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Posts: 13
Location: Middle Tennessee | Hey y'all, I'm seriously considering taking up farriery as a career option. I live about 15 minutes east of Murfreesboro, 1 hour from the outskirts of Nashville and I was wondering if anyone could give me some insight of the job fertility around here. I will be willing to do some traveling much further from Murfreesboro at times but I don't wanna set up shop in an area where I would find work hard to come by. I'm already researching horseshoeing schools and apprenticeship options, reading and watching stories from real farriers talking about the pros and cons of the trade and I do have a SLIGHT clue as to what it takes to be a farrier, I've been in charge of my horses hoofcare (up to 8 at one time) since I was 14 or 15 and am now 20, so I'm not going into this entirely blind. I desperately want to have a career involving horses and, even though I'm a woman, I crave physical work. I'm not one who wants to be indoors at a desk all day. Now since we got that all out of the way! If there are any farriers around here or owners who use farriers around here please tell me everything you can! Thanks in advance!
Edited by TennesseeFever 2017-08-02 9:54 PM
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 Extreme Veteran
Posts: 432
Location: Tennessee | I'm just outside of the Boro in Rockvale. Was actually just at the barn today to meet our farrier. I know he has more than he can handle right now and actually isn't even taking on new clients, so the market must be pretty decent. I will say though that he's very good, and very reliable. | |
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Member
Posts: 13
Location: Middle Tennessee | Awesome! Just what I wanted to hear. Would you mind telling me what he charges for his services? | |
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Extreme Veteran
Posts: 432
Location: Tennessee | Yesterday I think I paid $245. That was for 3 shod on the front ($70), and one trim ($35). I want to say a full set is $95, but I'm not 100% sure. | |
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Member
Posts: 13
Location: Middle Tennessee | Ok, thanks for the info! | |
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  New Word Inventor
Posts: 1506
 
Location: Who knows | I started writing you a novel on the subject, but hard to do well on a phone.
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Member
Posts: 13
Location: Middle Tennessee | Pretty please??? How about how about a free trial chapter?  | |
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New Word Inventor
Posts: 1506
Location: Who knows | I can recommend good schools, but schooling is not cheap, at least not the good schools. I know of a few cheap ones I'd steer clear of, but they'll be tempting because they are cheap. Most that graduate can't make it, especially females. Finding an apprenticeship as a female can be very difficult. You'll have to be willing to move.
A fair wage for a farrier is higher than what most charge because most don't understand the cost of doing business. Most shoers are terrible business people, and they often don't stay in business longer than 5 years. When you are charging 1980s/90s prices but paying 2017 expenses, you will go under. It's a hard, skilled, sometimes thankless, and ofyen undervalued trade. Some clients will know your worth and treat you well, but a lot change farriers like most people change their underwear and then wonder why they can't find a farrier.
$40-50 is the national average for a trim, not counting the outlier areas that require much higher. I'm in the bottom end of the range, and I get hung up on. What people don't realize is that I really need to be at 45-50 so I can afford healthcare (which as a farrier, you WILL need, more than most) and retirement, on top of all the normal expenses a business. You are your own employer, so you have to build this into your pricing, you won't have a 401k that gets price matched, and YOU are your own insurance provider. The latter is a HUGE expense, since the ACA still isn't repealed.
Remember, that gross amount is really $5-7/week per horse depending on schedule. If you want to last in the business, you need to charge what the service is worth. This is also an incredibly risky job for YOU. And if you don't work, you don't get paid, so if you are injured, you don't have workman's comp or paid sick leave, etc. I've known some to be seriously injured and out of work for months. Some have been killed. Be willing to walk away from a dangerous animal.
Tools are not cheap, and they will all need replacing. The more animals you do, the more often you will have to replace. Gas is not cheap. Truck maintenance is not cheap. And if you want to be of any value, like myself, you'll participate in continuing education, also not cheap. Your body will need maintenance, too. What other people might consider luxuries become necessities in this business. You'll be paying taxes, and probably an accountant.
Price what the sevice is worth, not just because joe schmo is charging this or that. Remember, most don't have a head for the true cost of doing business. Run the numbers. Run it like a business, not a charity. That's not saying you can't occasionally be charitable if you deem the situation calls for it, but you also need to pay the bills and earn a fair wage for after all your expenses.
You'll be blamed for things out of control like lost shoes (no, a shoe staying on does not reflect a farrier's skill). You'll be judged for it, regardless. I don't guaruntee shoes for this reason, but if I am already in the area and they find the shoe, I'll tack it on at no charge. Special trips are another matter.
Also, you need to think ahead for time off, whether it's for personal or educational reasons. Horses still need doing, so you'll have to juggle your schedule to accomadate. No paid vacations. And often, you'll get a slowdown in colder months. People will neglect animals they aren't riding, and you'll not only have an income drop (this goes back to your pricing...think ahead) but you'll come back to terrible feet and you'll be frustrated as a professional if you've been working during the warmer months to getting them as good as possible and all your efforts go down the drain.
There are a lot of good clients, and it's the people and the horses that make it a satisfying job, but it still is a hard job, and you will never know everything. The learning never stops, and you'll always come across things you've never seen before.
There's tons to be said. But it takes me forever to type this on a phone, and for the same reason, excuse my fumble fingers for the typos.
Edited by BigSkyDream 2017-08-03 9:49 PM
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New Word Inventor
Posts: 1506
Location: Who knows | If you have any questions, feel free to ask. 
Edited by BigSkyDream 2017-08-03 10:55 PM
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Member
Posts: 13
Location: Middle Tennessee | Thank you for your honesty! I like to learn about what's really going on instead of just the good stuff. This is why I've been researching schools and I don't even look at the price of tuition until after I've read up on the curriculum and reviews on said school. I'm also well aware that it will be much more difficult to get into the business because I'm a woman,I was denied even an opportunity to work in construction alongside my dad because of it. I am also extremely competitive, which means I will always be trying to further my knowledge and education to try to be better than the other options and to provide the very best care available. I am lucky to have family that will be helping me to get my career going, no matter which direction I go. I will probably be messaging you in a day or two asking some more questions if you don't get tired of me! Haha. Thank you for taking the time to reply :) | |
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