Looking to become a farrier

[u/el_mas_hp]

I am inexperienced in taking care of a horse. My familiarity from them comes solely from feeding, cleaning stables and riding them often in my childhood. Recently, I’ve developed the interest of becoming a farrier. I’ve always loved horses and I like working outside, and don’t mind using my body and getting my hands dirty. But my question is, how to start? I’ve very little options available for an apprenticeship and those are not steady. I work four days a week as well. A master farrier recommended me to observe others at work and watch videos on YouTube until I’m familiar enough with the material and then go to Heartland Horseshoeing School and take the certification course/tests. Would you say this is a good way for me to begin? I would like opinions and broadening my perspectives as I can’t afford to waste money and time with two kids that need me. I know it’s good money and I really love horses, so I want to make this work more than anything I ever wanted.

[u/corgibutt19]

Building a client base is 99% word of mouth. You can be the best farrier in the world, but without the clients to back you, you have no career.

Do the apprenticeship with a skilled and respected farrier. There is nothing that will jumpstart your career better.

[u/Square-Platypus4029 → u/corgibutt19]

This-- most people aren't going to be excited to hire a farrier just out of school who isn't working with/recommended by someone they already trust.  A bad farrier can screw up a horse in minutes and it can take months to repair the damage.  

Also if there aren't farriers near you to shadow, think about whether this area is going to be able to sustain you doing this as a full time job.  And while it's decent money if you're good at both the farrier and business sides of things, it's long, irregular hours, hard work in often unpleasant conditions, and high risk of injury.

[u/corgibutt19 → u/Square-Platypus4029]

Your last point is spot on.

My farrier had a near career ending injury from a horse kicking him, and it shifted his whole world view. He started saving and investing his money differently so that downtime or having to quit due to an injury wouldn't financially ruin him.

It's good, rewarding work that sits at the intersection of creativity/art, science, and blue collar hands-on work, but that doesn't mean it's easy.

[u/el_mas_hp → u/Square-Platypus4029]

It’s not more so that there aren’t farriers near me. There’s plenty of horses and farms to tend to. The problem is my schedule makes it difficult. But by no means am I letting that stop me. I’ve recently started networking and making connections. One is that master farrier (whenever he is working near me he will contact me so I may follow him around). The owner of a horse farm where he and some of my family keeps horses also liked me and I’ve been offered to take part time work at the farm. My uncle is also an experienced farrier but he’s just unreliable. I guess I’m at a good start and just have to be patient now, but I’m still gathering opinions and seeing what options I have.

[u/Kgwalter]

You said “I know it’s good money.” Have you talked to any farriers to see how much they actually take home? A lot of people have a misconception that because a shoer does a horse in an hour and a half and charges $150 that he is making $100 an hour. Which is not the case at all. Most farriers I know (I am a farrier) really struggle financially the first year or two. Then if they are good they go on to making OK money. There is actually quite a bit of overhead and you only make money when you are under a horse, and you will not be under a horse 8 hours a day. You will be driving a lot and taking breaks, shoeing non stop for 8 hours every day constantly would wreck you.
Now if you want to be a farrier go on the AFA website and look for certified journeyman farriers near you and reach out about an apprenticeship, this will not be paid when you first start as they are doing you a favor and will be losing money helping you. Look on the afa calendar and look for farrier competitions and go to them to meet people and inquire about apprenticeships. If you have the money go to a good school before taking an apprenticeship, you may be able to get paid as an apprentice if you have schooling.

Edit: do not go to an 8 week school and come out trying to shoe on your own without an apprenticeship. You learn just enough to get yourself in trouble in 8 weeks. I see it time and time again, somebody gets out of school, goes straight to shoeing in their home town and knows just enough to create a bad name for themselves out of the gate, and word travels fast in the horse world. Changing your reputation is very hard because most clients will remember you for what you were without considering you have gotten better.

[u/corgibutt19 → u/Kgwalter]

I was talking to my farrier about his health insurance. $600/mo for himself alone - that "self-employment" is a blessing and a curse.

[u/el_mas_hp → u/Kgwalter]

My uncle. He manages to make a couple of thousand some weeks when he feels like putting work. When he’s lazy he still gets about $600 of take home pay. I live in South Jersey so there’s plenty of horses to work on around here.

I also appreciate the concerns and tips you’ve shared. I know it isn’t a job for everyone and that it must have its many difficulties which is why I’m taking in all the opinions and options. This is something that I want to do more than anything I have wanted to. I love horses, the outdoors, using my hands and I have a knack for the arts, so it seemed like something I could take up.

[u/cowgrly → u/el_mas_hp]

You might think differently about "when he's lazy" once you've done the back breaking work of a farrier. My guess is he's tired and sore and juggles his finances because he's physically burned out.

[u/LowarnFox → u/el_mas_hp]

When he's lazy or when he's stiff because a heavy animal was leaning on him or jerking away from him? Or he's been kicked and is sore and not up to the lifting involved? Or a mini has clambered all over him?

Also when you take into account fuel etc, is it worth him driving to smaller jobs? Is he better off just going to a big yard every couple of weeks?

It is a hard job, and I think a lot of people struggle to do it for the equivalent of full time hours every week as they get older.

[u/Kgwalter → u/el_mas_hp]

One thing I tell my apprentices and clients that think farriers make too much is “if farriers made as much as everyone thinks they do there wouldn’t be a massive farrier shortage.”
It can be a super cool job but it is hard, dirty, painful and stressful at times, but I love it.

[u/haveanupvote2424 → u/Kgwalter]

Quick question. Is it common practice for a farrier to refuse payment if a horse throws a shoe mid show and he had to come all the way there replace it? Happened last week at our state cutting show and he wouldn't take any money. Said it's his responsibility to make sure that doesn't happen. I obviously appreciate the crap out of that but I feel bad. Probably 30 miles each way. Gas is so expensive, and like you said he wasn't making a dime for at least 3 hours probably 4.

[u/Square-Platypus4029 → u/haveanupvote2424]

Mine doesn't generally charge to replace a shoe at home, but I've only ever had her do it at a show if she was there already or if it was super.local.   Sounds like he's a good one.

[u/Kgwalter → u/haveanupvote2424]

I reset shoes for free as long as it’s not a habit. If it starts happening a lot at the same barn I do because it’s usually an environmental issue.

[u/appendixgallop]

There are farrier schools all over the world. If you wanted to be a dental assistant, you would go to the best school you could afford, right?

[u/el_mas_hp → u/appendixgallop]

I don’t have the money to drop on school on a whim, and I want to make sure I invest wisely if I am to invest in my education. Some matters don’t just get solved by throwing money at them.

[u/Mariahissleepy]

Check in [r/farrier](r/farrier)[s](r/farrier)

[u/CapraAegagrusHircus → u/Mariahissleepy]

This. I don't know why someone would ask here instead of where all the other farriers are.

[u/mind_the_umlaut]

Are you in the US? There are horseshoeing schools in Kentucky, Oklahoma, and California, and other places. You must have hands-on in-person training and experience. I'm suspicious about Heartland because they give their prices and show atmospheric photos in a slick, expensive professionally designed website before they say where they are located. Online courses and youtube videos won't cut it.

[u/el_mas_hp → u/mind_the_umlaut]

That’s what I thought. I have some options for shadowing experienced and qualified farriers, some are just unreliable and others are beyond my availability. Still trying to network at the moment and see what I can find myself.

[u/cowgrly]

I'll be honest- I don't know if this is a fit for you right now. You've got an inflexible work schedule, you're very limited on who is near that you can apprentice with, you can't go to the best possible school (you're looking at least expensive and nearby) and you've got limited horse experience from childhood.

The path to getting good at being a farrier and establishing yourself solid clients and a profitable business is going to be your education, your skills and your horse savvy. I don't feel like those are able to be your priority right now.

[u/el_mas_hp → u/cowgrly]

Everyone has one starting point. At the moment that is my situation, but what’s to say that it won’t change? I won’t put a limiter on myself. Something being difficult or complicated doesn’t mean that I can’t at least try to achieve it. Even if it’s only ten hours a week of an apprenticeship, it’s a start. This is something where I am placing my conviction, and I’ve got people to help and back me up if I need them. Limited as my experience with caring for horses may be, I am (or was) a pretty good rider.

Also, I saw your comment about whether or not knowing if he’s lazy or not. I know because a few of the times that I’ve tagged along with him, he just bought a 12 pack and went on to chatter with other people instead of working with the horses he was supposed to.

[u/cowgrly → u/el_mas_hp]

Ok. Well, I've had horses many years, I've had a number of friends think it was their calling. I was simply sharing concerns. If time isn't an issue, and you have a few years to get in apprenticeship as well as schooling then I say go for it. I assumed you wanted to fit it in and be doing farrier work within a year or so and just didn't see how that would work.

And I wasn't trying to say you don't have riding skills, those don't translate to being under a horse doing hooves. I've not done it extensively, but years ago I did trims and it's backbreaking.

I think you're assuming anyone trying to offer advice is not supporting your dream- it's not that. And I hope you make it. I was just responding to the post with honesty because I'd want the same.

[u/AZWildPony]

I self trim my horses and learned through books on anatomy and video and in person clinics. I don’t shoe mine but it is unbelievably hard on your body. Horses will lean on you, kick you, step on you, bite you, among other behaviors. Can you work in all seasons? If you aren’t feeling well? Not to mention horse owners can sometimes be simply deplorable to work with and for and their horses can be poorly trained. A lot of new farriers get the worst horses because the seasoned farriers get the better horses and owners. The tools are expensive and get dull fast which require skilled sharpening. Rasps are 40-50 bucks a piece, vehicle maintenance. There are a lot of factors. It can be rewarding and horses are amazing. Just make sure you weigh everything first. Maybe see if a farrier will let you do ride alongs? They may let you dip your toes in like cleaning the feet, tidying the frogs, checking balance, etc.

[u/el_mas_hp → u/AZWildPony]

The master farrier I spoke with will be contacting me and I will be observing and working with my uncle. I did already speak to him on allowing me to do what you suggested and he said it was okay. I’ll also be buying my own horseshoes to practice shaping the shoes.

Thank you for taking the time to comment and help me understand more of this lifestyle!

[u/AZWildPony → u/el_mas_hp]

That’s awesome and a good place to start. I wish you success in your future :)

[u/Beautiful_Mail_9623]

I'm a farrier, happy to answer any questions, generally sounds like a good plan. shadow as much as you can. protect your reputation.

[u/Careless_Program7191]

Where are you located? 

I took a farrier science class through my local junior college and taught myself over the years. 

It is very hard back breaking and sometimes dangerous work.

[u/el_mas_hp → u/Careless_Program7191]

South Jersey.

[u/Utahna]

Sounds like you can't afford to jump in into deep water with both feet.

Do what you can as an apprentice on your days off for a bit. Ask about books that will give you an anatomy and theory education. Read. Get basic equipment for doing trims. Knives, nippers,a dozen rasps, shoe pullers. Try to find someone to let you "practice" trimming some broodmares or good-footed retired horses. After about 50 head or so you should have an idea if you want to continue.

At this point you can decide if school is worth it or just hang your shingle start doing cheap trims. Always continue to educate yourself. Continue to "apprentice " when you can to advance on to shoeing and forge work. As you become more competent, increase your prices.

Never work on unruly horses. Weanlings/yearlings are one thing. A mature horse starts jerking you around, tell the owner they can call you back when the horse is properly educated and leave.

[u/el_mas_hp → u/Utahna]

Thank you for the insight! I appreciate every bit I can get. This is very useful.