The following are facts about the Farrier Industry. We provide this information to you for your education about this industry as well as your use to provide this information to any office that request "Demand for Trade" data for funding. Much of this information came from The American Horse Council website. You may gather more information through the American Horse Council at www.horsecouncil.org You may also check with your local Horse Council to get local area data.

The Farrier Industry is one of the most lucrative divisions of the equine industry. The professional farrier is respected as the expert in the lower limb and hoof areas of the horse more so than the equine veterinarian who only received six hours in horseshoeing techniques during their years at college.

Professional farriers are self-employed individuals or groups who govern themselves through two national farrier associations, setting standards for professional shoeing. A self-employed farrier can make an exceptional salary by serving his or her community with qualified and professional services if prior training is properly received. There are well over 25,000 farriers in the U.S. today. Farrier Services are not often advertised as other occupations simply due to the fact that qualified farriers are already in high demand by the horse owning public. Many farriers only need to advertise at their local livestock retail stores in every rural area of America, talk with horse groups, clubs, riding clubs, etc. There are more horses today than there were before the automobile and owners take their expensive passion more seriously. With more education available today with the internet, videos, new horse training techniques and an ever-growing horse population, the public is demanding more qualified and professional farrier services.

According to a survey, 2010 gross income for both full time and part time farriers averaged $73,108.00.  This was an increase of 16% over the average gross income 2 years earlier. During a typical week, a farrier will handle the footcare needs of 48 horses belonging to 18 clients. During a years time, he or she handle 1,904 trims and/or shoeing work on 267 horses for 148 clients. The typical horse is trimmed and/or shod 7 times during the year (every 6-8 weeks) .  Surveys are normally printed 1 year later.

Frank Lessiter said in the American Farriers Journal in November 2000 that of the 122 million equines found in the world no more than 10% are clinically sound. Another 10% are clinically, completely and unusably lame. The remaining 80% are somewhat lame but still usable.

What does this mean to you? This means you will be working with the clinically sound and clinically lame but usable horses and you need the proper training, tools and supplies.

National Economic Impact of the U.S. Horse Industry published on horsecouncil.org states:

There are 9.2 million horses in the United States. 

Including horses used for racing, showing, competition, sport, breeding, recreation and work. This includes horses used both commercially and for pleasure.

Specifically, the number of horses by activity is:

Racing - 844,531

Showing - 2,718,954

Recreation - 3,906,923

Other - 1,752,439

Total - 9,222,847

    “Other” activities include farm and ranch work, rodeo, carriage horses,

      polo, police work, informal competitions, etc.

4.6 million Americans are involved in the industry as horse owners, service providers, employees and volunteers. Tens of millions more participate as spectators. This includes 2 million people own horses, of which 238,000 are involved in breeding, 481,000 in competing, 1.1 million involved in other activities, 119,000 service providers and 702,000 employees, full- and part-time and 2 million family members and volunteers. That means that 1 out of every 63 Americans is involved with horses.

The horse industry has a direct economic effect on the U.S. of $39 billion annually. The industry has a $102 billion impact on the U.S.economy when the multiplier effect of spending by industry suppliers and employees is taken into account. Including off-site spending of spectators would result in an even higher figure. The study documents the economic impact of the industry in terms of jobs and contribution to the Gross Domestic Product (GDP). The study’s results show that the industry directly produces goods and services of $38.8 billion and has a total impact of $101.5 billion on U.S. GDP.

It is strong in each activity with racing, showing and recreation each contributing between $10.5 and $12 billion to the total value of goods and services produced by the industry.

Specifically, the GDP effect for each (in billions of dollars) is:

The industry directly provides 460,000 full-time equivalent (FTE) jobs. 

The industry employs 701,946 people directly. Some are part-time employees and some are seasonal so this equates to 453,612 full-time equivalent jobs. Spending by suppliers and employees generates additional jobs for a total employment impact of 1.4 million FTE jobs.

The industry supports FTE jobs across the U.S. as follows:

The horse industry pays $1.9 billion in taxes to all levels of government.

The industry pays taxes to federal, state and local governments as follows (in millions of dollars):

Federal - $588

State - $1,017

Local - $275

Approximately 34% of horse owners have a household income of less than $50,000 and 28% have an annual income of over $100,000. 46% of horse owners have an income of between $25,000 to $75,000.

The study dispels the misperception that the horse industry is an activity only for wealthy individuals. In fact, the horse industry is a diverse activity with stakeholders including recreational and show horse riders, and moderate-income track, show and stable employees and volunteers.

Over 70% of horse owners live in communities of 50,000 or less.

There are horses in every state. Forty-five states have at least 20,000 horses each. 

The Diversity of the Industry

The results of the study show that the horse business is a highly diverse industry that supports a wide variety of activities in all regions of the country. It combines the primarily rural activities of breeding, training, maintaining and riding horses with the more urban activities of operating racetracks, off-track betting parlors, horse shows and public sales.

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