A place in the sun for farriers

A place in the sun for farriers

This article is addressed mainly to those who are just starting their career in farriery. Having worked in this field for almost 20 years, I watched the ups and downs of my colleagues, and decided to share my personal experience, as well as analyze what qualities can reduce the time for career growth and, other things being equal, not be afraid of competition.

Fifteen or twenty years ago, when there were no more than 10 people in the profession, forgers could afford to behave rudely, unrestrainedly, aggressively and arrogantly with customers. The main criterion for the success and good employment of a farrier was his work experience, while developing, attending advanced training courses was not at all necessary. The motto of those years was: “Teach a scientist only to spoil.” Fortunately, those times have sunk into oblivion. A new generation has grown up, priorities have changed, with the help of competition and pressure from young people, forging standards have grown and the model of behavior when communicating with customers has changed. Some of those who did not want to keep up with the times and accept modern realities were left behind, blaming young people for their low employment, which, in their opinion, lured away the lion’s share of their clientele only through dumping.

Now there are more people in the profession, farriers are not tied to specific bases, but go to different clubs, so in addition to professional skills and experience, fundamental knowledge, it is important how the farrier treats the horse during work, what tools and equipment he has. One should not underestimate the importance of universal human qualities, such as the manner of communicating with clients, the ability to present oneself, to maintain a conversation on professional or equestrian topics, punctuality, and appearance. The combination of all of the above factors affects the quantity and quality of the farrier’s customer base. Remember the little things – this is the most important thing. Our whole life is made up of little things. Therefore, you should not treat them so petty.

Every farrier wants his name to be synonymous with the best farrier.

Try to develop harmoniously. While honing your professional skills every day, do not lose sight of the theoretical base. The key to success is the high quality standards of your work. Be strict with yourself and analyze every operation performed, every horse trimmed or shod. Remember, perfect work does not happen, look for shortcomings and shortcomings and, if they can be eliminated, do not be lazy to fix them immediately, but if this is not possible for you, take them into account on your next visit. However, from personal experience, I want to say, leading an uncompromising struggle for quality, it is not always rational, especially for a beginner, to openly point out your mistakes to the client. Even a minor blot in your work can be interpreted as an unforgivable oversight. I am not asking you to lie or hide the truth, but sometimes, especially when dealing with suspicious people, this is a good way to maintain peace, normal business relations and avoid unnecessary conflict situations. By always being honest and sincere with your customers, try to impress upon them the idea that by choosing you as an intern, they are choosing an evolving and ever-advancing farrier, and their initial risks are minimised day by day. Your task is to meet their expectations and comply with the principles of strict self-control in your work.

Unfortunately, in our country there are very few educational events for farriers, we do not have the opportunity, as is the case in developed countries, to choose topics and lecturers that can strengthen our weaknesses. Therefore, I strongly recommend, especially for beginner farriers, to attend all such events. I am sure that from each seminar you can take some benefit and new knowledge for yourself. What dividends do you receive from attending such events? You will find out exactly what issues concern the blacksmith community today, in what direction the industry is developing, what techniques, technologies, tools and equipment are used by leading specialists. Accordingly, this will help you adjust your daily work, bring it closer to industry standards.

Now from general principles to particular cases.

The first trump card in the sleeve of a beginner farrier is the distance, the amount of work. Many experienced farriers are reluctant to take on new clients, especially if the stable is far away or the amount of work is too small. For beginner farriers, employment is not yet so big, so sometimes going to a new stable even with one horse is a good opportunity to show oneself in business and, over time, acquire additional clients there.

The second trump card for a beginner is time. Many luminaries, having a lot of employment, work on a preliminary, long, appointment and are rarely able to complete the work urgently, many are not punctual. Turn this oversight to your strengths, and the result will not be long in coming.

A good opportunity for a young farrier to make new contacts and acquaintances is to work as a farrier on duty at international competitions. Experienced high-volume farriers often ignore these types of activities, as the fee usually does not cover the cost of their full day’s work.

For a number of reasons, it can be beneficial to partner with a veterinarian. However, there may be difficulties here: if the doctor’s qualifications are very high, then by pulling you up, he will risk his reputation. The opposite situation may also arise, when the doctor is ossified in his views and does not want to develop.

Advertisements and activity on social networks can attract additional customers, especially at first, when few people have heard about you. However, you should use this method carefully, otherwise, instead of benefiting, you will earn notoriety. Never knock on the “PM” of unfamiliar people and do not impose yourself and your services, wait for offers and activity from their side. Having placed the first ad, regardless of its effectiveness, do not rush to place a second one, be sure to wait for a certain, preferably a long time, people should not get the impression that there is low demand for your services, this scares them off in advance.

In my opinion, we have underestimated the value of attributes. Clothing with catchy individual symbols is an additional bonus that operates at the subconscious level on customer loyalty.

When communicating with customers, be nice, friendly and cheerful. However, you should not be ingratiating, as this immediately catches your eye and creates the impression of deceitfulness of your intentions. Moreover, you should not behave rudely and familiarly with clients, since each of them is your direct employer and “PR manager” who can help you and take off your career, or maybe drown. Until now, the word of mouth effect has prevailed in the Russian equestrian community, and the word about you will always go ahead of you.

Finally, I want to wish all my colleagues: beginners and experienced, calm horses, rich and generous clients. Remember, there is enough space under the sun for those who never lose their human face, always remain honest with themselves and those around them and devoted to their favorite work!

Anatoly Zhukov; http://your-farrier.com/