A Career Guide For The New Farrier Eight Edition (2016)

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.

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

Career Guide Digital Edition: Digital Flipbook Of The 2016 Getting Started In Hoof Care

July 25, 2016

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.

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Don’t Forget That Farriery is a Business

By Jeff Cota posted on July 25, 2016 | Posted in Business Practices, Education

The best business card that you can offer a potential client is the foot that you place on the floor. By and large, horse owners pay attention to horse’s feet. They might not understand how or what makes a good foot, but they recognize what it looks like.
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Focus on These 6 Areas Before Leaving School

By Jack Roth posted on July 25, 2016 | Posted in Education

I have taught horseshoeing for 40 years to more students than anybody else ever has. Most of my graduates went on to shoe horses professionally and made a living for themselves and their families.
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Get A Good Start With A Mentor

By Heather Smith Thomas posted on July 25, 2016 | Posted in Business Practices, Education

Even if you have graduated from shoeing school, this is just a start, in terms of practical knowledge. Learning from someone who has been shoeing horses for many years is invaluable.
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Avoid These 5 Common Mistakes That Can Hurt Your Business

By Tiffany Gardner CJF, APF-I posted on July 25, 2016 | Posted in Business Practices, Clients, Education

Attrition rate is a business management term that’s used to describe the loss of business, product or employees. Companies do not want to see a high attrition rate.
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Operate Your Business by a Code of Ethics

July 25, 2016 | Posted in Business Practices, Clients

Every professional needs to operate their business by a code of ethics. Just like in life, the decisions that you’ll face as a business owner won’t always be easy to answer. Your ethics will guide you in making decisions when the answer isn’t simple.
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Take a Professional Approach to Hiring and Firing Clients

July 25, 2016 | Posted in Business Practices, Clients, Education

Building relationships with clients and knowing when to let them go may sound as easy as saying hello and goodbye, but there are a few things farriers should keep in mind when developing and ending client relationships that can make everything go a little more smoothly.
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Understand What You Need To Charge

By Jeff Cota posted on July 25, 2016 | Posted in Business Practices, Education

What can you charge? It’s a question that farriers commonly ask and one that Adam Wynbrandt hears often. His response? “I tell them, ‘Well, no, the question is, what do you need to charge?’” says Wynbrandt, who has 2 decades of farriery experience and owns The Horseshoe Barn in Sacramento, Calif.
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10 Common Traits Of Successful Farriers

By Jacob Butler CJF, AWCF posted on July 25, 2016 | Posted in Anatomy, Business Practices, Clients

Growing up, I spent a lot of time around the world’s best farriers as they came to our home and were trained by my father, Dr. Doug Butler. I was able to work side-by-side with many of them as they became master craftsmen and learned the fundamentals of farriery. I also have worked and consulted with farriers from around the world.
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Technology Can Help Manage Your Practice

July 25, 2016 | Posted in Business Practices, Clients

A farrier practice is a business — that is no surprise. As professionals, practitioners have a responsibility to maintain accurate records, schedule properly, bill and receive payment promptly, and track performance. At the same time, farriers also should keep records on clients and the type of work conducted on their horses, including photographs of the feet or radiographs shared by veterinarians.
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Shop Smart When Filling Your Shoeing Box

By Jeff Cota posted on July 25, 2016 | Posted in Business Practices, Education, Equipment

What’s a better way to celebrate the dawn of your farrier career than tool shopping? There’s no doubt that the temptation runs high to grab the top-of-the-line pair of nippers that are polished so brightly that a pair of sunglasses should come standard with them.
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How To Collect When A Client Fails To Pay

By Esco Buff posted on July 25, 2016 | Posted in Business Practices, Education

Clients who fail to pay for hoof-care services are a problem that every farrier experiences at some point in his or her career. There are a variety of cases and reasons as to why clients don’t pay their farriers. By understanding the United States government’s definitions of non-payments and reviewing the basics for collecting, you can be better prepared for making sure more of the money you earn gets to your pocket.
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3 Questions to Ask Before Buying a Rig

By Jeff Cota posted on July 25, 2016 | Posted in Business Practices

A reliable, well-planned portable workstation is a boon for any farrier. It stores your tools, equipment and supplies. It’s a rolling billboard that promotes your business. Simply put, it’s your office and it needs to serve your needs efficiently to maximize your income potential.
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What to Expect from Backyard Horse Clients

By Chris Gregory posted on July 25, 2016 | Posted in Clients, Disciplines & Breeds, Education

When a farrier embarks on this remarkable career, it’s common that he or she will shoe horses commonly referred to as backyard horses. In fact, according to the latest American Farriers Journal Business Practices Survey, 92% of United States farriers work with backyard horses.
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Protect Your Practice and Yourself with Liability Insurance

July 25, 2016 | Posted in Business Practices

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 for a trimming or shoeing? What type of clients do you want to work for? Certainly, there are dozens of other questions that will receive much deliberation as you launch your practice.
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Advice From A Rising Shoeing Star

By Amy Johnson posted on July 25, 2016 | Posted in Business Practices, Education

The transition from 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.
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Digital Edition

Digital Edition

Getting Started in Hoof Care 2016 Digital Edition

August 1, 2016

Login to view the 2016 issue of Getting Started in Hoof Care in an interactive, flipbook format.

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