Custom horseshoe maker for farriers

Working farriers who want specialty shoes, vets referring corrective cases, and horse owners who bring horses to your shop.

Price per pair of shoes or per custom job, plus a fitting fee if you shoe horses on site. Orders can be taken online or by referral.

• Forge work and metal shaping
• Understanding hoof anatomy and corrective shoeing
• Basic bookkeeping and order tracking
• Patience for detailed, custom work

• Zoning, fire code and noise rules for running a forge at home or in a rented unit; check with your city or county
• General liability and product liability insurance, since a bad shoe can lead to a lame horse
• Check state rules on business licenses and sales tax registration if you sell shoes
• Forge safety: ventilation, burns and eye protection
• Demand can be uneven, so most people combine this with shoeing work

Startup costs are typically estimated at around $2,500 to $12,000, depending on your forge, tools, workshop space, safety gear and insurance. Costs vary with whether you work at home or rent a unit.

Monthly revenue is typically estimated at around $800 to $4,000, depending on orders from farriers, vet referrals and your prices. Plan on at least about 10 hours a week. Demand can be uneven, so many people combine this with shoeing work.

Check zoning, fire code and noise rules with your city or county for running a forge at home or in a rented unit. Check state rules on business licenses and sales tax registration. Also look at general and product liability insurance, and forge safety.