Being your own boss, working a complex job, and having a direct connection between effort and reward makes work meaningful and satisfying.

In his book, Outliers, Malcolm Gladwell states, “autonomy, complexity and a connection between effort and reward are the three qualities that work has to have if it is to be satisfying.” (Outliers, 149-150) Working as a farrier can be extremely rewarding because all three of these components can be met. Ask any farrier what they love most about his or her job, and most of them will say, “I get to work with horses everyday” followed by, “I get to be my own boss.” Job satisfaction is important. Most people spend at least 8-9 hours a day doing their job. That is a long time! It becomes even longer if you are miserable in your work. For those who are interested in horses, farriery provides autonomy, complexity and connection between effort and reward and therefore satisfies the requirements for what most people consider a gratifying, meaningful job.

Autonomy

Autonomy is defined as “free to act independently; self-governing; personal freedom.” This is appealing to most people. I have talked to many people dissatisfied with their current employment because they “can’t stand the boss or supervisor.” They feel that they are being micromanaged. This can be frustrating. Farriers are not free from this entirely. Some horse owners (the boss) insist on telling the farrier how to do his or her job. The difference is that if a farrier diversifies accounts, he or she can choose to not work for individuals who make work unpleasant! Having one source of income from one boss means that you have to tolerate a lot. Having multiple sources of income from multiple bosses (barns or owners) means that you only have to put up with what you want to put up with.

Farriers get to schedule their days. They can choose how many horses they want to work on in a day. Most farriers can earn a comfortable living by scheduling 5 to 6 horses to shoe per day or 10 to 12 trims. If a farrier becomes more efficient, he or she can finish the work early. There is no watching the clock, waiting impatiently for “quitting time!” The more proficient a farrier becomes, the more his or her worth increases. Because farriers are in charge of their schedule, they can make time to continually educate themselves on better business practices and more efficient procedures.

Rarely, there are individuals who do not like being in charge of their own work. They are satisfied to have someone else tell them what to do, “put in their time”, and head home. These individuals find security in a salary-type job where they don’t have to make critical decisions. That is because being your own boss, while tremendously liberating, is also hard work. But that hard work is another quality that can make work so satisfying.

Complexity

Complexity is defined as, “complicated, intricate, elaborate; consisting of many different and connected parts.” Being a farrier is exciting work because no two days are the same. Every horse is different. Every horse must be assessed as an individual. A farrier gets to work on a variety of different cases. The more he or she learns about conformation, balance, anatomy, and diseases, the more he or she will be able to help the horse. In addition to understanding the structure and foundation of a horse, farriers must also demonstrate good horsemanship. Understanding horse behavior and reading horses helps farriers to know that they are helping or hindering the horse’s progress. Competent farriers are also adept mechanics. In the forge, they can modify and build horseshoes that will be appropriate for each horse’s individual circumstances. Understanding the anatomy, using good horsemanship and working with hot steel are all examples of “different but connected parts.” Knowing that you can help a horse because of your applied knowledge and expertise is gratifying.
All of those different but connected parts are just what happen on the job. Behind the scenes, the farrier also gets the satisfaction of complexity by running a business. Farriers can increase their net income by paying close attention to revenue and expenses. It becomes really satisfying when farriers see that the work they are doing on their business has a direct effect on how much money they make. This leads us to…

Connection between Effort and Reward

One of the most gratifying parts about farriery is the connection between effort and reward. If a farrier shoes or trims a horse, he or she gets paid for it (ideally right away!). Most farriers institute a payment-upon-completion-of-work type policy. Horse owners do not pay by the hour. Therefore, it is logical for the farrier to use time wisely; speeding up, but not sacrificing quality. A farrier that works slowly because of inefficiency is wasting time and losing money! In addition, a horse that is made to stand for longer than the standard hour (that it takes a skilled farrier to shoe a horse) will become impatient and fidget. This makes the job even harder and makes it take longer. Horse owners, as well, may become fidgety when they have to wait on a bungling farrier.

When the farrier takes the initiative to improve his or her skills by studying (anatomy and conformation), practicing (shaping and fitting shoes) and implementing efficient practices (keeping tools in order of use), the rewarding result is almost immediate. Many farriers have reported a dramatic change in confidence after passing certification exams. The process of preparing to take the exams helps farriers to set concrete goals. Achieving goals help to instill in the farrier self-belief. This confidence is, in turn, conveyed to the horse owner. The horse owner is more likely to feel good about paying the farrier who is confident and competent. They are also more likely to tell their friends and refer work!

An even more rewarding part of being a farrier is seeing a horse stay sound because of specific, applied knowledge. It is a great feeling to see a horse improve in performance or health because the farrier knew how to help!

Meaningful Work

Working with horses and horse people is meaningful work. People have a unique bond with horses. When a horse is uncomfortable or in pain, it can be heartbreaking. It can be even more tragic, if there is a solution available, but it goes unused because the farrier (or veterinarian) has not done sufficient preparation. Shoeing horses is hard work but as Malcolm Gladwell says, “hard work is a prison sentence only if it does not have meaning.”