Farriers are aware that theirs is a potentially hazardous occupation. Anytime a significant part of the workday is spent standing underneath animals that can weigh well over 1,000 pounds, while picking up one of its feet, there’s obviously a chance that something could go wrong.

But there are other dangers as well. Farriers regularly work with forges that heat metal to a bright red — if not white — heat. They pound on hot and cold metal with hammers, potentially creating dangerous flying fragments that can lodge in an unprotected eye. They spend long hours working in positions that are, at best, awkward and, at worst, contorted.

But what actually presents the greatest hazard to farriers? What do they most need to be aware of and take precautions? We conducted an online survey to find the answer.

The Survey

For this survey, we asked farriers to give us information about lost-time injuries during the most recent 12 months — essentially from September 2012 to September 2013.

The survey included 15 questions, most of which were multiple-choice.

We received 119 responses. Of those who responded, 105 identified themselves as full-time farriers and 14 as part-time.

Our respondents skewed toward those with more experience. Only six had been shoeing for 5 years or less. Sixteen had been shoeing 5 to 10 years, while 96 (81.4%) had been shoeing for more than 10 years.

Among farriers who responded,
55 (46.2%) reported suffering a
lost-time injury during the period in question.

The Cause Of Injuries

We were most curious about the cause of lost-time injuries. Here’s what we found.

• The horse is your biggest hazard. It comes as no major surprise that most lost-time injuries reported were caused by horses: 39 (52.7%) were injured by the animals they worked with.
• Beware repetitive-motion and strain. Farriers have long complained about sore back, wrists and elbows caused by hoof-care work and the position it must be performed in. Our survey results seem to confirm the validity of these concerns, as 25 (33.8%) of farriers reported losing time to this type of injury.
• Tools, vehicular accidents and other causes were not big issues. Just four (5.4%) farriers reported losing time to tool mishaps. One (1.4%) was injured in an automobile accident. The rest — 5 or 6.8% — of the lost time injuries fell into the “other” category, which include things such as falls or a malfunction of barn equipment not related directly to the farrier’s work.

Number Of Days Lost

Most of the farriers who suffered lost-time injuries reported losing 5 or fewer days. In the comments section, more than one farrier remarked that he or she probably should have been off longer — but went back to work early to prevent losing income.

• 1-to-5 days: 31 (26.1%)
• 6-to-10 days: 8 (6.7%)
• More than 10 days: 16 (13.4%)

More On Days Lost

While the majority of those who reported losing workdays lost all the days at once, some were unfortunate enough to suffer more than one lost-time injury. Others lost days at different times of the year due to the same injury, often an indicator of repetitive-motion or strain injuries.

• All lost days were consecutive: 28 (26.8%)
• Lost days occurred at different times and due to more than one injury: 17 (16%)
• Lost days occurred at different time, but were due to the same injury: 13 (12.3%)

Treatment Of Injuries

Only one farrier said emergency personnel were called to the scene, but 15 had injuries requiring surgery. On a positive note, no one reported needing major dental work as a result of a lost-time injury.

• Emergency personnel were called to the scene: 1 (1.2%)
• Treatment was at a hospital or clinic emergency room: 16 (18.6%)
• Treatment was by a medical professional, but not at an emergency room: 28 (32.6%)
• Treatment was not by medical professionals: 41 (47.7%)
• Injury required overnight hospital stay: 5 (5.4%)
• Injury required surgery: 15 (16.5%)
• Injury resulted in a permanent disability or handicap: 4 (4.4%)

Lost Time And Lost Money

We asked those farriers who reported a lost-time injury to estimate how much the injury cost them in lost income.

A number of farriers explained that they hadn’t actually lost any income. Some simply rescheduled the missed hoof-care appointments for after their recovery (sometimes working evenings and during their regular time off). Others were aided by fellow farriers, who did the hoof-care work, then passed on the money to the regular farrier.

But 50 responders did report losses, ranging from $200 to $40,000. Seven estimated that they had lost in excess of $10,000. And while, some farriers benefitted from the generosity of fellow shoers, others lost customers due to their inability to work.

Strain And Hoof Care

In 2003, AFJ worked with Phyllis King, an associate professor of occupational therapy and campus ergonomics coordinator at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, on a research project featuring farriers. King conducted field research in which she and her associates looked at the job of providing hoof care from an ergonomic point of view.

To no one’s surprise, the researchers found that day-to-day hoof-care work puts farriers at serious risk of injury.

King conducted Strain Index (SI) tests for eight different tasks associated with hoof care. The SI is used to analyze the risk of what are called upper distal extremity cumulative trauma disorders (CTDs). These include maladies such as carpal tunnel syndrome and tennis elbow.

Risk factors believed to contribute to CTDs include prolonged periods of forceful exertions, repetitive motions, awkward posture, vibration, mechanical compression and exposure to noise.

Farriers likely will note that this also sounds like a pretty accurate description of a typical day spent shoeing horses. And, as the chart “Strain And
Hoof-Care Work” shows, the activities of farriers put them at serious risk of strain injuries.

Operations that receive an SI score of 3.0 or less are considered safe. Scores between 3.0 and 7.0 are in a neutral range. Scores greater than 7.0 are considered hazardous.

Seven of the eight tasks involved in shoeing horses were in the hazardous range, with some scores — such as those for using a hoof knife and rasping a hoof — being high enough to shock the researchers.

King said scores like these mean that, “If some change is not made, the chance of some form of serious injury over a period of time is very high.”

 That means it’s important for farriers to continually take precautions against strain in their daily work. This can include incorporating regular rest periods to allow muscle recovery and improved circulation, doing regular stretching exercises and using devices such as hoof stands and cradles as much as possible.