Sam Sergeant is entering the farrier business to make horses feel comfortable, especially those close to home who may not have access to other farriers.
Farriery is the practice of crafting, fitting, and applying horseshoes. After years of helping on his father-in-law’s farm, Sergeant developed a love for horses and ultimately wanted to know how to better care for them.
This includes trimming hooves and ensuring the horse adjusts appropriately.
“You have to know about horse anatomy, how a horse stands, and be able to look at how a horse moves and what you need to do to their feet to help their movement,” Sergeant said. “… If a horse is off-balance in the hoof, then it affects the rest of their body. So I’m in the business of making horses more comfortable,” Sergeant said.
While working for his father-in-law, he realized the importance of horses seeing farriers and the unequal accessibility in this region. He noted that educated farriers often had to drive 40-50 miles to the farm, raising the price for owners.
After discussing it with his family, Sergeant went through Kentucky Horseshoeing School’s 24-week program to obtain his farrier certification in Richmond, Kentucky. During the program, he also worked daily alongside some mentors in Southwestern Kentucky.
Sergeant would find himself in class from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. four days a week to learn all he could.
Immediately after graduating in March, Sergeant Farrier Services began, and Sergeant is already grateful for the business that has sparked up.
“I’m pretty much booked up for next week already, so you can tell that there’s a big need for an educated figure around here,” Sergeant said.
Even though he has his certification, he admits he’s still learning and hopes to continue learning along the way to better care for the horses.
Sergeant learned how to make horseshoes custom-fit for a horse during school, and he plans to always approach each horse individually.
“I will definitely make custom shoes; if there’s a horse that needs handmade, I can definitely do that. It just depends on what the horse needs,” he said.
To get in contact with Sergeant, it’s best to contact him at 502-338-0351 to book an appointment.
