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Farrier
Hours
Variable
Starting salary
£30,000 + per year
If you are interested in horses and are good at working with your hands, this job could be perfect for you.
Farriers make and fit shoes for horses. Farriery is a regulated profession under the Farriers (Registration) Act 1975 . They use some similar skills to blacksmiths, but blacksmiths cannot shoe horses unless they are registered as farriers.
In this job you would need good hand-eye co-ordination. You would need to be physically strong. You would also need to communicate well with horse owners and vets.
To work as a farrier you must by law be registered with the Farriers’ Registration Council. The only way you can register is to complete a four-year apprenticeship with an approved training farrier. See the Entry Requirements section below for details of how to get onto this apprenticeship.
WorkDesc
The work
As a farrier you would:
- check the horse's leg, foot and hoof, cutting away any excess hoof growth and making sure that the horse is properly balanced
- discuss and agree the horse’s shoeing requirements with the owner
- choose the most suitable type of shoe for the horse's size, foot condition, type of activity and working conditions
- make horseshoes by hand or machine
- fit the shoes either hot or cold
- adjust the shape of the shoes if necessary, using a hammer and anvil
- work with veterinary surgeons and equine hospitals to provide corrective shoeing and surgical farriery.
You would usually be self-employed, organising your own bookings and ordering your own stock and tools. You would also need to keep accounts and promote your business.
HoursDesc
Hours
Your working hours would vary according to the needs of your customers, and may include some weekends.
You would travel to customers' premises, for example farms, riding schools or stables.
A driving licence is necessary as is a vehicle suitable for carrying around a mobile workshop of stock and tools.
Farriery is hard, physical work. It involves bending, lifting and walking, and sometimes working outdoors in all weather conditions.
IncomeDesc
Income
Experienced farriers can earn £30,000 or more.
Figures are intended as a guideline only.
EntryRequirementsDesc
Entry requirements
To work as a farrier you must by law be registered with the Farriers’ Registration Council. The only way you can register is to complete a four-year apprenticeship with an approved training farrier.
For an apprenticeship you must be aged at least 16, pass a medical (which you have to pay for) and have a placement with an approved training farrier.
You also need one of the following:
- four GCSEs (A-C), including English and maths (or equivalent qualifications) and a Forging Certificate
- the Farriery Access course – run at colleges approved by the Farriery Training Agency.
Only 80 to 100 apprentices are taken on each year, so competition is strong. You will need to be prepared to move away from your local area to find an approved training farrier who has a vacancy.
On the apprenticeship you would get practical experience and complete 23 weeks' block-release study at a college approved by the Farriery Training Agency. Your training would lead to NVQ Level 3 in Farriery.
When you have completed the NVQ you would take an exam for the Diploma of the Worshipful Company of Farriers. Once you have the diploma you can register with the Farriers’ Registration Council.
See the Farriery Training Agency website for more details of apprenticeships, colleges offering the Forging Certificate and Farriery Access course, and approved training farriers.
There may also be the opportunity to train as a Farrier within the Army through the Army's own specific training route.
TrainingAndDevelopmentDesc
Training and development
As a registered and experienced farrier you would have the opportunity to achieve Associateship and Fellowship of the Worshipful Company of Farriers.
You may be able to become an approved training farrier once all your own training and development is complete.
It is also possible to study for Higher Education qualifications at Myerscough College:
SkillsAndKnowledgeDesc
Skills and knowledge
To be a farrier you should have:
- an interest in working with horses
- good co-ordination and practical skills
- physical strength and stamina
- good communication skills for working with horse owners and vets
- the ability to keep accurate records and deal with payments and accounts.
MoreInformationDesc
More information
Lantra 
Lantra House
Stoneleigh Park
Nr Coventry
Warwickshire
CV8 2LG
Tel: 0845 707 8007
www.lantra.co.uk
National Association of Farriers, Blacksmiths and Agricultural Engineers
The Forge
10th Street
Stoneleigh Park
nr Coventry
Warwickshire
CV8 2LG
www.nafbae.org
National Farriery Training Agency
Address as for Farriers Registration Council
Tel: 01733 319770
www.farrierytraining.co.uk
Farriers Registration Council
Sefton House
Adam Court
Newark Road
Peterborough
PE1 5PP
Tel: 01733 319911
www.farrier-reg.gov.uk
OpportunitiesDesc
Opportunities
There are about 2,500 registered farriers in the UK. You would usually be self-employed, and may have to travel long distances to visit clients, or perhaps relocate to find work. Clients include farmers, horse owners and owners of riding schools and stables.
You may also be able to find permanent work with large stables, horse breeders and mounted regiments of the police or army.
You could become involved in the farriery supplies business or work with veterinary surgeons or in equine hospitals.
Job profiles are based on the latest information supplied to us by industry bodies, such as Sector Skills Councils. Please be aware that with the introduction of the Qualifications and Credit Framework there has been, and will continue to be, changes to vocational qualifications. For more information, please check with industry bodies directly.
We do not accept responsibility for the content of external sites.
LMIData
Related industry information
Industry summary
The farriery industry is part of the environmental and land‐based industries, represented by Lantra Sector Skills Council, which also includes the following industries: agricultural crops; agricultural livestock; animal care; animal technology; aquaculture; environmental conservation; equine; fencing; fisheries management; floristry; game and wildlife management; land‐based engineering; horticulture, landscape and sports turf; production horticulture; trees and timber; and veterinary nursing. The sector as a whole currently employs 1,126,000 people (approximately 4% of the UK workforce) in around 230,000 businesses. In addition, there are an estimated 500,000 volunteers working in the sector on a regular basis. Approximately 42% of the workforce is self‐employed.
Farriery is defined in the Farriers (Registration) Act 1975. It is ‘any work in connection with the preparation or treatment of the foot of a horse for the immediate reception of a shoe thereon, the fitting by nailing or otherwise of a shoe to the foot or the finishing off of such work to the foot’. A farrier is a skilled craftsperson with a sound knowledge of both theory and practice of the craft.
Key facts:
- There are 2,432 registered farriers and apprentices in the UK.
- The majority of farriers run their own businesses or work within a small company. The number of businesses in the UK is, therefore, estimated to be almost equal to the number of farriers.
- There are estimated to be one million horses in the UK.
- It is an offence for any person to engage in any act of farriery who is not registered on the Register of Farriers nor employed under Articles of Apprenticeship.
Jobs in the industry include: approved training farrier, farriery supply business proprietor, apprentice farrier, field officer, college tutor assessor, registered farrier.
National and regional data
| South West |
439 |
|---|
| South East |
409 |
|---|
| East of England |
312 |
|---|
| West Midlands |
238 |
|---|
| East Midlands |
214 |
|---|
| North West |
205 |
|---|
| Yorkshire and the Humber |
171 |
|---|
| Scotland |
162 |
|---|
| Wales |
125 |
|---|
| London |
79 |
|---|
| North East |
76 |
|---|
| Northern Ireland |
12 |
|---|
[N.B. Data from Register of Farriers, 2006.]
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