While it might at first seem to be a simple job, the farrier's tasks involve more than handling the occasional horse in need of health services. A farrier's routine work is primarily hoof cleaning, trimming and shoeing, but can expand into preventative medicine.
The farrier couples a subset of the blacksmith's skills with a subset of veterinary medicine to primarily address the care of a horse's hooves, feet and legs. This is a job with considerable physical requirements.
Education Requirements
There are several farrier schools in the country with a basic horseshoeing course that lasts from a few weeks to a few months. Like many skills, you will need a basic farrier school certification followed by an apprenticeship that can last anywhere from a few weeks to a couple of years. There are also national organizations that can provide extra credentials and workshops after your initial certification.
Growth Statistics
Job growth in this area will remain steady and average over the next decade. Since all of the duties involve live animals, horseshoeing employment is relatively stable even during periods of economic recession.