How much work do you want to do during any given day?

Many farriers simply count the number of horses, but not all horses are created equal. After all, there’s much more work involved when shoeing a horse all the way around, as opposed to a horse that requires a trim. Delaware, Ohio, farrier Dean Moshier has devised a system — or “Dean Math” — to ensure he does the amount of work he wants each day.

“It’s physically difficult for me to stand doing horses at one barn all day,” he says. “I like to break up my day going to various clients and working on one to four horses, doing about four to 20 horses — or 4 units — per day. I usually do what I refer to as less than 1 to 1½ units per stop, in my ‘Dean math.’”

What are units? 

“One unit equals one horse shod all around,” Moshier explains. “In my world, five trims equal one unit. This way of looking at it lets me physically go to only a certain point each day.”

For more tips, read “Help Your Backyard Horse Practice Thrive With These Business Tips” in the July/August 2018 issue of American Farriers Journal.