Unpopular opinion: I think we overrate the need for a forge in every shop

I was reading an old trade journal from 1998 I found at a yard sale in Boise, and it said over 60% of corrective shoeing cases at that time were solved with stock shoes and careful fitting, not custom forging. I've been in this for 12 years and always felt pressure to have that setup. It made me realize we push new folks toward a big equipment investment they might not need right away. Has anyone built a solid business for years without one?

3 comments

3 Comments

nora11016d ago

What about the horses that need real help?

the_aaron15d ago

Read an article last year about a farrier in Montana who only does cold shoeing. He said his clients are mostly pleasure horses and he's been booked solid for fifteen years. Makes you wonder how much of the forge push is just tradition.

anthony12915d ago

That "pressure to have that setup" is so real. I worked out of a truck with just a propane torch and a good anvil for my first five years. You'd be surprised what you can tweak with just heat. I had one regular, a big draft cross, who needed a slight roll on his toe. Did it for years with the torch and a hammer on the tailgate. Saved up for a proper gas forge later, but I never felt held back.