Salary of a farrier

Crossroads101

Hi all,

First and foremost, I know very little about horses but I worked in recruitment before and often part of my job was to help compile salaries of various different professions e.g. nurses, teachers etc.

Therefore, when a friend of mine was complaining about the high costs of farriers for 4 shoes for his horse. They cost him €80 for about 40 minutes work and said that the shoes would only cost the farrier around €20 at most.

When I asked what would a farrier make per annum he didnt know but he was surely that it was a very well paid trade and said that some would make €2000 a week easy, which is a very, very, very decent wage, albeit I can imagine that the work could be highly skilled, dangerous and involve long hours.

As such I was wondering if anyone knew what a qualified farrier would make each year??

bellybuster12

Crossroads101 wrote: »

Hi all,

First and foremost, I know very little about horses but I worked in recruitment before and often part of my job was to help compile salaries of various different professions e.g. nurses, teachers etc.

Therefore, when a friend of mine was complaining about the high costs of farriers for 4 shoes for his horse. They cost him €80 for about 40 minutes work and said that the shoes would only cost the farrier around €20 at most.

When I asked what would a farrier make per annum he didnt know but he was surely that it was a very well paid trade and said that some would make €2000 a week easy, which is a very, very, very decent wage, albeit I can imagine that the work could be highly skilled, dangerous and involve long hours.

As such I was wondering if anyone knew what a qualified farrier would make each year??

I can't answer your question as such, but there are a few factors to take into consideration, some farriers might work solely for a big yard/stud but most would be freelance. They won't always have a full week flat out picking up E80 every 40 mins. Their costs/overheads might not be massive but a simple thing like their diesel bill would be huge not to mention insurance, tools etc.

A farrier with a full book of clients will make very good money but you also have to factor in that this job has a life span alot shorter than other jobs as it is very physically demanding.


Fwiw i would have taught E80 was a tad on the high side.

dave66

Crossroads101 wrote: »

Therefore, when a friend of mine was complaining about the high costs of farriers for 4 shoes for his horse. They cost him €80 for about 40 minutes work and said that the shoes would only cost the farrier around €20 at most.

It's like complaining about paying a doctor €65 to be given tablets costing €4? Or paying a plumber €80 to replace a 50cent washer. People don't take into consideration the skills involved (I note that you did mention skill & danger).

As was mentioned €80 might be a little higher than other farriers, but what we don't know is how pad the horse's feet were, did he use standard shoes.

Like all trades/jobs, the cost of the parts used (in this case horse shoes) only accounts for part of the cost of the job, off the top of my head I would think you'd need to factor in time, insurance, travel, tools and not forgetting skill.

The farrier we use, has always been fair, if the shoes don't need replacing, then he dresses the feet and will refit the shoes. It might be worth your friend shopping around.

silverfox88

I think 60-70 is usually standard in Dublin, I've used a number of farriers and 99% have charged 60 for a full set of new shoes.

Agree with the two posts above, especially re skill and danger.

Perhaps it is true that the shoes cost €20 (haven't a breeze to be honest) but the skill necessary is worth a lot more than that. In the past I've had farriers diagnose and sort out lamenesses and badly conformed feet.

The old adage "no foot, no horse" is of particular importance here I feel; and as such the price paid for decent farriery is a drop in the ocean by comparison to the ills of poor shoeing/foot care.

In terms of danger - personally I don't have the stones to deal with a variety of different horses who may or may not care to have you support a quarter of their weight; my own horses, who by and large have been good to shoe, have given me a fright by suddenly deciding that they'll actually have that foot back RIGHT NOW if you don't mind; not to mention the current lad who once fell asleep while being shod and fell over.

You'd have to pay me a lot more to be dealing with some nasty yoke that decides the best place for it's half shod foot is in the side of your head.