Out of necessity, cowboys became their own farriers in the American West, and they passed down their knowledge to the younger hands on the ranch. A dayworker could increase his pay substantially if he could shoe a few horses for the boss before the day was over. These days U.S. farrier schools are training farriers and social media has generated interest in a trade that goes along with a seemingly western way of life. The American horse culture is seen online in posts and streamed to every household by networks like EQUUSTV, and equine-loving YouTubers from seemingly every state, while reaching audiences of every age. Feed, supplements, grooming products, tack, equine sportswear, trucks, beer, and real estate promote with horses and sometimes farriers too. How often do you see a horseshoe in a logo or company/product branding campaign?

In racing, trainers choose their farrier in most cases. However, a skilled farrier may not be available or hard to find at some racetracks. If HISA requires that a specifically credentialed farrier must be hired for Thoroughbred racehorses, will this make hiring a farrier more difficult? Unintended consequences as they are, making it harder to find this HISA farrier is a very real possibility. Currently, there are fewer new farriers entering apprenticeships with racetrack farriers or coming out of farrier schools and looking to work at the racetrack.

Injury is an unavoidable part of life and the ability to repair is one of the most vital characteristics of any living organism continually exposed to environmental harm. Regardless of the cause the body immediately attempts to restore tissue continuity.

Being prey animals as well as finely tuned athletes, Thoroughbreds can experience a wide range of injuries throughout their lives.The three main goals of healing are: to restore tissue continuity with the best possible quality of tissue, to do so in the shortest safest time and to prevent recurrence or breakdown of the repair.