Every year, American Farriers Journal recognizes three Rising Shoeing Stars for their work in the industry and aspirations as future hoof-care leaders. The three winners include runners-up Elise Umstead of Prince George, Va., and Benjamin Haar of Utica, N.Y., along with first-place winner Payden Talbott of Pulaski, Wis.

Each recipient receives a plaque, a 1-year subscription to AFJ, the AFJ “Kitchen Sink” package, consisting of a footcare library of more than 3,500 pages of material and free registration to the International Hoof-Care Summit. Additionally, the first-place winner, Talbott, received $1,000 while the two runners-up each took home $500. The schools that produced the winners also receive plaques and AFJ’s “Kitchen Sink” package. 

The award, created in 2009, is co-sponsored by Adeptus Nutrition Inc., American Farriers Journal, Pyranha and Texas Farrier Supply. 

First-place Rising Shoeing Star winner Payden Talbott shares his advice for success in farriery for future hoof-care professionals. 

Having grown up with horses in Wyoming, Payden Talbott began developing his horsemanship skills at an early age. These experiences and a deep desire to work with horses led Talbott to Heartland Horseshoeing School in Lamar, Mo. Talbott spent a summer break working with farrier Joe Nygren of Pulaski, Wis., which led to a great mentorship. 

After graduating from farrier school in 2018, Talbott moved to Pulaski. While Talbott received assistance from his mentor in building his business, Talbott’s work ethic led him to run his own successful practice.

“The horses in Wisconsin are so numerous, more farriers were needed when I started and still are now, and it was a great place to land,” Talbott says. 

Talbott advertised very little starting out, as he drew on the knowledge of other local farriers to gather his client base. “I’ve found that word of mouth is king,” Talbott says. 

Talbott stressed continuing your farrier  education. He says it is important to have a support group to help understand unique situations with equine footcare, while also maintaining your critical thinking skills while you are shoeing. “Take classes through local associations, colleges or online, on horse anatomy, horsemanship, everything you can. Read about the topics that interest you, but also on the ones that will benefit your business,” he says.

Since moving to Wisconsin to start his business, Talbott has spent 3 years serving as the vice president of the Wisconsin Farriers Association (WFA). With the help of other farriers, Talbott wanted to help revitalize the group. In addition to Talbott getting a large portion of his client referrals from other farriers, he found early on the opportunities local farrier associations offer. 

“The mistakes I made early on were numerous,” he says. “I focused on getting the horses shod and not on setting up a business, a common mistake among farriers. These topics, retirement planning and so forth, weren’t something I paid attention to, for no other reason than I tried to get as many horses shod as I could.” 

Talbott says he learned a few tips from farriers at local meetings, including shoeing advice. “It is important to pay attention to how your work affects the foot itself. Whether it’s fitting a shoe differently, a different trim method or whatever, take time to notice those differences. Our job is not to get the horses shod and get them out the door, but to focus on what we can do for the horses.”

Participating in local farrier associations can be beneficial to farriers. The WFA’s events usually consist of continuing education and contests, and the group hosts well-known farriers as clinicians and judges, who share their experiences with attendees.

“I think it’s great to connect farriers with their work and help them learn skills that can be used in their hoof-care and blacksmithing work,” Talbott says.