Professionals in physically demanding careers, especially the self-employed, often feel invincible. Strength building and physical fitness are simply part of the job. No one thinks a life-changing illness or injury will knock on their door — until it does

“What we do is dangerous,” Ian Curry says, “and we all take that for granted.”

In August 2022, the Wellington, Fla., farrier flew to a horse show in Michigan for a client. Onsite, another rider asked him to fix a shoe on a hind end. The horse kicked, breaking Curry’s knee in 16 places. The injury required a 2-week hospital stay. He underwent immediate emergency surgery (fasciotomy) to relieve pressure from blood clots. In the months since, he’s needed multiple reconstruction surgeries on his tibia and soft tissue. A year later, he still had limited mobility in his knee — only about 30%.

“I was just doing a random favor for a friend,” he says. “Every farrier has bumps, bruises and broken fingers, but this was a giant wake-up call.”

Fellow Wellington farrier Zach Osborne’s knee fracture was not caused by a…