When Gary Gullo Jr., graduated from the Cornell University Farrier Program, he had little faith in himself. Gullo spent many years before school working at the racetrack as a hot walker, a groom and a foreman under his father Gary Gullo Sr. When Gullo and his wife, Andrea, found out they were having their first child, Belmont farrier Mike Vinas offered him an opportunity to apprentice as a farrier. Dr. Norme Ducharme and Dr. Alan Nixon at the nearby Cornell Ruffian Equine Specialists Center along with farrier Joe Campbell later encouraged him to enroll in the Cornell program. Upon entering school, the learning curve was steep. He was “sweating buckets” just pulling shoes.

“I felt like I had a great foundation. It was more about translating everything I knew from my brain to my hands,” Gullo says.

In the beginning, he learned the hard way: by making mistakes. Though this meant his skill set grew quicker than his peers, he also leaned on formative mentors Ontario farrier Ian McKinlay and Steve Kraus, CJF, head of the Cornell Farrier Program. They recognized Gullo’s efforts and kept pushing him forward.

“Steve always likes to joke that if I could go from the bottom of the class to teaching some of the best clinics and working on some of the best horses, then anything is possible,” Gullo says. “You just have to battle through the really hard experiences and realize that every time you make a mistake, it’s a learning opportunity.”

Shoeing racehorses is fast-paced and high-stress, according to Gullo, who recommends getting a job walking horses or asking the trainer to hold the horses for the farrier to make those initial connections.

“I tell a lot of my apprentices that you’re going to make a name for yourself in the beginning,” Gullo says. “Whether it’s for good or bad is the real question.”

His key to building a good reputation was keeping his head down. He advises people learning the trade to determine who’s a reputable and successful farrier and befriend them. Don’t be afraid to ask questions, and don’t get discouraged. New farriers, he says, are often shy or don’t know how to break into the profession, but most farriers are there to help. This is where networking and staying humble come in handy. He notes that most successful farriers are typically the ones who work hard, are mechanically inclined, don’t think they know it all and keep an open mind. Gullo absorbs as much information as he can from local clinics and resources like American Farriers Journal and the International Hoof-Care Summit — and his dedication paid off.

“I’ve been fortunate enough to shoe some of the best horses in the world and work with some of the best trainers in the world,” he says. “But the best moments are the ones where you turn a lame horse sound.”

Shoeing racehorses is a highly demanding role working with extremely skilled trainers and veterinarians. The excitement, the travel and the successes are rewarding for Gullo. Now, he’s transitioned to GMP Farm, an equine rehabilitation center in New York, which he likes partially because he gets to stay in one place.

“My son’s 7 years old. He’s moved 9 times and attended 4 different schools,” Gullo says. “I did it for my family.”

Therapeutic cases are rewarding in a different way. Gullo enjoys the puzzle — thinking critically and finding a collaborative solution with the veterinarians on staff. And, the longer Gullo has been shoeing, the more he continues to learn. Compared to when he graduated from the Cornell Farrier Program, Gullo is more detail-oriented, more knowledgeable and more conservative with his knife.

“The mistakes that keep you up at night are the ones you learn from the most,” he says.

In addition to working at the rehabilitation center, Gullo is involved with Mustad, hosts clinics, teaches and designs farrier products. So, when looking down the road at the latter portion of his career, he feels reasonably prepared. After a health scare early in his career, Gullo is of the mind that every time a door closes, another better door opens elsewhere.

“Whatever is meant to be is meant to be because that mindset saved my life,” he says. “I just say a prayer and go.”