Salary
Average Salary: $73,108
Expected Lifetime Earnings: $3,052,113
Let's get down to brass tacks: How much does a farrier make? The size of a farrier's paycheck really depends on where he or she lives.
Think the Kentucky Derby is all about enormous hats and mint juleps? That's only part of it. It's also about the shoes, the horse's shoes, and keeping their hooves in top form.
A farrier working on a successful racing horse can easily make $100,000 a year. Think about it. How much is a million-dollar race horse with sore feet worth? An experienced farrier can make a very comfortable living...that is if he or she doesn't mind hanging out in barns all day.
Typically, however, most farriers make between $40,000 and $80,000 per year. It depends on the types of horses they work with and how many clients are available in their area. All horses need some foot care, but for the most part only working horses and show horses need shoes. After all, those lovely Central Park carriage rides would not be the same without hearing the clip-clop of horses' shoes ringing off the pavement.
Since most farriers work for themselves, they are either paid per job, or have a retainer agreement with clients who pay them a monthly fee to keep their horse's feet happy and healthy (source).