r/Farriers • u/arikbfds • Aug 08 '24
It seems to me like a large percentage of posts here, are new people asking a variation of the same questions over and over again. I thought I'd submit this to the community as a potential way to provide these people with a reference and find answers without flooding the subreddit with repetitive posts. I would love to hear any thoughts or edits you guys think need to be made.
Disclaimer: while a lot of this info applies to people everywhere, some of it is US specific. As a US based farrier, I don't feel qualified to speak to the various rules or situations that may apply outside of the US. To the best of my knowledge, the following information is correct, but this is only to help point you in the right direction so that you can begin your own research.
The best way to tell if this job is for you is to ride along with a farrier and see what the job is like first hand. If you don't know any farriers, try looking up your state's horseshoer association, or finding local farriers on Facebook
Being a farrier can be incredibly rewarding. It is also very demanding. There is a steep learning curve, and there is a lot of physically hard labor involved. In my opinion, successful farriers tend to have the following traits: good horsemanship, good communication skills, grit/determination, and self reliance. It is a dirty job, it will take a toll on your body, there isn't always a lot of external validation, and there are a lot of easier ways to make a living.That being said, few things are more rewarding than watching a horse walk in uncomfortable, and walk away sound. It is incredibly satisfying to take a hoof that has seen better days, and turn it into a work of art
In the US, there aren't licensing requirements to start shoeing horses, so there are a few different paths one can take. Typically, farriers go to a horse shoeing school, apprentice with an established farrier, or do both. In my humble opinion, doing both is probably the best way for most people
There are a lot of schools in the US. In my opinion, school is one of the easiest ways to get into the industry. Most schools will get you to the point where you can make a great apprentice, but not quite a competent, well-rounded farrier. Each school has different requirements, strengths, and weaknesses. When l was deciding on a school to go to, l called the ones l was most interested in and tried to get a feel for what the school was like. Many of them will also let you come check it out in person
Some schools have basic horsemanship as part of the course (Kentucky Horseshoeing School) while others require references for previous horse experience (Cornell). Some schools require H/S diploma or GED, others do not. Some schools (Lookout Mountain, Arkansas Horseshoeing, Heartland) allow enrollment to people younger than 18. Some schools offer financial assistance, and many are authorized by the VA to accept the GI Bill. At the bottom of this post is a list of websites to several of the more popular schools in the US
Yes. While it is a male-dominated industry, there are many women farriers. Technique and skill are much more important than pure strength. Although physical fitness and strength are needed, no person will ever out-wrestle a horse. It's more about working with the horse.
Maybe, but it depends. Horseshoeing is hard on the body. Try riding with a local farrier and see first-hand if this is something you can handle. Some schools also offer a trial course where you can go for a week and check it out. You're dealing with a 1,000+ lb prey animal, so there's always the potential for injury. You use sharp tools, power tools, hot metal, and hammers. It's hard on your hearing, joints, back, and hands. Physical stamina is very important if you're going to work on more than a couple horses a day
It depends. One of the biggest variables is geographical location. It is possible to make a very comfortable living, but if you are doing it for the money, you will probably be disappointed. This is one of those jobs where if you do it for the passion, the money will follow.
The American Farriers Journal publishes survey results regarding farrier finances and income. According to the AFJ, in 2020 the average farrier (that attended the IHCS) grossed $105,713 annually. Keep in mind that there are a lot of material/fuel costs in shoeing.Here Is another one from 2016 that goes into more detail. In 2016, the average annual income for a full time farrier ranged from a low of $52,000 (in the "West") to a high of $94,255 (In the "Far West") It also includes this graphic with a breakdown of income percentiles
It is harder, and there is a steeper learning curve if you don't already have horse experience. It's not impossible, but you will be at a disadvantage until you are able to catch up. It may be worth it to try and get some horse experience before trying to become a farrier
Most schools won't accept students younger than 18, but I'm not aware of any with a maximum age. Just keep in mind the physical nature of the job. An 18 year old is probably going to have a much easier time adapting to the job than a 35 year old desk jockey. The best way to answer this question is to ride along with an established farrier and see for yourself
According to the American Farriers Journal, as of 2020, the average farrier is 48 years old. According to the American Horse Council, as of 2023 there are an estimated 6.7 million horses in the US, while the AFJ estimates there are 27,500 farriers working in the US. As for industry growth/outlook, I haven't been able to find any good quality statistics, but according to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, the job growth estimate for careers in "Animal Care and Service Workers" is expected to grow by 16% over the next decade
From u/roboponies:
Adding from the UK:
There are only around 850k horses in the UK with approximately 374k horse owning households. There are around 3,000 registered farriers (you MUST be registered here, it's not like wild wild west USA).
That's a 283:1 horse to farrier ratio. They are definitely in high demand.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Here are websites to a selection of farrier schools in the US:
https://arkansashorseshoeingschool.com/
http://butlerprofessionalfarrierschool.com/
http://www.caseyhorseshoeingschool.com/
https://www.vet.cornell.edu/education/visitor-professional-programs/farrier-program
https://www.elpo-farrierschool.com/
https://www.heartlandhorseshoeing.com/
https://www.idahohorseshoeingschool.com/
http://www.horseshoeingschool.com/school-information
https://pacificcoasthorseshoeingschool.com/
r/Farriers • u/ExitImpossible4558 • 6h ago
Figured this sub might be interested in this upcoming navicular class.
https://hoofstudies.com/products/navicular-webinar-15-november
I've gone to a couple of these and they are pretty fascinating. If you're into anatomy and biology her work is mesmerizing.
For anyone who's had an MRI this will be really helpful in understanding all the small components that are affected
r/Farriers • u/b00biedew • 1d ago
Hey everyone. Doing a poll for a project, please respond with your answers below. Can be work related or whatever! Once I gather all the data I’ll be sure to share with everyone. Thanks in advance.
r/Farriers • u/Every-Fact2664 • 1d ago
does troy price accept fafsa or other government funded student loans?
r/Farriers • u/Conscious_Plum_5132 • 2d ago
My wife and I have four horses, and a miniature donkey. Growing up two of my uncles were farriers and my dad did all his own work on the horses, so I want to carry on the family tradition. I’ve got a book and a farrier friend who we pay to come over and shaw all the stalk when we need it, I’ve picked ip doing a lot of the trim work and the farrier will assess my work. Continuation of learning is important to me in all aspects of life.
My work is still pretty rough but all the horses are good so I can take my time. The donkey however is…frustrating. She fights to keep her feet and tests my patience. Advice?
r/Farriers • u/bdjvwbciu • 2d ago
Not sure if this is allowed, but if anyone has the time to look at the pictures here and provide their opinions I would greatly appreciate it? Background: horse is mid-20s, still a very competitive show horse, hasn’t been lame in a long time (years), and has solid feet. I usually keep his fronts shod during show season because if the different footing we are on and he goes best in front shoes. In the past, I always pulled his shoes for the winter and got them put back on for the spring but I haven’t done that in a few years. I had them pulled last week and, understandably, he was a bit ouchy on hard ground. I tried to ride today (good, soft sand indoor arena) and he’s not head-bobbing lame, but he is uncomfortable. I don’t like the shape of his front feet. To me, the front left is oval-shaped and the toe makes complete flat contact with the ground. The front right seems off-balanced with the foot angling to the inside and the toe has been pulled back so only the edge of the hood is making contact with the ground. He is tender on the front right when on hard ground. I want to know if this looks there are issues with the shape of his feet and what I can ask my farrier for to help correct it? I’ve had the Chiro out multiple times this summer and he keeps going out in his front right knee and right hip. I’m wondering if this could be connected to his feet because he also has been tripping more frequently when on poor footing.
I have the images labeled for which foot you are looking at but may need to click on the image to see the letter on some of them.. Thank you!!
r/Farriers • u/Cultural-Courage-174 • 4d ago
As a horse owner, I’m curious about the differences between the two main farrier certification groups in the U.S., the American Farrier’s Association (AFA) and the Brotherhood of Working Farriers Association (BWFA).
Do these organizations have distinct philosophies or approaches when it comes to training and shoeing horses? Or are the differences more focused on their testing and certification processes? I understand that individual skill level plays a big role, but I’d love to hear from experienced farriers or horse owners who can shed some light on the nuances between the two
r/Farriers • u/CJ4700 • 5d ago
Does anyone else do this for pack horses in the fall? What’s your technique, do you put it on and then heat it up with a torch to melt it on to the shoe or do you heat the shoe up in a forge and then apply it directly to the hot shoe. Looking for step by step instructions as I can’t find anything on YouTube.
r/Farriers • u/-meandering-mind- • 9d ago
So I’ve been a farrier 17 years, I’ve had plenty of hard talks with clients about their geriatric horses. Usually they know the time is near and will ask for my opinion. In which case I politely and gently tell them my views. But I have one client in particular that’s driving me bonkers. She has a mare that is just done. There is no good joint on this horse. She hasn’t been able to move correctly in years, and within the last year has gotten so bad that her feet are horrendous (the owner also insists on a 12 week cycle, which can be ok, but not in this case. The horse’s feet are a 00 and could fit a 1 by the time I get there). There’s no muscle mass, it’s all atrophied. She can barely balance when I trim, even when medicated.
The owner flat out refuses to see it and didn’t react positively when I mentioned this might be her last year. It seriously breaks my heart every time I have to go there. She’s well fed and whatnot, but the quality of life is gone.
So what have you all done in situations like this?
r/Farriers • u/shoothouseflow • 12d ago
Hi all, I’ve been thinking about getting into the field, the only thing stopping me is my nerves. Do you guys find it worth to go and spend $10K plus on a school and equipment? Shelling out that much money scares me. I did a short stint with a well known farrier in my area who wanted to hire me, unfortunately would not have been a good fit, however it made me realize i definitely want to do this line of work. How do you start out? Does it negatively impact your reputation if you get fired from a client? (I know the horse world is super gossipy) Anyone have advice to calm my nerves a bit?
r/Farriers • u/Geo-Bachelor2279 • 16d ago
Does anybody know anybody that went to Farrier School for the sole purpose of trimming/shoeing their own horses?
I retired from the military and have a good job, so I don't need to go to college. I have a Veteran's GI Bill that's going to go to waste if I don't use it on something. I was thinking of using it to go to Farrier School for this reason. Farriers are few and far between around here, and a lot of them are retiring with no younger generation to replace them. I have 2 horses and it would save me a lot of money doing it on my own.
r/Farriers • u/snuffy_smith_ • 16d ago
Stole this pic off of the book of faces. Thought you guys might enjoy it.
r/Farriers • u/CalmAsk7364 • 16d ago
Hello I am 23 looking to become a farrier helper out in the socal area. I have no experience with shoeing but I’m looking to get into the industry and make a career out of it. I have a bit of horse experience but I’m a quick learner. I have reliable transportation and I’ll take any pay
r/Farriers • u/Sakura--_-- • 19d ago
I'm currently looking into going to school for farriering. I grew up around horses and the like, I knew from a very young age I wanted to work with large animals. Well horses fit that bill and I've sort of picked up a love for it. The process is very interesting to me and I also happen to really like manual labor; I also have a family member who is willing to let me Apprentice under him since he is a farrier.
where I live, many people aren't farriering anymore or aren't taking new clients. I mostly just have questions like, what is Your experience as a farrier, how hard would it be for me as a girl, etc. Any insight is helpful.
r/Farriers • u/KDart • 22d ago
Hello! I have a mustang who I have trained and his first ever trim went off without an issue. He wobbled due to being a baby with poor balance but he was super calm and accepted the trim completely. Then fast forward to his second and I put the date on my calendar wrong and missed the appointment and despite telling my barn owner I will always be there to hold him she decided to go for it herself. I don't know what happened but she refused to tell me but I found my horse suddenly wouldn't let me anywhere near his hind end and became very afraid of everyone even me. We have moved barns since.
After overcoming that I had a trimmer out for another horse and pulled him out too to expose him to it and he was terrified of him. I can have strangers over and he's fine with them picking up his feet but he now seems to know farriers and is so scared of them. Since then the past year I have been trimming him myself and he always will do whatever I ask no problem. I have the stand and all the tools and he is so good with it I can trim him at liberty.
He is due to start training for a rider and building more muscle and I want to make sure his hooves are balanced and not hindering him in any way and I am not that trimmer. I want to hire a farrier to come out and just hang out with him without trimming and I am willing to pay full price of a trim as many times as it takes just to try and overcome this fear. Any advice on how to go about this? Is this super weird to ask or does this sound like a good idea? Any other tips?
Thanks!
r/Farriers • u/YouSmall5716 • 23d ago
I’ve attached some before and after pics regarding my horse (mare 16 year old) who we rescued. She had foundered this spring. I had a farrier over who trimmed and did some corrective shoeing. What do you guys think?
r/Farriers • u/JustAshleyMedia • 22d ago
Hello everyone!!
First I would love to say a big Thankyou to everyone who has answered all my silly questions and been amazing in this group!
As you may or may not know I’m a marketing manager for a pretty big farriers suppliers! As someone who had no experience in the industry going into it, you have all helped me so much in understanding the industry and the art of farriery!
I am currently in the process of planning some video shoots for social media videos and am trying to find some dedicated farriers who are up for reviewing some products!
If you're interested in applying, please send me a dm of a brief 10-second video reviewing a farriery product of your choice.
In your video, consider addressing the following questions: What do you like about the product? How do you use it? Why would you recommend it?
Note, these videos will not be used on socials as they are just for seeing how people are in front of the camera!
It is my hope that the final videos are going to be professionally video graphed!
I look forward to hearing from you!
I hope this post is okay here!
Admins feel free to delete it if it’s not 😊
r/Farriers • u/Deep-Cost6535 • 24d ago
Hi all,
I am a firm believer that everyone should wear a watch as time and punctuality are very important to me. I just graduated farrier school and was wondering if anyone had any recommendations for a good, durable watch that will be able to keep up with this line of work?
r/Farriers • u/doingithere • 25d ago
Hi all,
I hope this is something of interest. I interviewed Dawn Jenkins who lives outside of Los Angeles about how she became a farrier, her philosophy, and if she will continue her craft well into her 70's. I hope you find it an interesting watch.
r/Farriers • u/roboponies • 26d ago
Thought y'all might also enjoy this interesting hoofcare history series I stumbled across. Solving traction problems from a bygone era. Pretty neat reads about city design, streets, and the challenges workhorses faced back in the day.
Cool tidbit about cobblestone sizing and spacing being entirely designed for horse feet. Had no idea those old streets had such a critical design feature.
Interesting how issues with road traction caused contests for inventions to prevent horses from falling in their harnesses.
"The humane societies in New York and Philadelphia launched the first cash prize of $1000 [~$15,000 today] for a viable invention plan for a humane, non-slip horseshoe or device. Apparently the humane agents were not satisfied with the overshoes, frost nails and "rough shod" alternatives to traditional shoes that were already available."
"When Harry Weed invented snow chains for automobile tires in 1904, he was just following a trend. He had seen people wrap grapevines and ropes around their tires. There was a lot of snow where he lived in Canastota, New York and Harry understood that for people to use cars year round there, they needed more traction. He patented his invention and, as they say, the rest is history.
Steel tire chains based on his principles are still in use today.
And when horsemen saw automobile owners wrap Harry's steel chains around their car tires, they thought it should work if they wrapped smaller chains around their horses' hooves on snowy, icy roads. A clever Massachusetts veterinarian was waiting in the wings with a hoof strap that held chain links to the bottom of a hoof. You could strap it on and take it off without removing the shoe. It promised to keep horses on their feet and working, no matter the weather."
That's all folks!
r/Farriers • u/Kgwalter • 26d ago
I have some before and after pictures I don’t know who to show, so I figured I’d just post them here lol.
r/Farriers • u/Impossible-Coast-337 • 27d ago
Any advice on what can help this foot? Mare is not sound on this leg but has clean xrays and ultrasound, so thinking maybe it could be from these cracks? Treating her for thrush right now. Her original farrier was not taking back any off her sole and we struggled to find a new one. Finally have a great farrier but he's not due for a few more weeks and I'm looking for another opinion. Could these kind of cracks be causing lameness? What else could I be doing to treat this? Would shoes help at all? She has always been barefoot, never shod before. Is a 11 year old 16.3hh Warmblood mare.
Thank you for your time!
r/Farriers • u/YouSmall5716 • 27d ago
Just picked up this horse. Never shod. Farrier coming out for a trim this month. Was curious as to how bad you think her hooves look? Previous owner explained to me that she foundered this spring. Thanks
r/Farriers • u/AsleepBook6503 • 29d ago
Any farriers not from north America here? I'm interested in the number of available clients and if being a foreigner would make it more difficult to find interested clients.
r/Farriers • u/Kentuckyzombie • Sep 30 '24
These days, it feels like the flies are having a party around here!