Hi, I’m up in Canadialand! They offer Advanced Farrier Science at Olds College out in Calgary, AB.
Does anyone have any thoughts, personal experience, etc on becoming a farrier as well as being in the field? Any comments regarding the subject would be great!
Why not, if you are interested in farriery?
I would recommend that you shadow a farrier for a bit, help with whatever he tells you to do, then decide if that is what you want to do.
I spent 9 months working in our farrier’s shop, learning from a master farrier.
We didn’t have keg shoes, so we made ours from bar steel in a coal forge.
We also made many of our tools, etc.
We didn’t do any welding, just pure, old time blacksmith work.
I later ran my own riding school with 30 horses for about a year and did all my own work, with his help, of course.
It takes years to become good, once you learn the basics.
You know, no matter what you do, whatever you take the time to learn will always be with you, so why not?
If you are good at it, passionate about the work, you may even be a great farrier some day.
Have you done any trims to see if you can handle the physical part of it?
It is a very physically demanding job, don’t be fooled by how easy they make it look.
I went to farrier school in fall of 2009. I mostly wanted to learn how to do my own horses, but also wanted to learn what a sufficient shoeing/trim looked like. I learned a LOT, and really enjoyed it.
As for the physical part, I do use a HoofJack with some of my work, especially with the hind feet. I have more trouble with my wrists, as I was diagnosed with carpal tunnel syndrome, than I do with my back. My DH does help me pull shoes. We do the European thing: he holds the foot, I do the pulling.
Good luck!
It is very hard on your body, so take that into consideration – how many years will you be able to work before the repetitive stress catches up with you? If you have any existing musculoskeletal problems – tendonitis, arthritis, a bad disc in your back – you might want to reconsider. If you’re in your 20’s, go for it, of course!
My current farrier carries his hoof jack to my remote barn – 800’ uphill – in one hand. Like it weighs nothing :eek: Then my mini sits on him like he’s an armchair. It’s hard, hard work, in so many ways, but definitely fascinating. Good luck!
My daughter apprenticed for 3 years (because she was still in high school) with one of our better local farriers. It was very rough on her, but EXCELLENT even though she eventually decided to go a different route career-wise. It really helps that she can tack on a shoe or do a quick trim in an emergency, and she understand more about hoof care and physics than I do even after 40 years in horses :).
At the farrier school here they have a Boot Camp instructor come in every morning before class to fit up the students - recognizing how hard it is on the body. Lots of women take the course, and say it is mostly in the technique.
They are very successful as farriers.
First learn the craft, then learn to run a business. Show up on time, communicate with your customers, coordinate with vets and trainers. Make a business plan, save for your retirement, allocate funds for taxes, health insurance. Plan for repair/replacement of your rig. It’s not just shoeing.
I think you need a short stature and a strong back!
I have basic tools and can remove a shoe or trim a bit but man it’s hard to get under there and hold a hoof between your knees for any length of time!
I know two women in our area who went to school to learn to shoe their own Saddlebred show horses. It’s hard to get a good farrier out when you need one, especially during the show season, and both ladies do quite well. One even made a living at it for awhile but again, it’s hard work!
My brother is a farrier. He finished school about 3 years ago and has been apprenticing with a couple of different farrier since (as well as doing some as his own business). He is very good and is building a pretty big clientele by not only doing a good job and being a good horse handler- he’s also on time, doesn’t cancel for random reasons and returns calls quickly. He is in good shape and it is definitely very hard physical work, but I wouldn’t let the physical part deter you unless you have issues already.
[QUOTE=Eclair;8218704]
Hi, I’m up in Canadialand! They offer Advanced Farrier Science at Olds College out in Calgary, AB.
Does anyone have any thoughts, personal experience, etc on becoming a farrier as well as being in the field? Any comments regarding the subject would be great![/QUOTE]
Get disability insurance. I know a farrier who broke his leg playing softball and won’t be able to work for at least 3 months.
I’m not a farrier but my SO and I have become pretty good friends with mine and I see him regularly outside of work. Here are some things I’ve taken away from conversations:
The Good:
The money can be quite good when you have built a clientele
My farrier has had the opportunity to work across the world, from Africa to the Middle East, to Europe, to the U.S. He has some AWESOME stories!
Lots of independence, being that you are your own boss.
The Not so Good:
Just like any small business, there is A LOT of paperwork outside of the work itself, plus a lot of expenses that you may not think about when getting into the business. You have to be a good business person in addition to a skilled farrier.
It’s very hard on your body. My farrier has already had back surgery and multiple injuries. He’s my age (early to mid 30’s).
It’s dangerous and insurance/benefits don’t come with the job.
Horse people can be crazy. For the record, he has never said that, but c’mon… We all know there are some truly special wingnuts among us :lol:
Well, first off, Olds is in Olds, not Calgary. It is about an hour north of Calgary.
I know someone who did that program, but she didn’t end up becoming a farrier: the other students would bully her because she wasn’t as strong as some of them, so she lost all her confidence.
It is also a multi year program isn’t it?
Economically, you might be better off doing one of the shorter, but more intense programs in the US. A former employee of mine did a 9 month program down south and built a good clientele in no time. She has also done very well at farrier competitions.
Langley BC has a course at Kwantlen College. When my hubby took it about 25 years ago, it was a three month course, that most people did for nine months. He said that it was what you put into it. He said that there were a lot of girls taking the course, many of which would not have the physical strength to really do the job full time, just wanted to learn how to do their own horse. However, with just doing your own horse, you never do get enough experience to get very good at it. He said that many people hung back from working on the horses provided, instead spent the time making tools, learning blacksmithing instead of farriery. So he went to work on the horses ASAP, after working on dead legs. Was nailing on shoes that the other students made. He felt ready to go on to apprenticeship with several working farriers after three months, so did that. And had a good career going for years afterwards. He says it is a good way to make money, but dealing with the horses is not the hard part. The people are the whack jobs. When he quit, and we were moving away, I had to deal with his clients in tears on the phone, it was kind of crazy. But he enjoyed working for some of them, the nice ones. He fired the ones he did not want to deal with. But yes, very hard on the body, and he doesn’t LIKE horses any more. Has been hurt too many times. I can force him to trim and shoe a few of our own, and he has done some shoeing for others too around here sometimes, but not often. I have taken over trimming anything green or especially needy or sensitive of our own myself, leaving only the ones that are technically more demanding for him to do here. That is how “turned off” the job he is now. He is tall, at 6’2", but was very strong at that time (body builder/fitness freak). He did not believe that he would have physical problems, but he did.
So yes, it is a good field to get into. But look after yourself, both physically and business wise. Because no one else will.
By submitting your email, you agree to our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy. You may also receive promotional emails from The Chronicle of the Horse. You can opt out at any time.
For Customers
Company
Terms of Use
