Farrier

If you love horses and care about their health then becoming a farrier may be right for you. According to wikepedia, a farrier is “a specialist in equine hoof care, including the trimming and balancing of a horse's hoof and the placing of shoes to the horse's foot. A farrier couples a subset of the blacksmith's skills (fabricating, adapting, and adjusting metal shoes) with a subset of veterinary medicine (knowledge of the anatomy and physiology of the lower limb) to address the care of the horse's feet.”

This career has peaked my interest so I did some research and have learned that trimming and shoeing a horse will determine how the horse travels and mistakes can lead to a horse being hurt or crippled. A farrier also deals with injured or diseased hooves where the only remedy is to fashion a special shoe which will need to be fitted to the horse. Some basic shop tools that are used in this line of work include files, an anvil, a grinder, a vice and a welder.

I have read that most horses are trained from an early age to stand patiently for a farrier but not all horses will. Some will fidget as a result of becoming nervous with a new person handling their legs and hooves. You will need balance and strength in order to successfully care for a horse’s hooves. If you work with neglected or abused horses then you have a whole separate set of issues to deal with. Some will gladly stand still basking in the attention while others are out right aggressive. A horse may have damaged nerves or other ailments from neglect that may make it near impossible to stand and hold their leg up in which case your balance and strength will need to come into play as you may have to support most of the weight of the horse while working on the hoof.

In my findings I have noted that certification is not required however, it can improve your status as a farrier. People are more confident in hiring a certified farrier. There are many schools in the US that are certified to train you to become a farrier. All you have to do is search on “certified farrier schools” and a number of schools will be at your disposal to explore. If you plan to become certified then you may want to find one that is “AFA” certified. AFA refers to The American Farrier’s Association. The AFA has varying levels of certifications that can be obtained ranging from beginner to expert. The AFA promotes equine welfare and provides continuing education for working farriers. Membership with them provides you with publications, discounts, insurance and more.