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

Maybe the rate wouldn't be 1/10 if more asked about supply and demand for where they live and the industry as a whole before jumping into it. Travis I really respect you for running your own business and from experience not from a textbook. Really I think alot of the stuff taught in schools is a joke, alot of people come out not knowing a thing. I made a promise when I got my GED as a sophomore that I would get an associates degree.

Also, as far as the "ADT installation" thing. . . I could show you the bill. I never said they were paying the technicians $20,000 a week. But ya me and one other person did a job in one week that the customer was paying $20,000 for. About $12000 was supplies, $1040 labor, then whatever your paying sales person, gas, etc. Not all that is going in your pocket obviously. Like I said I respect you and your job but I know what i'm talking about in the security business, maybe that is what I should stick to. But before you fly here to install a $20,000 alarm system I would recommend crawling in your attic (easily gets to 150 degrees in the summer), find the tightest corner, and sit there for 15 minutes drilling a hole to pull 15 yards of wire through. Then get out and climb up on your ladder to the top of a 3 story building and try to balance yourself while you wire the camera up, then tell me about how it can't cost $20,000 to put $12000 worth of cameras in.

Well let me take a stab at it. . . .
My guess is that it is way down in the way of individual horse owners. Horses are very expensive take care of and alot of people probably couldn't financially continue to take care of them. That would take a lot of business away from farriers. I think that the higher end customers who breed horses/ and or compete are probably still more steady. But, those people aren't going to let just anyone work with their horse.

Hey Travis, I don't mean to sound critical as I like reading your posts, but hitting the enter key once in a while would make them a lot easier to read.

Even at random!

It's not that hard to find instances of people doing hard and dangerous work for peanuts... happens all the time all over the world. It's the skill that commands the big bucks...

"Nikola Tesla visited Henry Ford at his factory, which was having some kind of difficulty. Ford asked Tesla if he could help identify the problem area. Tesla walked up to a wall of boilerplate and made asmall X in chalk on one of the plates. Ford was thrilled, and told him to send an invoice. The bill arrived, for $10,000. Ford asked for a breakdown. Tesla sent another invoice, indicating a $1 charge for marking the wall with an X, and $9,999 for knowing where to put it."

This is why good farriers earn good money.

(and I earn peanuts)

...Gary I just learned to turn on the Pc not to long ago... You should know by my grammar and spelling nothing more than a complete run on sentence would follow... I write like I talk and I spell like I talk..

Lee be very careful listen to George...he is the jimmy Hoffa of the horseshoeing industry...before you know it he will having you sign a union contract.. then we will find you in a Amish sweat shop shakeing down the Amish shop owners over buying China made goods to sell to tourists.. his Amish mafia ties are tighter than the elastic on a big girls panties.. look at his profile picture then Google the name Levi head boss Amish mafia...tell me what you see..

Like I said, no criticism intended, but pressing the key with 'Enter' written on it every three or four lines would make your posts a whole lot easier to read...

(and would probably mean that a lot more of your posts were read!)

I work in one area where I am $30 to $50 more than the other shoers in that area. I do a bit better and have more experience and results than the others, and of course being so damn good looking.
The point is wherever you go, there is room at the top. Then it comes to the number of horses. It was eluded to earlier that we know of some who are very skilled, but can't seem to make it anywhere.

It might be a good start up time, but this kid has to learn first, so maybe his start up time will be in about 4 years?

Just as the video shows unions are a thing of the past. Just ask the people who made twinkies, and the people of Indiana and Michigan.

Lee, try to get your hands on the November issue of the American Farriers Journal. The results of their biennial survey is in it. It has a lot of the information you are asking about regarding the shoeing business. Prices, methods, gross income by geographic area, etc. Who knows how accurate it is, but it's the only one done.

Regards

Lee,
I was thinking about this thread today.
This morning I got to go shoe horses. This place is kind of a day off for me. Nice barn out of the rain, nice horses with a few challenges, a pad package, reset some handmades, 2 shoeings, 3 trims.
Listened to the radio all day, worked slow, coffee stayed hot on the forge, smoked Shermans, had a fine Ale with lunch, talked on the phone alot, wife and the twins came by to see me, cussed loudly at the horse (after the wife and the twins left), had a nice talk with the client, and made $440.
Where I live, I couldn't get a job where I could putter around like that with out getting fired and sure couldn't get that kind of pay for that pace of work.
I work hard at times, and harder and more skilled that most people out side of this trade, but I don't have a job. I get to do arts and crafts and play with horses.

Okay, Ill see if I can get ahold of that.
Maybe there is something in "hoofcare and lameness"

Thanks, that's exactly what I needed to know. I wish more my age would man up and actually learn to do something too. . . we have a whole generation of people that can answer questions out of a textbook but can't DO anything. But most guys my age are more interested in being a video game tester or video game designer. . . its retarded.

Yes, Excellent!!!...............you are right....................follow your dreams and your heart! you will be successful in life and this trade with this attitude:
you are wise beyond your years. it is what we call "an Olde Soul"

Net or gross?

Oh it was gross. A couple of the horses pooped and one of them peed.

Stuff deleted

What is a "Sherman"?

A "sherman" is also known as a blunt or joint in my area.

I started my business in the crash of 2000-2001. I think in a way its good to start in an economic crisis if you can make it then you can make it in the good times.

To be an entrepeneur requires great desire and persistance.

I worked 3 part time jobs when i started shoeing as i knew if i took a 40 hour a week position it would compromise my ability to service horseowners and i would never be able to grow my business. over the next 4 years i quit the part time jobs one by one as i got busier.

Travis when the program asks that you press "any key" just a tip there is no key labeled ANY you can just pick whatever key on the keyboard you wish.

Bill, you are TOO freakin funny!!!!

natsherman.com I like the original cigarettillos, red box.