— first published in the October 2025 Equiery
There are about 100,000 horses in Maryland, and every one of them needs a good farrier. Farriers protect, support, and balance hooves; they correct foot abnormalities, prevent lameness, and keep the horse moving properly. Even barefoot horses need a good farrier.
Rachann Mayer, an MHC board member and the host of the podcast Raising Connections, interviewed three farriers from the Maryland Farriers Association (an MHC Association member) to find out what it takes to be a farrier. The following information is distilled from that interview.
How to Become a Farrier
Farriers need specialized scientific knowledge, including: (i) equine anatomy; (ii) causes of lameness; and (iii) hoof balance and alignment. This requires education.
There are no farrier schools in Maryland. The closest schools are at Virginia Tech and at a farrier school in Martinsville, Virginia. The American Farrier’s Association (AFA) has a three-level certification program—a basic farrier certification, a tradesman certificate, and a journeyman certification. Trainees at each level must pass a written exam as well as a practical test that involves forging modifications to shoes for gait modification or therapeutic purposes. There is also a hands-on exam where trainees shoe a horse. Students have two years to complete all three parts.
The AFA program is difficult. Most people do not pass the tests on their first attempt.
What It Takes to Be a Farrier
Farriers will tell you there are three things that make a good farrier: self-motivation, physical fitness, and good horsemanship.
Farriers need to run their own schedules. They need to get out of bed and go to work even if they’d rather not.
Farriers need to be physically fit. Farriers are well-advised to get a good chiropractor and a good masseuse. Farriers are also advised to do cross training to keep the muscles they don’t use to stay healthy and strong. A farrier who hurts too much to work properly is not a good farrier.
Farriers need horse sense. Is the horse giving you a hard time because it hurts? Does it have suspensory problem that makes it hard to stand? Is the horse about to do something that could hurt the farrier or the horse? A farrier without horse sense will not last long.
Farriers need to run their businesses well. Farriers need to make sure that their prices cover all of their costs. Those costs include the cost of the shoes and the costs of the truck, but also the cost of health insurance, of retirement planning, and of taxes.
A farrier cannot control the cost of shoes, which fluctuate due to world events, international trade issues, etc. Farriers must charge enough to cover that cost, even when those costs go up.
The truck is the farrier’s workshop and her office. A farrier’s rates need to cover the truck insurance, which will be higher than insurance on a personal vehicle. A farrier needs to plan ahead for truck repairs or replacement.
A farrier must pay his own taxes. Farrier must pay a self-employment tax to cover social security, Medicare and Medicaid, and worker’s compensation—all taxes that employers normally withhold from paychecks. Farriers will likely need to pay quarterly taxes, which requires estimating one’s annual income and then setting the tax on that estimate aside.
Farriers should resist the urge to put their income under the table because doing so can take a big dent out of one’s retirement. Social Security is based on how much you pay in—if you don’t pay taxes on your income, then your Social Security benefit when you retire will not be enough. One farrier said the amount would be “a pittance.”
Putting your income under the table will also jeopardize your chance of getting a loan. Banks and credit unions often require three years of tax returns to approve a loan.
Advice to New Farriers
Experienced farriers have additional advice for new farriers beyond covering costs.
Have a plan. Know what you are going to do before you pick up the horse’s foot. Look at the balance and distortions. Look at the back foot while you are working on the front foot.
Don’t go it alone. Get advice from people who have been there.
Plan for when the last horse is done. Plan to be able to have the same quality of life once you stop working as you did before you stopped working.
Recognize your limits. Not every farrier is suited to every horse. Sometimes you and the horse just won’t get along well. Don’t be afraid to refer your client to someone else if you realize you can’t do the horse’s feet justice.
Insist on a good holder, ideally the owner. You need someone who is paying attention—not on a cell phone. You need someone who knows enough about the horse to be able to communicate effectively. And you need someone with enough horse sense to know if the horse is getting ready to do something dangerous.
Advice to Clients
Farriers do their best work when the client is working with them, not against them. Here are a few things owners can do to help.
Use a reputable farrier. Ask your veterinarian or an experienced barn manager to give you a good recommendation. Visit the Maryland Farriers Association’s website to find certified farriers in your area.
Tell the farrier the horse’s history and quirks. Inform the farrier about any particular hoof health or shoeing issue the horse may have had. Don’t wait until after your horse has injured the farrier to disclose pertinent information.
Make sure the owner and handler are at the appointments. Your farrier needs to know what kind of work your horse is in and whether you are looking for a specific result.
Keep up with your horse’s farrier schedule. If you wait until you think the toes are long, then you have waited too long. A regular schedule can prevent thrush or white line disease, handle abscesses, and diagnose lameness.
Follow your farrier’s advice. Diet is important for hoof health, and overweight horses are especially prone to founder. If your farrier says the horse needs to lose weight, then change the horse’s diet accordingly. If the farrier says you need to call your veterinarian to treat a an infection or other issue outside of the farrier’s expertise, then call the vet out.
Take advantage of educational opportunities. The MFA hosts regular angle dissection clinics that are open to owners, not just farriers. The clinic shows owners what the inside of a horse’s foot and leg looks like, and what the farrier has to work with to support the weight of the horse, the weight of the rider, and the impact of the ground. The AFA also has a membership category for owners that are not farriers, and those members receive the educational benefits of AFA membership.
Want to learn more? Contact the Maryland Farriers Association at www.marylandfarriersassociation.com or email marylandfarriers@yahoo.com.