Many farrier business owners utilize novice farriers, apprentices and other interested individuals to help with day-to-day tasks such as loading and unloading tools, clean-up and finishing feet. But you need to be aware that a person being utilized in this manner may very well be an employee, entitled to employee benefits.

Defining who is or isn’t an employee is very important for your farrier business in order to avoid legal and financial consequences.

Defining An Externship

Think of an externship as job shadowing. Externships vary in length, from 1 or 2 days, to as long as several weeks.

Externships involve following a professional through a normal day. Externships offer no pay or academic credit.

The goal of an externship is getting an insider’s view of the chosen profession. It is an excellent way for some to learn about the day-to-day work life of a farrier. It offers the person a chance to see if the farrier profession is what they desire, as well as providing some professional contacts for future networking.

An extern may participate in some farrier job duties, but must be closely supervised. There is less focus on job training, as the extern may or may not choose to pursue that career. Externs are generally not considered employees.

Defining An Internship

An internship is any official or formal program that provides practical experience for a person in an occupation or profession. Most internships are work-experience internships — essentially on-the-job training in a field the intern wants to…