Ty Garner traces his passion for farriery back to age 12 when his family moved across the street from a boarding barn in Utah. He would begin working there mucking stalls and doing other chores. At 14, he bought his first horse. Through this, he was drawn to horseshoeing.

Living in the Salt Lake Valley gave him access to farriers who helped turn his curiosities into a career. He credits Shayne Carter, Travis Swenson and Aaron Frye among others who challenged him to raise his game and fueled his passion for competition.

In a strange way, that was also a detriment. Garner says the valley has many top hands, but a limited number of high-level horses to match. Wanting to build his practice around top performance horses, Garner eventually relocated to Ocala, Fla., for its denser population of sport horses.

Although he is based in North Florida, 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.

How to Keep Good Help

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