The majority of farriers work with backyard horses. A clientele of solely backyard horses can sustain a very profitable practice. However, at some point in your career, you may want to become a specialist with a specific discipline or breed of horse.

Becoming specialized in a breed or discipline is easier said than done. There are particular things about the horse and the people associated with that group that can make it difficult to establish and maintain a business in it.

Hunters/Jumpers

By Red Renchin (Mequon, Wis.)

1. Make A Good First Impression

This is an English discipline and within some places the Western horse industry is often looked down upon. At the top echelons of the profession you will see farriers in cowboy boots and hats, but they are generally established veterans. 

When a rookie first applies to work at a barn, it is important to make a good first impression. That means if you come from a Western background, it may be a good idea to leave your hat and boots behind.    

2. Do Your Homework

Breaking into a hunter/jumper barn is difficult without an invitation. In most barns, the trainer decides who will shoe the horses for the entire barn. If a trainer is going to change farriers, they will be looking for someone with a track record and experience. 

In addition, you need to do some homework on your own and learn the language of the discipline. This will include knowing about the various breeds, the big shows and the names of the classes offered. 

3. Clients Will Be Demanding

Understand that with more money comes higher expectations. The top show hunter/jumper clients can be very demanding on your time.  When you sign on, you agree to make the care of these horses your top priority. This means sometimes sacrificing family time and activities for shoeing these horses whenever and wherever they happen to be. 

Reining Horses

By Jake Whitman (Weatherford, Texas)

1. Anatomy And Physiology

Understand the reciprocal apparatus of the hind end is crucial for shoeing this horse. If you don’t understand this, stay away from these horses. Understand how the front end works vs. the hind end.

2. Take A Stand

Sometimes the owners and trainers will want the shoer to do things that may not be beneficial for the horse, especially in terms of soundness, so that they can enhance the slide.

When starting out, you have to do what you can to accommodate the client. Before you work with a trainer or an owner, let them know where you stand. Be ready to explain things that you think are bad for the horse.

3. Learn, Learn, Learn 

Try to go to as many clinics as you can. I found the certification process helpful for reining horses. 

Ride with a farrier who is better than you. I do this twice a year. I’ll pick a farrier in a different area and I’ll work for free for a week or two.

Be ready to help out. And ask plenty of questions. You need to find out the reasons why that shoer does certain things.

Standardbred Harness Racing Horses

By Eli Beiler (Gap, Pa.)

1. Be Patient 

In the Standardbred business, you’re up or you’re down. There’s nothing in between. There’s probably more lows than highs in the business. 

So the horse is doing well, and the trainer says, “Don’t change anything.” But what happens if the horse doesn’t do well after some time? 

It may not be your fault. One time I had a horse that was giving the trainer fits by hitting her knee. So of course the trainer wants to blame the farrier. Turns out the issue was a bowed tendon.

Always do the best job you can, but be ready for criticism, even if it isn’t justified. That is why you need to know your anatomy and be able to explain what you are doing. Don’t take it personal. You have to find trainers who will be patient, but they need results so that is hard to come by.

You have to manage expectations. A trainer will come to you screaming, “Fix him! Fix him!” You just don’t “fix” the horse. I think we should say, “Well, let’s help the horse.”

2. Communicate As A Team

I remember another horse that started to hit its knee. With a race coming up, the trainer wanted to get this changed. 

Luckily the trainer, veterinarian and I were there to assess the situation. We talked it through, both the vet and I sharing what we were seeing. Ultimately we would leave it up to the trainer to decide what to do, as he was better informed to make that decision.

Make everyone part of the team, Talk through the problems when they come up. And remember, you don’t know everything, so it is a time for you to learn, too.

3. Pay Your Dues

You aren’t worth a lick if the trainers don’t know you. But how will they know you if you don’t work? And they won’t hire you if they don’t know you, so you won’t work. See the problem?

You have to ride along with someone before the industry knows you. Your name is everything; it is worth more than money. When you want to shoe these horses, your respect is better than actual work to a certain extent. 

Go to the local tracks and learn who the respected farriers are. Introduce yourself. Sweep for them. Do anything for them, and don’t ask for money in return. Looking back, I would even pay a farrier to ride along with just for the experience and what it would do to get my foot in the door.

Eli Beiler has worked with several Standardbred champions in the Northeast. He owns several trotters that race as well.

Saddlebred Horses

By Jason Hanson (Florence, Ariz.)

1. Be Willing To Experiment

There are no shoeing regulations when shoeing a gaited Saddlebred. The breed itself does have a shoeing regulation that says some divisions require horses to be shown without pads. Personally, I like the flexibility without those boundaries.

I really enjoy working without boundaries, as long as it is in the best interest of the horse. There are plenty of blank shoes that you can buy that will work with these horses. But you need to be skillful in how you apply these shoes and any forge work required to help the horse’s movement.

2. Knowledgeable Trainers

I find most Saddle bred trainers know more about hoof care than your average everyday trainer, simply because their horses’ feet are more important to performance. They really rely on their farrier to get the job done.

Saddlebred trainers are extremely patient with long-term approaches as long as they feel like you are working toward the same goal. True, it is the most frustrating thing in the world to spend more than 2 hours shoeing a horse and end up having to re-do something that didn’t work out right.

3. Maturity Matters

These horses develop differently as they get older, so your shoeing philosophy is always developing with each horse. For example, you’ll start off shoeing a 2-year-old gaited horse behind. Then the trainer opinions vary, so some prefer putting a toe-weighted shoe and a leather pad on behind, and keep them barefoot up front.

Each horse will be unlike any other. Just because something worked on one horse doesn’t mean it will work on every horse. If what you are trying doesn’t seem like it’s working, don’t automatically assume it is because the horse doesn’t have the ability. Be willing to try some different things and give the horse the benefit of the doubt.

Racing Thoroughbred Horses 

By James Jimenez (El Segundo, Calif.)

1. Don’t Start At Home 

You are going to make mistakes — many of them when you are young. And while you need to learn from these mistakes, you also need to be careful because they can hurt your reputation. I recommend starting your career in a different area than the track. Mistakes can stick to your name at the track.

When you make a mistake, own up it and work to make things right. If you try to hide something, it will eventually catch up to you, damaging your reputation even further.

2. Find Mentors

I was lucky that I was able to learn from many farriers who helped me. Knowledge is to be shared, so look for someone who is willing to share that information.

Avoid the people who think they are full of trade secrets. There are no secrets at the track. If you’ve figured something out, it won’t be long until everyone figures it out and copies it anyway.

3.Collect Data

Even if you only work on five horses a year, how could you possibly remember every detail of working with them? I keep very thorough notes on every horse I have ever worked with. This is not only to protect me in matters of a disagreement. 

I record much more than the horse and what shoes I used. I will watch race results and incorporate what I see in my report. This isn’t overkill. To be an effective track shoer, you need to know that level of detail.

It also tells the trainer that I take a serious approach with the business.

Backyard Horses

By Jeff Crane (Waxhaw, N.C.)

The Backbone Of The Industry

A backyard horse, by my definition, is simply a horse that lives in someone’s backyard. They are not associated with a commercial boarding or training facility. These horses could range from the weekend trail horse, retired pets or once fierce competitors in the wide range of equine disciplines.

Although there may be more dollars and recognition with the various disciplines, the backbone of the industry is the backyard horse. It is almost guaranteed that young farriers will start out with these horses, and many seasoned farriers have etched out terrific careers working solely with these horses. We didn’t want to overshadow these horses while looking at various disciplines.

1. Loyalty

Backyard clients are some of the most loyal people I work for. I know there are exceptions, but I have had some of the same backyard customers for the past 20 years. I don’t really try to develop a personal relationship with clients. But looking back, I have seen my customers’ children grow up, get their driver’s licenses, graduate from high school and college, get married and have children — who went on to become horse owners. That keeps the cycle alive.

2. Learning Experience

There are many learning opportunities with good backyard clients. When I was gearing up to take the American Farrier’s Association’s Certified journeyman Farrier exam, a lot of backyard horses got handmade shoes. This was great practice.

I shod every type of hoof shape there was because you never knew what you were going to see at the test. I also had to get the job done in the allotted time frame of that shoeing appointment, which helped when my work was timed during certification.

3. Travel Is A Good Thing

As I drive between clients, my body gets a break and I can eat and have a cold drink. It is enough to rejuvenate me by the time I get to the next place. I have days when I am set up all day at the same barn and it seems like I never stand up straight. Shoeing horses is tough on the body, so those breaks are important.

One of the biggest complaints I hear from new backyard customers is that the farrier is never on time. Backyard customers need to feel as important as our large accounts because their time is valuable.