The sign on the wall at Olympia Farrier Supply says it all, “There is nothing better than seeing a farrier succeed.”

A cynic might question the shop’s sincerity. Then again, the cynic hasn’t met Nick Henry, who threatened to kick another farrier out of his truck for not buying his supplies from Ken and Maxine Floyd. Loyalty runs deep with Olympia Farrier Supply customers.

“More than half the farriers in this region would be nowhere without the support they get from Olympia Farrier Supply,” says the Gig Harbor, Wash., farrier. “They’re huge in the farrier community, and they’re huge in the equine community who call them looking for farriers. I don’t have enough good things to say about them. I could go on for days.”

Check The Specs…

Founded: 1998

Employees: 3

Ownership: Ken & Maxine Floyd, who acquired the supply shop in 2012.

Location: 1 in Olympia, Wash.

Contact Information: Call (360) 786-6575, email olyfarrier@comcast.net

Selection Process

Henry’s experiences — and those of others throughout the Pacific Northwest — coincide with the decision of the independent, three-judge panel to name Olympia Farrier Supply the inaugural American Farriers Journal Supply Shop of the Year. The judges — all members of the International Horseshoeing Hall of Fame — are Margie Lee Gustafson of Woodside, Calif.; Steve Kraus of Trumansburg, N.Y.; and Randy Luikart of Ashland, Ohio. (Please see “All Rise” below)

American Farriers Journal readers nominated approximately 50 supply shops in North America. Following nominations, the shops were asked to complete a 20-question survey covering topics ranging from customer service, product variety & inventory, shipping & delivery, community engagement and accessibility. (Please see “Survey Says …” below.) The judges scored each entry based on the supply shop’s responses. The identities of the supply shops were not disclosed to the judges to ensure an impartial decision. When survey responses revealed locations or other information that could indicate the shop’s identity, the response was edited. For example, when a specific farrier association is referenced, the entry is rewritten to indicate that it was their local organization.

Olympia Farrier Supply carries a wide variety of products. When they don’t carry a product, Maxine Floyd often tracks it down for customers who request it, according to April Wolf and Nick Henry. Jeff Cota

The point system for each category was weighted for a combined score of 100 per judge. Customer service and community engagement were each worth 25 points. Product variety & inventory, as well as shipping & delivery, could earn a total of 20 points, while accessibility was worth a maximum of 10 points. Olympia Farrier Supply was the top retailer on two of the judges’ scorecards to earn the 2024 Supply Shop of the Year honors.

“I never thought we’d be selected,” Maxine says. “I didn’t even tell Ken we were nominated, or I filled out the survey. After you called to let us know, I told him, ‘You’re not going to believe this.’”

Getting Involved

While it might have surprised the Floyds, their customers say the honor is deserving.

“I wouldn’t be the farrier that I am today without their encouragement and support,” says April Wolf of Tenino, Wash. “They’ve really tried to make it a community here. I think that’s hard to find in people. It’s not for the support of their business that they do it. It’s supporting us and to help us not feel so isolated and to help all of us be better from being around everyone.”

Their support begins from the moment they meet a farrier.

“Ken sent me the flyer for a clinic,” Wolf recalls. “At the time, I’d never been to a clinic. I didn’t even think of farriery as a profession. It was a hobby. I told him, ‘I think I’m OK.’ He said, ‘How many tools do you want in your toolbox?’ That was it. I’ve been going to clinics ever since.”

Olympia Farrier Supply’s products often feature eye-catching displays designed by Maxine Floyd. Jeff Cota

Once there, farriers should prepare to get involved.

“They’ve single-handedly kept our association strong by bringing together people who are on the fringe,” says Brian Strelow of Coupeville, Wash. “They do it in a way that isn’t intimidating. They encourage the younger farriers to come along, and having someone as a bit of a cheerleader, like they are, goes a long way. I remember the first event I went to. I didn’t talk to anybody. I was up against the back wall. That doesn’t happen when the Floyds are around. Pretty soon they’re saying, ‘Hey Brian, meet so-and-so.’ The next thing you know, they don’t feel like they’re all by themselves.”

This approach is welcomed by Butch Whitaker, head instructor and owner of Oregon Farrier School, who recommends his students participate in competitions sponsored by Olympia Farrier Supply.

“It’s awesome for those of us running a school,” says the certified journeyman farrier. “They’re offering a safe and fun environment to participate and grow as farriers. It’s getting harder to find. There’s a lot of good in the horseshoeing world. When you have a supply shop like the Floyd’s, you instantly have a group of people who want to help.”

Like most farrier supply shops, the Floyds host multiple continuing education events throughout the year such as clinics, hammer-ins, tool-making and forging practices. Yet, their participation doesn’t end when they aren’t hosting.

“We only had one big contest a year, and I moved it around to different parts of the state so others could participate,” Strelow explains. “When it was close to their region, they stepped in and wanted to help. Over the years, it’s pretty much turned into where Ken and Maxine handle all the logistics for running the contest as far as food, supplies, getting donations and awards, securing the location and all the different minutiae of putting an event together. That allowed me to work on other projects for the Farriers Association of Washington State [FAWS] without having to spend as much time putting the contest together. So, I tell them when the dates are going to be and who the judge is, and they pretty much handle the rest.”

Since the Floyds were the only ones minding the store, someone had to stay behind.

“I’d just load my car, packed full,” Maxine says. “People would say, ‘I don’t know how you got this in your car.’ I’d set up tables with tablecloths.”

Their involvement escalated when the contest made its way to Moses Lake, which is closer to the shop, enabling Ken to join.

“We were pulling this stuff out and stacking it on tables,” he says. “I was like, ‘This ain’t going to work. We’re going shopping. If we’re going to do this, we’re going to get a trailer. So, we bought a 14-foot trailer and set it up with wire racking in it. We’d hang tools and both sides are stuffed full. Away we’d go down the freeway with it, go set it up and get it up fast.”

Building Relationships

The first 5 years are a tightrope for most entering the hoof-care trade. While the Floyds offer customers several discount opportunities, especially to FAWS members, they extend a hand to those trying to make their way.

“I told Ken I was going to school, and he says they give everybody 10% off when they start going to school, which helps a little bit,” Henry says. “Then, they give 10% off once you get your book established. So, they financially help you out from the very beginning.”

The Floyds network with farriers, asking them how business is, what’s working for them and if they need help.

“We try to find somebody they can mentor with,” Ken says. “If they don’t know anybody, we’ll try to see if there’s someone we might suggest. ‘Hey, give this person a chance. They seem like they’re going to be pretty serious.’ We’ve helped people that maybe don’t have the most funds. We’ve set them up with anvils and other tools and let them pay over time. We don’t charge interest. It’s done totally on a handshake. So far, so good. They always come in and pay their bill. It’s just too tough. By the time you get a decent anvil, a stand, a forge and all the tools you’re going to need, it’s a big outlay. So, we try to help them.”

Ken and Maxine Floyd are strong supporters of the Farriers Association of Washington State. They offer discounts for members and are active at clinics and contests. Jeff Cota

While the financial breaks are helpful, the advice the Floyds offer is appreciated just as much.

“I was super shy and struggling with confidence because I didn’t do a lot of forge work in school,” Henry says. “He tells me, ‘You ought to go to one of these forging tournaments.’ I told him, ‘I don’t know, man. That’s not really for me.”

Henry proceeded to rebuff each of the benefits that forging competitions offer until Ken made an offer he couldn’t refuse.

“I kept pushing it off, trying not to go,” Henry says. “He says, ‘Tell you what, I’ll pay your entry fee. If you don’t like it, you don’t have to pay me back. But if you like it, you have to pay it back.’ What do I have to lose? When I went, I was short on tools and forging materials. He set up an interest-free payment plan. He’s just very giving. He wants to see everyone succeed, even if it’s off his dime. It’s important to him that we keep good farriers out there so we don’t get complacent new farriers that are putting out subpar work.”

Ken’s faith and generosity foster loyalty among his customers, particularly Henry. So much so that, as previously mentioned, Henry told a farrier he couldn’t ride with him anymore because he didn’t buy his supplies from Olympia. The farrier argued that the prices were higher.

“Well, yeah, they’re a mom-and-pop store,” Henry told the colleague who was helping him with some horses. “Well, I’ll pay you for your work today, but I don’t have room in the truck for somebody who can’t support local. Olympia is what makes it go round for the rest of us.”

The pep talk worked.

“He started shopping there and he told me, ‘That’s the best move I’ve ever made. They always have the stuff I need.’”

Something Extra

If that’s not enough, Olympia Farrier Supply’s customers all rave about the extras they receive from the Floyds.

“Every order they ship out, you’ll find a bag of M&Ms in your order,” Strelow says. “One day, I said, ‘I really like the peanut M&Ms better than the regular M&Ms. Now, my shop toolbox has a drawer with at least three bags of peanut M&Ms at any one time. That’s all from Maxine.”

When a shipment arrives at the Henry household, they don’t make it to the toolbox.

“My wife gets them,” Henry says. “My wife said the same thing as Brian. ‘It’s cool she sends you candy, but I really like the peanut M&Ms.’ I don’t really like peanut M&Ms, but that’s all I get now for my wife. Happy wife, happy life.”

American Farriers Journal created Farriers Week in 2012 to recognize the hard work and dedication of hoof-care professionals. Maxine takes it to another level.

“She’s pretty amazing,” Wolf says. “She always has a theme. One day, there’ll be dessert or candy. Another will have Chapstick, Band-Aids, hand sanitizer and hair ties. I usually have her gift bags in the truck all the time.”

The bags are the talk of the region.

“This goes to everybody because people talk about it online and in person,” Strelow says. “I don’t know of any other company that does something so unique as far as farrier-related gift bags, but they do that.” 

All Rise

The independent panel of judges consisting of Margie Lee Gustafson of Woodside, Calif.; Steve Kraus of Trumansburg, N.Y.; and Randy Luikart of Ashland, Ohio; determined the American Farriers Journal Supply Shop of the Year based on the nominees’ responses to a 20-question survey. The identities of the shops were not disclosed to preserve an impartial decision. Here is a look at the blue ribbon panel.

Margie Lee Gustafson

Margie Lee Gustafson has been shoeing since 1982 and has been a certified journeyman farrier since 1991.

Educating others has been a focal point for Gustafson, who served as an American Farrier’s Association (AFA) tester from 1991-2019, co-coordinated the Northern California Classic (for 7 years) with fellow Hall of Famers Alice Johnson and Mike DeLeonardo; and she continues to support continuing education.

She has been a leader in local and national farrier organizations including the Western States Farriers Association and AFA. Gustafson is the only woman to lead the AFA as president (2016) in the organization’s 49-year history. She has also held a multitude of other roles over the years.

Gustafson was inducted into the International Horseshoeing Hall of Fame in 2020.

Steve Kraus

Steve Kraus is the head of farrier services and senior lecturer at the Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine, where he works to educate the next generation of farriers and provides hoof care for the university hospital. He also teaches vet students at the university.

A shoer for 6 decades, Kraus has built a successful farrier practice in the Finger Lakes region where he specializes in troubleshooting under-performing horses. He is a past president of the Western New York Farriers Association and served as a member of the board of directors for Region 5 of the American Farrier’s Association. Before joining Cornell, Kraus owned a supply shop for 25 years.

Kraus was inducted into the International Horseshoeing Hall of Fame in 2016. 

Randy Luikart

Few farriers possess the scientific knowledge of the horse and its foot that Randy Luikart does. He is always ready to share with others in clinics, on a one-on-one basis and within the pages of American Farriers Journal.

He specializes in shoeing Saddlebreds and Hackney horses for clients throughout the country. A past president of the American Farrier’s Association, Luikart also served as a member and coach of the American Farrier’s Team.

He firmly believes in the importance of the farrier and veterinarian effectively working together to offer proper treatment to horses. He has actively represented farriers with the American Horse Council, American Association of Equine Practitioners and by serving on U.S. Department of Agriculture committees looking at shoeing concerns and the welfare of the horse.

Luikart was inducted into the International Horseshoeing Hall of Fame in 1995.