Do you think about the future? Many of my students seem to have given it very little thought when they arrive. Shoeing has a great future! I encourage students to set goals for their lives and businesses. It’s difficult to imagine the future without setting goals. Many skills are needed to be a successful farrier

Things have changed dramatically since I started in the farrier business 65 years ago. Horse numbers were at an all-time low. People who wanted to go into this field were considered foolish. There seemed to be little or no future in the horse or farrier business.

Farrier work was considered a poor choice when I was a youth. Today, learning a skill is often a better choice than attending a college where you are often exposed to professors who don’t have any real marketable skills except moving their mouth parts and expressing little common sense.

Preparation is Key

There have been great changes in the past few decades. Horses have become more of a source of recreation and care for our spirits than used for transportation or farm and ranch work. Manufacturers have made farrier work easier. What will the future hold? I believe it can be great with the right preparation. Talent combined with skill takes time and repetition.

Shoe making was once a necessary farrier skill. Now, most any configuration of shoes and pads can be readily obtained. Thus, the need for this skill can be said to be obsolete. However, skill practice…