Walt Taylor is convinced that there are two important factors that must be involved for your footcare business to develop in a more professional way. The veteran shoer and long-time farrier industry leader from Albuquerque, N.M., says they are proper preparation and practice.

“You must bring these two parts together at some point in order to practice footcare and farriery both as a profession and in a professional way,” he says.

Preparation Pays

Taylor says preparation comes first and requires extensive physical and mental learning that is critical for gaining valuable hoof-care experience. While preparation needs to start on the very first day of your formal schooling or on-the-job training, it should continue throughout your entire shoeing career.

“I have strong feelings and opinions about the preparation phase,” says Taylor. “I’m reminded of the bumper sticker that says, ‘If you think education is expensive, try ignorance.’ The sad part about that statement is that the price of our ignorance and inability is borne more by the client and the horse than by us.”

While some shoers have the attitude that a horse and client need to allow a shoer to make a few mistakes, that’s not the professional way. For instance, you wouldn’t be happy if a surgeon cut off your wrong leg by mistake and said that you will get over it.

Practice Plan

Even after you’ve taken the necessary steps to become properly prepared, Taylor says practice remains vitally important. “Even after we have been prepared, we have…