“Backyard horse owners are my primary clients, and I value each and every one. Some are neighbors, some are riding buddies and I am one myself,” says a farrier of backyard horses.

Backyard horse owners, like the horses themselves, come in all types. Their reasons for owning horses, how long they have owned horses, how much they know about hoof care and how farriers describe their relationship with this particular type of horse owner came in a wide range of responses.

Farriers, as seen in our March 2012 feature “The Pluses And Minuses Of Working With Backyard Horses,” express many positives in working with backyard horse owners and value them as important clients to their business.

We reached out via Facebook and Twitter, as well as an email survey, to learn more first hand from hundreds of anonymous backyard horse owners and farriers of backyard horses.

While some backyard horse owners we heard from have only owned horses for 1 to 10 years, the majority of backyard horse owners fell in the range of 25 years to upwards of 65+ years.

For most owners, their interest in horses began as a child by riding, living on a farm, being around family members who owned horses or just from a general love for the animal. Backyard horse owners mostly grew up with a horse as a family member and feel a strong emotional connection to them.

A Working Relationship

Maintaining a good relationship with a client is important for a farrier…