Farrier Facts for Kids

Nailing on shoes

A farrier is a skilled person who works with iron and other materials. Their main job is to make and fit horseshoes for horses. They also take great care of a horse's hooves, checking them for any signs of illness or injury.

The History of Farriers
What Does a Farrier Do?
- Tools a Farrier Uses
Images for kids
See also

The History of Farriers

Long ago, the jobs of a farrier and a blacksmith were very similar. A blacksmith worked with metal to make many things, and farriers also shaped metal for horses. The word "farrier" comes from an old French word, ferrier, which means "blacksmith." This word itself comes from the Latin word ferrum, meaning "iron."

Today, farriers usually focus only on horseshoeing and taking care of horse hooves. Because of this, farriers and blacksmiths are now seen as different jobs, each needing special skills.

What Does a Farrier Do?

Some farrier tools, including hammers, nippers, rasps, and a hoof knife. Custom-made corrective shoes are shown below the tools.

A farrier's everyday work mostly involves trimming a horse's hooves and putting on shoes. It's important to trim each hoof correctly so it stays healthy and balanced on the ground.

Horses might need shoes if they work hard, walk on rough ground, need extra grip, or have problems with their hooves. Farriers also help horses with injured or sick hooves. They can even make special shoes for racing, training, or for horses with unique needs.

Being a farrier means you need to be good at working with horses and their owners. Many farriers run their own small businesses, so they also need to be good at managing a business.

Tools a Farrier Uses

Farriers use many special tools to do their job. Each tool helps them care for a horse's hooves and fit shoes properly.

Farrier's Tools
Tool	Picture	What it's used for
Anvil, hammer		Used to shape horseshoes to fit a horse's foot perfectly.
Furnace and tongs		The furnace heats horseshoes so they can be shaped. Tongs hold the hot shoe.
Clinchers		Used to bend the ends of nails over, holding the shoe firmly in place.
Hammer		There are two types: a larger one for shaping shoes on the anvil, and a smaller one for driving nails into the hoof.
Hoof knife		Used to carefully trim the frog (the V-shaped part) and sole of the hoof.
Hoof nippers		Used to trim the outer wall of the hoof.
Hoof testers		Used to find cracks, weak spots, or infections (like abscesses) in the hoof.
Rasp		Used to smooth the hoof after trimming and finish the edges.
Stand		Used to hold a horse's hoof up while the farrier works on it, especially the front part.