Shoeing for a Living

Basic Farriery Keeps Horses Sound & Balanced

jcota@lesspub.com — Wed, 17 Jun 2026 17:37:06 -0400

Texas Hill Country farrier prioritizes simplicity while serving the horse

Colorado Farrier Brings a Fresh Perspective to Hoof Care

mkrueger@lessitermedia.com — Mon, 26 Jan 2026 16:10:47 -0500

Chase Rutledge takes a holistic approach to mentorship — he wants to ensure that his students are well-equipped to deal with everything life can throw at them, in and out of a barn.

Missouri Farrier Keeps Arabian Show Horses Dialed in

jcota@lesspub.com — Wed, 22 Oct 2025 00:00:00 -0400

Mike Norris is among a rare breed in hoof care. The Garden City, Mo., farrier is one of the few who shoes Arabian show horses, and he’s fine with that. It just means he has more Arabians to shoe.

California Farrier Fills Hoof-Care Needs

jcota@lesspub.com — Fri, 11 Apr 2025 00:00:00 -0400

The San Francisco Bay Area is among the true American equine hot spots. The diversity of breeds and disciplines ensures plenty of hoof-care work in an area with a considerable concentration of wealthy clients who make their living in the high-tech hub known for being the home of such giants as Intel, Cisco, Meta, Apple and Google.

Good, Solid Shoeing: Insights & Tips

Sun, 09 Mar 2025 23:00:00 -0400

A merican Farriers Journal’s “Shoeing for a Living” series began in 1992 with Maryland farrier Gary Faulkner. Today, AFJ has published more than 120 “Shoeing for a Living” articles that spotlight farriers from across the country.

5 Lessons & Insights from Farriers Who Shoe for a Living

Wed, 18 Dec 2024 00:00:00 -0500

Since 1992, “Shoeing for a Living” has been a regular feature in American Farriers Journal. Close to 150 farriers have been featured, each with unique and innovative ways to run their practice.

Michigan Farrier Helps Horses Weather the Climate Extremes

jcota@lesspub.com — Mon, 13 Nov 2023 00:00:00 -0500

A horse’s feet often reflect the environment it lives in. Dry, arid climates can leave horses with hooves that the highest-quality nippers cannot withstand.

Western Show Horses Thrive Under Danny Anderson’s Shoeing System

jcota@lesspub.com — Tue, 25 Apr 2023 00:00:00 -0400

Less than a week after the groundhog proclaimed that 6 more weeks of winter are on the way, the prognosticating rodent’s forecast is holding up.

A Dedicated Retirement Plan

Wed, 01 Mar 2023 00:00:00 -0500

A few years ago, Ed Reardon hung up his apron and headed into retirement. This was his reward after decades of hard work and prudent financial planning.

Arabian Show Horse Farrier Plays the Angles

jcota@lesspub.com — Sat, 03 Dec 2022 00:00:00 -0500

These are busy days for Zach Morris.
The Lyons, Ore., farrier is logging significant miles — both on the road and in the air — as several of his clients will be making the trek to Tulsa, Okla., for the United States National Arabian & Half-Arabian Championship Horse Show. With a little more than 2 weeks before the show, Morris has his work cut out for him.

Haul-In Farrier Practice Thrives in an Unlikely Place

jcota@lesspub.com — Tue, 14 Jun 2022 00:00:00 -0400

Conventional wisdom suggests farriers must travel to their hoof-care clients if they want to stay in business. After all, what motivation do clients have to surrender the convenience of their shoer arriving at their barn to perform a valuable service?

A Shoeing Day with Mike Wharton

Thu, 28 Apr 2022 00:00:00 -0400

What draws farriers to their calling? For many, simply the love of horses. There also is the draw of a career that lets you determine your path — something many professions forbid. And after acquiring enough knowledge and ability, the satisfaction that comes from having helped a horse improve.

Building a Practice for Changing Times

Sat, 25 Dec 2021 00:00:00 -0500

Tennessee farrier Billy Lampley has adjusted his practice, while remaining committed to “keeping things simple.”

Advice on Shoeing Hunters and Jumpers with Dick Becker

Thu, 09 Sep 2021 00:01:00 -0400

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.

A Deliberate Approach with Every Horse

Fri, 02 Jul 2021 00:01:00 -0400

Being a farrier is a challenging profession. It is even tougher if you don’t enjoy the work, horses or clients. There are easier ways to make a buck if you aren’t having fun shoeing horses. That seems to be Tommy Boudreau’s philosophy. The Mineral Wells, Texas, farrier brings an infectious enthusiasm to his truck and the barn aisle every day.

Arizona Farrier Rises to Dry-Heat Hoof-Care Challenges

Tue, 04 May 2021 00:01:00 -0400

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.

Shoeing Sport Horses with Ty Garner

Sat, 06 Mar 2021 00:01:00 -0500

Although he is based in North Florida, Ty Garner’s work isn’t fully localized — he travels to follow his clients on the circuit, taking him through the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic regions. On this “Shoeing for a Living Day,” he shows how his daily approach relies on the basics, but also thinking how best to keep horses in the show ring.

Shoeing Hunters and Jumpers before a Show

Tue, 05 Jan 2021 00:01:00 -0500

Farriery is in the Galli family blood. The family’s shoeing legacy dates back to Fondi, Italy, when blacksmith Orazio Savocchio immigrated to Millbrook, N.Y., in the early 20th century. He changed his name to Galli — another family’s name back in Fondi — because the longer name was difficult for non-Italians to spell or pronounce. His son Louis continued into the trade, later passing the torch to his son Paul. Fourth-generation farrier Justin Galli carries on the family tradition, following his father into the trade about 25 years ago.

Upper Body Straightness is Key to Jumper Success

Wed, 02 Dec 2020 00:01:00 -0500

What they can’t buy, talented farriers can custom build at the forge and anvil, or create from their own ingenuity using modern materials. As a result, it is tempting to look to shoes as the be-all-end-all answer to hoof-care problems. Blanchardville, Wis., farrier Martin Roche prefers to look to the horse.

Maryland Farrier Remains Successful by Adapting His Practice

Sat, 07 Mar 2020 00:01:00 -0500

When Frank Lessiter wrote the first “Shoeing for a Living” in 1992, American Farriers Journal launched what became its most popular feature series. Over the 28 years since its debut, the focus of each of the articles clearly mirrors Hall of Fame farrier Henry Heymering’s goals when he published the first 8-page issue of the magazine 45 years ago — bringing farriers together and eliminating isolationism.

Building Upon a Foundation of Sound Farriery

jcota@lesspub.com — Thu, 02 Jan 2020 00:01:00 -0500

A multi-farrier practice was not on Jason Critton’s radar 10 years ago when he was thumbing through the pages of the May/June issue of American Farriers Journal. In fact, it was a foreign concept.

Shoeing Mackinac Island’s Horses with Limited Resources

jcota@lesspub.com — Sun, 01 Dec 2019 00:01:00 -0500

There are few places in the United States where a modern community has no use for motorized vehicles. One such place can be found on Mackinac Island, just south of Michigan’s Upper Peninsula in Lake Huron. The island, which is 3.8 square miles, outlawed horseless carriages in 1898, leaving three modes of transportation — walking, bicycling and horses.

Training the Next Generation of West Texas Farriers

jcota@lesspub.com — Sun, 08 Sep 2019 00:01:00 -0400

When shoeing in Lubbock, Texas, there’s a good chance that the farrier is working on a Quarter Horse. It’s also a good bet that the farrier is either a Chapman or someone who has worked for a Chapman.

Shoeing Show Jumpers in Wellington

Sun, 30 Jun 2019 00:01:00 -0400

John Favicchia inherited a love of horses from his father, also named John. So passionate about horses, the elder Favicchia moved out of the city and bought a rundown farm in North Salem, N.Y., refurbishing it over several years.

Shoeing Performance Horses in Oldham County, Kentucky

Sun, 12 May 2019 00:01:00 -0400

Conrad Trow’s farrier practice is based in Oldham County, northwest of Louisville, Ky. When people talk about horses in the Bluegrass State, Lexington may often receive the attention, but Trow says that Oldham County is a hidden gem for the farriers that work there. Why? There are plenty of quality horses in a concentrated area.

Building Upon a Strong Foundation

jcota@lesspub.com — Sun, 17 Mar 2019 00:01:00 -0400

Since he was a young boy growing up in southern Pennsylvania, Kalam Blessing has had an affinity for horses. What started out as a child’s hope to score a few rides has blossomed into a career to help horses live more comfortably.

Don’t Limit Your Hoof-Care Options

jcota@lesspub.com — Sat, 22 Dec 2018 00:01:00 -0500

There never can be too many tools in a farrier’s shoeing box. After all, the immeasurable quantity of variables involved in equine hoof care is staggering. Why limit yourself?

New Hampshire Farriers Learn from Each Other

Tue, 27 Nov 2018 00:01:00 -0500

An adage shared among farriers is that when you work in isolation, you become the best farrier that you know. It serves as a reminder that farriers learn from each other. Find skillful farriers who you can trust and spend time working with them.

Colorado Farrier Embraces Learning Opportunities to Benefit Horses

jcota@lesspub.com — Tue, 04 Sep 2018 00:01:00 -0400

Failure is not an option, or so we’ve been told. If you ask Steve Foxworth, though, failure not only is an option, it’s embraced. You see, there are more learning opportunities in failure than there are in success.

Waging the Battle Against Distortion

Tue, 26 Jun 2018 00:01:00 -0400

Doug Neilson never set out to be an eventing farrier. He rode show hunters when growing up on Long Island, N.Y. After meeting his wife Ann in college, they married and lived in Delaware, where she came from.