Debate: Do you count horses trimmed vs horses shod as your milestone number?

I hit 500 horses trimmed last month and it felt like a big deal to me. But when I mentioned it to the older farrier I sometimes help out, he just laughed and said "that's cute, how many have you shod though?" In my opinion, trimming and shoeing are completely different skills, and counting just trims feels like its own accomplishment. But maybe he's got a point, like the real milestone in this trade is when you've actually put shoes on that many. What do you all track? Total horses handled, or just the ones you've shod? I'm curious how others measure their progress.

3 comments

3 Comments

the_riley12d ago

I track everything, but after 25 years I still count my first 500 trims as the real foundation of my career.

casey26812d ago

500 trims builds a kind of muscle memory you can't get any other way... you just learn to read a hoof in seconds. That repetition wears down the rough edges and teaches you what's normal versus what needs a second look. It's the boring grind that makes the fancy stuff possible later.

the_mary12d ago

I read somewhere that top racehorse farriers only count their shod numbers because that's where the real money and skill comes in, but trimming is its own art with all those laminitis cases and barefoot conversions. My mentor told me his first 1000 horses were mostly trims on backyard ponies before he ever felt ready to take on shoeing full time. Either way 500 of anything is solid progress, don't let the old guys rain on your parade.