Comments on: So You Want My Job: Farrier

By: Anvil Devil

Anvil Devil — Mon, 26 Jul 2010 16:46:35 +0000

Not to dilute the manliness of this interesting site and Zach Williams’ concise and accurate answers, but farriery is NOT limited to men. I am age 54, five-foot-two, 115 lbs. and have been a professional farrier for 8 years. In my opinion it’s more about horsemanship (as Zach says) and efficient use of the body than brute strength. Most horses are cooperative and trusting when handled respectfully. It is challenging but incredibly rewarding work and I encourage anyone who has a love for the art, craft, and science of farriery to pursue this profession. You must have persistence and drive, and get the best instruction possible to be a success.

By: Gina Keesling

Gina Keesling — Mon, 26 Jul 2010 16:44:01 +0000

Thanks for a great article. I shared it (including proper credit and links) with our company’s newsletter recipients here: http://archive.constantcontact.com/fs009/1101533203510/archive/1103582945170.html
Keep up the good work. (Except the “10 worst products…” those kind of creeped me out.)

By: Molly

Molly — Sat, 10 Jul 2010 13:48:04 +0000

I’ve ridden with our farrier before, and while I liked being an assistant and holding horses, etc, it only took one time of trying to pull a shoe off of a horse to decide that it wasn’t the thing for me. XD (Granted, I AM a girl and it requires a lot of upper-body strength that I simply don’t have, but still.) It’s a highly interesting job, and I’ve learned enough riding around with our farrier to have a pretty basic idea of training and how a horse’s hoof is built (which is very useful for diagnosing my own horses should they have a problem), but simply due to the labor and dealing with difficult people/dangerous horses I’m not sure I’d like that job. XD (It takes a lot of guts to get under a spooky horse–and the mean ones are even worse)

By: Johnny J

Johnny J — Fri, 14 May 2010 00:16:42 +0000

Cool stuff. I looked up more on farriers and found these interviews. Seems like the kind of guys I’d like to have a beer with:
http://www.americanfarriers.com/pages/AFJ-tv-Video-Farrier-Quick-Takes.php

By: Jody Vannoy

Jody Vannoy — Thu, 13 May 2010 23:48:09 +0000

I am a female, born and raised in Hillsboro, Virginia (Loudon County) which is big time horse country. I showed, pony clubbed, cubbed, hunted, broke steeplechase and flat track race horses. I have lived in Wyoming for many years now. I agree that farriers are worth their weight in gold. And my brother was an equine vet in Palm Beach County, Florida (also big time horse country). In our opinion, a good farrier is just as important as a good equine vet. I know a fellow in Wellington, Florida who is flown all over the country because of his incredible farrier skills. They can make or break any type performance horse. I’m not sure why, but I would have to agree that many here in Wyoming are not reliable. You put up with them, because they are good, but they seem to have no sense of responsibility and show up when they feel like it if at all. Thanks for the article.

By: J.R. Garcia

J.R. Garcia — Thu, 13 May 2010 14:24:23 +0000

This was a great interview! I really enjoyed it. I grew up in a very rural town (Stephenville, TX), but I was never exposed to a “rural” lifestyle. I’ve actually never ridden a horse. Seeing interviews like this really makes me want to ditch the city. Thanks again for another great So You Want My Job!

By: Jeremy Keegan

Jeremy Keegan — Thu, 13 May 2010 13:53:50 +0000

This was a cool article for me because it hits close to home in a number of ways. First, I also live in that area – Rockingham county. Second, I’m 30 years old (same age as Zach pretty much) and I have a horse too. I ended up getting into footcare for the same reason – lack of reliable farriers around. I actually had a good one but he moved to Florida. I haven’t turned it into a career, but I trim my horse’s feet regularly and although it’s hard work, I enjoy it.

I think this is an inspiring example of ways we as men can benefit from rolling up our sleeves and learning how to do something new that will help our families out, save a little money, teach you a new skill, and allow you to do some good ol’ hard work. Good story!

By: Chris Mower

Chris Mower — Thu, 13 May 2010 13:43:26 +0000

We grew up raising horses and I was always impressed with the farriers who could handle some of the ill-behaved horses. It’s not the job for me, but a good farrier is worth their weight in gold. It’s well worth the time to find a good one! I remember a couple times we’d have a farrier come over and they’d drive a nail into the hoof wrong–thus taking the horse out of commission for a while.

By: Richard Williams

Richard Williams — Thu, 13 May 2010 13:26:25 +0000

Zach is actually in Montana attending a horse show, so I’ll try to answer these for him until he gets back.

Alex: Yes, Zach still lives in Augusta County. Send me a private email to: stonewallbook@yahoo.com and I’ll send you his phone number.

Nate: See question #10. Vets often refer horses with foot troubles to a good farrier. Zach gets a number of referrals from vets. Working with horses always involves some risk as they are powerful animals. Horses instinctively know if you’re afraid or if you’re in a bad mood and might hurt them. Always approach a horse slowly and cautiously. Zach has been kicked and stepped on a few times, so caution is the watchword.

Richard Williams (Zach’s Dad)

By: Alex

Alex — Thu, 13 May 2010 12:12:44 +0000

Zach, if you read this, do you still work in augusta county? My gf has horses in Harrisonburg, I’d love to send her your way.