04/19/2025
"You can take in all the voices, all the advice, but at some point, you have to decide who you are without all the noise."
When I came out of horseshoeing school, I knew enough to be dangerous but not enough personal growth to manage it. I had the education, the tools, and a head full of brand-new knowledge—and I was ready to change the world. I thought I had the answers. In some ways, I carried myself like I was untouchable.
But the truth is, I was still an infant in the industry (still am 3 years in)—trying to run a business with more ego than experience.
The farrier world has a way of humbling you. Clients don’t care what you think you know—they care what you can show up and do. Horses will teach you, and sometimes it’s the hard way. And suddenly, all the advice from mentors, books, podcasts, forums—it starts to blur together. Because none of it replaces real work, real listening, and learning how to think for yourself.
I’ve taken advice from some of the best in the industry, and I’m grateful for it. But I’ve learned that you can’t be radical about any of it. I have made lots of mistakes. Learning when to fire clients but most importantly how. What to charge and how to charge respectfully in order to be fair to your fellow farriers and their rates but also keeping up with the economy. You have to try things, see what works, and stay humble enough to evolve.
But most importantly, you must evolve as an individual.
It's all a balancing act. Which is quite funny considering our job is about balancing the hoof. Balence in anything else seems unnatural.
But I will live and I will learn even after I have lived and learned.
So, If you’re just starting out, be proud of where you are—but stay grounded. Keep your humility! You’re not done learning. None of us are. And that’s the beauty of it. It's never ending and never linear. - Georgette Roseke