Money is a touchy subject. Most of us want to spend our money wisely. In order to do this, we have to calculate value. When a horse owner has a farrier come to work on his or her horse, price is an important consideration. Price alone should not be the only consideration as to whether the owner will employ the services of the farrier. A horse owner might choose a farrier because he or she is the least expensive, but that can mean that the farrier is the least qualified. If a farrier is rude, routinely late, does slow and sloppy work, or beats up on the horse, the owner would not likely say, “Well, it’s okay because this farrier is less expensive!” (if an owner does have this feeling, he or she probably doesn’t care about the horse very much) It is worth it to most owners to pay more for better quality work.

Most farriers would rather do anything than talk about price. It is an awkward topic of conversation, especially for those who are starting out as farriers; switching over from the salary mentality to the entrepreneur mindset. For a starting farrier, the price should not be as high as the skilled farrier, but as a farrier gains experience and skill, he or she should raise the price. Setting and achieving goals helps aspiring farriers to gain the confidence to raise the price. Working towards some kind of certification, from a credible institution, is a great way to do this. We have witnessed a transformation over those farriers who have challenged themselves to pass certification exams, versus farriers who have not.

When a farrier must determine his or her own value, nothing shakes confidence faster than a horse owner that balks at the price. When setting a price, remember that the owner is not only paying for a trimming or a shoeing. They are paying for assurance that the farrier knows what he or she is doing and is going to do the right thing for the horse! A lot of starting farriers make the mistake of thinking that the owner is paying for how much the farrier trims off of the horse. A starting farrier might even feel guilty for charging full price if he or she only uses the rasp and not the nippers. What’s worse, is an owner might demand a lower price if the farrier seemingly doesn’t trim much off of the horse (on the other hand, most owners don’t think they should be charged more if the farrier has to trim more off of neglected feet!). If trimming more foot was the criteria for getting paid, unprincipled farriers might be tempted to trim horses down until they were sore in order to make more money. An owner is paying not only for the work, but for the knowledge, experience and judgment that a skilled farrier employs to keep horses sound.

Farriers appreciate being defended when it comes to how much they should be paid. However, some farriers can use the same tactics as horse owners to justify why they shouldn’t have to pay to learn more about their craft. Horseshoeing clinics and classes have often been judged by farriers by how much they cost. A high-priced clinic with an experienced teacher may be perceived as “not worth it.” Some farriers might consider getting advanced training, if it doesn’t cost anything. Farriers and horse owners alike get what they pay for.

An Olympic athlete would not say, “I will do everything I can to become the best at this sport or event…as long as I don’t have to put any time or money into it.” That sounds ridiculous, but the horse owner that won’t spend resources to take care of his or her horse, and the farrier that won’t spend resources to progress in his or her craft, are effectively saying this same thing. In order to change this mindset, our focus should be on value; not on price.