient farrier rig to shoe 550 sport horses in frigid Minnesota. Their solution is a Dodge Ram 2500 ProMaster outfitted by Bay Horse Innovations.
Life Data Labs Inc. is a dedicated product manufacturer committed to producing premium quality animal nutrition and health products through continuous product improvement and new product development. First-class ingredients, fresh products, consistent high quality and scientifically proven effectiveness are the principal features of Life Data Labs animal health products. And that's why they've produced the #1 recommended hoof supplement by farriers for 12 consecutive years.
Kawell develops and produces copper alloy horseshoes and inserts, giving horses the care that they need to fight issues associated with white line disease, seedy toe and thrush.
From the feed room to the tack room, SmartPak offers innovative solutions to help riders take great care of their horses. SmartPak was founded in 1999 with the introduction of the patented SmartPak™ supplement feeding system. The revolutionary, daily dose SmartPaks are custom-made for your horse, individually labeled and sealed for freshness.