Farrier
Shoe and care for horses' hooves — a regulated craft combining blacksmithing skill with equine anatomy knowledge, essential wherever horses are kept and worked.
High
Moderate
4 years and 2 months via registered apprenticeship (the only legal entry route)
Diploma of the Worshipful Company of Farriers (DipWCF) — 4-year registered apprenticeship
typical
What you do
Farriers trim, balance, and shoe horses' hooves to maintain soundness and performance. The work combines forge skills — heating, shaping, and fitting steel or aluminium horseshoes at a portable forge — with detailed knowledge of equine anatomy, gait analysis, and hoof pathology. You assess each horse's conformation and movement, trim the hoof wall and sole, shape shoes to fit (hot or cold shoeing), and nail them in place. Remedial farriery addresses lameness, corrective shoeing for foals, and surgical shoeing in collaboration with veterinary surgeons. Farriers are legally regulated under the Farriers (Registration) Act 1975 — only FRC-registered farriers may shoe horses in the UK. Most farriers are self-employed, travelling to yards, livery stables, racing establishments, and private owners.
Why this career is resilient
Farriery is one of the few crafts that is both legally regulated and inherently impossible to automate — each horse has unique hoof geometry, and shoeing requires real-time physical judgement while handling a live animal. The Farriers Registration Council (FRC) controls entry to the profession, ensuring quality and limiting competition. There are approximately 2,700 registered farriers in the UK serving an estimated 800,000 horses. Demand consistently outstrips supply, particularly in rural areas, and the retirement rate of experienced farriers exceeds the number of new entrants qualifying each year.
A typical day
You load your mobile forge, anvil, and tools into your van and set off for the first yard by 7:30am. At a livery stable you shoe four horses through the morning — assessing each hoof, trimming with nippers and rasp, heating and shaping shoes at the portable forge, and nailing them on. After a quick lunch you drive to a second yard for three more horses, including a remedial case referred by a vet. The day finishes around 5pm with paperwork, booking next visits, and restocking materials.
Routes in
Apprenticeship
Earn while you learn: work with an employer and study part-time, leading to a nationally recognised qualification. Typically funded by the government and your employer.
Pay and costs
Earning potential: Newly qualified farriers earn £25,000–£35,000. Established self-employed farriers typically earn £40,000–£60,000. Those in racing or remedial farriery can earn £60,000–£80,000+. A standard set of four shoes is charged at £80–£140 depending on location and type of shoe.
Training costs: Apprenticeship: paid from day one (wages set by FRC, starting around £14,000–£18,000 rising annually). College block-release at an Approved Training Centre (e.g. Myerscough, Herefordshire): funded through apprenticeship levy. Tools and forge equipment: £3,000–£6,000 to set up independently after qualifying. Van and mobile forge setup: £10,000–£20,000. FRC registration fee: approximately £200/year.