“I own my business — it doesn’t own me.”

Kurt Fisk lives by this max­im. The Bend, Ore., farrier has found that he’s much happier and successful in his hoof-care practice as a result.

“It’s huge to be able to go out into nature and do stuff,” he says. “I’ve set up my book so I can do that. I’ve set a budget. I know what I need to make, and I’m comfortably making it. I’m fortunate enough that I could shoe three horses a day and I’m good. I have the freedom to move the rest of the horses to another day during the week if I have to. I can go mountain biking, hiking or paddle boarding. In my mind, why kill myself?”

Fisk uses a stud puncher to create holes in a Castle Plastic 2-degree Cushion Frog wedge pad.

While his rationale involves self-preservation, the horse is the focus.

“It’s a physically hard job,” Fisk says. “You’re going to get tired. As you get tired, you make more mistakes. You get frustrated. If I…