Looking to get into this trade, help me out with some info?

Hello all,
Here is some information about myself:
I am an 17 year old from Oklahoma. I currently live in Kansas. I am in my second year at a community college. (majoring in business) I got my GED when I was a sophomore so that is how I did that. I am really looking for a way to support myself and probably 2 other people. I don't need much, just enough. (I'm the type of person that fixes my old $700 car rather than scrap it, hunt for food, don't need a big fancy house, etc) I take pride in my work, family, and faith.

Basically, I think we could make it on $2000 a month without stressing it. I know how to live on less, my parents with 2 kids had their budget at $1000 a month. So that gives you kind of an idea of how much I would need to make in this trade. I hate to talk about money rather than the job first, but it isn't any use learning a trade if you cant support your family with it right?

So yes, I am interested in becoming a farrier. I know what a farrier does, but I do not have any of those skills. I would need to totally learn from the beginning. I understand the work is hard, I am up for that and like hard work. 4 years in the lawn business will teach you to work hard. My understanding is that this work is even harder than that. I think I will try to get a job working at one of the stables around here (there are about 3 in my area) to gain more experience working around horses. Maybe I will be able to work around farriers there. Anyway, other than that idea, how do you get started in this trade? Where should I go to learn all I can about the equine industry in general?

No, I did not "grow up around horses." As in, grow up on a farm. No, but I actually did work for a short time at a very nice horse farm growing up (as in $600,000 German horses). And alot of my friends had horses, so I am familiar with them and know how to stay safe around them. I certainly don't know how to tell different breed apart or anything, I will have alot of learning to do. Alot, I admit. I hope this is not something where you just have to be lucky enough to grow up like that to get into this. I figure, i'm young I can still learn.

So here are my general questions:

Could I make enough for a family? ($2000/month? at least)(I will probably be moving to NE Oklahoma, southern Missouri, or NW/ SW Arkansas once I have learned the trade and can go and do my own business)

How do I get into/ learn this trade?

How do I learn more about the industry?

Can someone inexperienced like me do this?/ Do you sort of need to have grown up working with horses? (as in get into it, I understand this trade takes years to learn. )

Do you recommend I go into this trade?

How harshly does the economy effect the livelihood of a farrier? (beyond normal, of course it effects everyone. Like, gas goes up suddenly no work or pretty steady?)

Any questions or extra information you could share with me would be very much appreciated. Thank y'all in advance

You will have to be willing to work for nothing for a few years with a good farrier and it will be hard enough to find one willing to teach ya. Not knowing much about horses will be a handicap for ya but wont make it impossible if your sharp enough to learn. As you said your prob best off getting a job in a yard or something for a while before ya start to get some more experience around horses and you should meet and get to know a farrier that way who might be able to find ya someone to apprentice with. What has made you interested in shoein horses if you have no real experience with them?

Well, a few things. Being a business major in college, I really do not want to end up being a manager in some office or chain or something. However I could use that knowledge to work for myself. I just need to figure out what to do. Looking back at all the different work that I have done, I loved working at that horse farm the best. Other than that (not counting random jobs ive done), did lawn work for 4 years, and I actually did an internship working in security. (alarm/cctv) Honestly, my perfect job would be working at a horse farm and taking care of the day to day care of the horses or even maintaining the property. But, I don't think I could ever provide for a family doing that. So this is a more "skilled" trade where I could still work with them.

You need to find someone to ride along with for a couple of weeks work experience that's willing to let ya pull off some shoes so ya see get a taste of how heavy the work is and see if its for you. Im not from the states so cant give ya any advice on finding someone to ride along with over there. When I was looking to start I got a list of all the master farriers in Ireland and wrote to every one of them looking for an apprenticship and when i got one i had to move to the other side of the country and work for pretty much nothing for four years. You will have to forget about supporting a family for a few years itl cost you money for a few years til ya learn the trade

Ok, thank you for the info. I just remembered I also have a friend who used to be a farrier. I will have to talk to him a little bit, maybe ask him how come he isn't any more.

So here is another question: My dad works in the security industry. He has always had a job, even when other people were having a hard time finding one. That is because around here that trade is not taught in schools, not many people think about it, etc. Basically few people know how to do it, so if you do know how to do it well you can get a job. (for the best, you don't want to many people knowing the ins and outs of your alarm system)

Is being a farrier like that? Or is it the opposite?

Like others I would advise you to do a couple weeks riding with a farrier first. If you like it, then go to school, perferably not a 2 week wonder, rather seek out something in the 6 month or longer range. While attending school you need to seek out a good farrier you can apprentice with. If you expect to support a family in the first 5 years, well you better have a day job.

Ok so:
1. Get a job at one of the stables in my area
2. find a farrier who will let me work with him for a couple weeks
3. If I still wwant to do it, find a school.
4. Apprentiship while i am in school
5. Won't make any money for a few years.

Alot of the people around here (particularly the ones with money) have their own house and then a little one for the person that takes care of the property/ animals. Maybe I could get a gig like that while i'm learning.

Any other advise from people?

Lee the only issue with live at a farm in a farm house is it seems the owner wants you on the farm 24 / 7 and will not leave you with the time needed to learn...also you need to know farrier schools are not cheap I think prob around 5 k now days..and you don't get much bang for your buck...also I have heard out of every 10 farrier students only two are still Shoeing in a year and only one of the two still Shoeing in five years... No as far as the money goes for supporting your family after you get to the point of taking on your own clients ..well its much like any self employment..you can make as less as you want and you can do well ...a good farrier in a country setting I guess could do 40k a year pretty easy if your in a metro area and doing more high end horses I guess a guy can do over 100k a year... I noticed you said your gonna need to support two others maybe and need 2k a month ..if that's what you feel you need to get paid to learn this trade well you need to abort mission now and get a real job..no farrier is gonna pay you that to teach you a trade he took a lifetime to learn..being your only 17 your best bet will be to take on a gypsy spirt and hit the road working for peanuts and room and board and spend a couple of years with a few diff farriers that's willing to take you on for room and board and food and maybe a little money when he can or feels you made him some money... Taking on a new guy slows a farrier way down..so he's only helping you and your not helping him..one last thing is your only 17 don't be in a big hurry to make big plans..

All sound wisdom, but ya really need to get more experience being around and learning about horses..you get yourself hurt and that will happen, be ready..

Good advise too, Gary


Cody Gilreath, CF

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@travis- thanks. First off, yes I know that I will no be getting payed no $2000 a month for someone to teach me. Room and board sounds good to me. Any insight as to why so few stay in the field? Thanks for the reply.

Lee, finish school if you can. One big reason that most farriers dont make it is they have no buisness knowledge. I know good vets like that as well.

I never touched a horse until I turned 16 and got a job cleaning stalls. If horses are somthing you love you will gain horse knowledge fast.

It is hard work. It takes a lifetime to master. About the time you get really good at it your body falls apart. You will get hurt, bad. But you wont find a better job in the world.
I also know not to start a sentence with but , but I did anyway.

After farrier school and and working with as many guys as you can. Plan on around five years to build a full time business. During thst time you will need another job. Several folks I know have washed out because they thought a second job was beneath them.

But in answer to your question. Yes a guy can make over $2000 a month. I know guys that gross that in almost a day. However, Its not what you make, Its how much you keep (save).

Work hard and you can make it in any trade.

One other thing. The definition of a successful Farrier is a wife with a good job in town

I finally got to the place where my wife doesn't have to work, but it took about 15 years to get to that point.

You could always try this.
http://www.universalclass.com/i/crn/11773.htm

Disclaimer: this was only meant as a joke and I'm sure will stir up some posts, a new thread may have to be started.

@michael allen: thank you, that's very helpful.

@justin decker: Now THAT is funny, that's just embarrassing for U of Phoenix to even put that up.

Hey Justin,

Where else can you learn to shoe horses for $59.00 or learn to shoe them and get a CEU credential for $84.00?

And, while you're at it, you can learn to ride horses online, too.

America, what a country!!!

Anything in life is achievable.... But you have to want it. You've got a long way to go but with the right direction you can make it work.


Cody Gilreath, CF

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I always tell young people who want into this trade to get a major head injury, then the rest comes naturally.
The high failure rate in this business is because people come into it for a good income. Most of the successful people in this business are here because they wanted to be a Farrier.
You asked for a comparison between Farriery and lawn care. I've worked in that trade, when I was young, and it was easy and offered no challenge compared to Farriery.
You also asked about the numbers in this as in the security business. In my county of about 100,000 people, there are about ten good Farriers and a few horseshoers after them.

I've seen it all now!