When seeing a horse for the first time, it’s critical to perform a thorough evaluation to identify problems before trimming and shoeing it.

“The owner might not be aware of it,” says Ted Shanks, a farrier in Kauai, Hawaii. “Before you shoe the horse, make sure they know that you’ve found problems such as stumbling, ossifications, contracted and underrun heels, etc. Identifying a problem might make you look good since no one else noticed it. It also raises the customer’s confidence that they chose a good farrier.”

Conversely, if you fail to identify a pre-existing problem, it could come back to bite you down the road.

“If it becomes a problem after you shoe it,” Shanks says, “you might get credit for causing it.”

For more tips and insight, read “Marketing Your Practice Made Easy” in the January/February issue of American Farriers Journal.