Hoof Crack Pricing

Full-time farriers charge an average of $60.09 for repairing the typical hoof crack.

— 2016 American Farriers Journal Farrier Benchmark Study

Are There More Horses Or Dairy Cows In The United States?

The U.S. Department of Agriculture indicates there were 9.4 million dairy cows in January of 2018, a number that has not been seen since 1995 when there were 9.5 million cows.

In 2017, the American Horse Council says the U.S. had 7.2 million horses.

Between 1995 and 2018, average yearly production increased from 16,451 pounds to 22,941 pounds of milk per cow.

— Data from USDA data and the 2017 Economic Impact Study Of The American Horse Council Foundation


Friday's Farrier Facts & Figures is brought to you by Markel Insurance.

Markel Corporation (NYSE – MKL) is a holding company for insurance, reinsurance, and investment operations around the world. Headquartered in Richmond, Virginia and founded in 1930, Markel reports its ongoing underwriting operations in three segments, and products originate from four insurance divisions and one reinsurance division. Markel Ventures, a subsidiary that makes strategic investments in companies outside of the insurance marketplace, is another important component of our business.


In each of our businesses, we seek to deliver innovative products and responsive customer service so that we can be a market leader. Our time horizon is long-term, our underwriting approach is disciplined, and our focus is on continuously improving the quality of the customer experience. Our financial goals are to earn consistent underwriting and operating profits and to combine those profits with superior investment returns to build shareholder value.