Farrier info, advice and insights
Taranaki-based farrier, Andrew (Jock) Good has been shoeing horses of all ages, shapes and sizes for over 39 years. However, it hasn’t just been 39 years of nailing shoes on feet day in day out, for the man known by his friends and family as Jock. From bull riding to training Group One winning racehorses, …
Gary Darlow - Farrier focus An incredible 7 times National Champion, Gary is extremely well respected and talented farrier achieving consistently high results in farriery competitions, in addition to be a ‘dab hand’ at fishing too! With thanks to his daughter Becki for her assistance with the interview, Gary shares a few thoughts and opinions… …
Nigel Brown AWCF - Farrier FocusRecently crowned UK national champion farrier (2013), Nigel Brown runs a farriery business in Abergavenny, South Wales. He is an ATF (Approved Training Farrier), competes regularly and is a member of the Welsh International Team.Why did you decide to become a farrier?“I had ridden all my life, including point to …
Top Ten reasons why being a farrier (usually) rocks 10. Working outdoors in the fresh air 9. Meeting interesting people 8. Being your own boss 7. Earning an honest living 6. Daily challenges that need solving 5. Working with horses 4. Always learning something new 3. Working with our hands 2. The appreciation from clients 1. …
Continue reading "Top Ten reasons why being a farrier (usually) rocks"
The focus is usually on farriers being big and strong. For sure, the need for muscle is important to be able to do the job competently day in and day out without collapsing in a heap (and even then, many of us have been known to collapse in a heap anyway). A farrier being able …
There's plenty of advice around about how farriers should look after their clients (the owners that is). Many of the core service business principles apply (or at least, should apply) to farriers and their businesses. After all, farriery is just another service industry albeit with some difference. I guess most farriers could read some books …
Continue reading "Farrier clients – giving them the freedom of choice"
I've blogged before about the importance of farriers maintaining (and raising) the standard of work when things are financially tight. It doesn't always seem the most obvious approach but increasing the overall quality rather than cutting corners and defaulting to inferior shoes and tools will often pay dividends in the long run. But there are …
When I first started my own shoeing round in the mid-90's back in Blighty, every one of my clients were obviously, new to me. I picked up quite a few clients who had been using farriers previously who they had labelled as "unreliable". Some of the farriers who had been grouped into the "he doesn't …
Happy New Year. Looking at the usual social network sites, it seems too many people are glad to see the back of 2011 and looking forward to this new year and the possibility it'll bring them happiness. I enjoyed 2011, it was full of good things for me personally and positive improvements for my business. …
Farrier Blog 