Equine worker to farrier
An equine worker already meets 47% of what the farrier role asks for. The move turns on 2 required skills not yet in the profile.
48.2/ 100
1 How much of what a farrier is expected to do is already part of an equine worker’s work. Directional: the figure for the reverse move differs, because moving into a speciality is not the same problem as moving out of one. 2 Every skill the farrier role is recorded as needing, required and optional together. What these numbers mean.
Why this move works
A farrier role treats 6 of its required skills as things an equine worker already does. You would walk in with these on day one.
- analyse animal locomotion
- assess equid footcare requirements
- attach horseshoes
- control animal movement
- make farrier tools and supplies
- prepare equid hooves
What stands in the way is 2 required skills the profile does not yet cover. Table 3 groups them; Table 4 says which to take first.
Table 2 · What you already bring
Of the 6 skills that carry over, these are the ones fewest other occupations ask for. A farrier role needs them, and most people applying for one will not have them already. This is the part of an equine worker background worth leading with.
- already held analyse animal locomotion information skills
- already held assess equid footcare requirements handling and moving
- already held attach horseshoes handling and moving
- already held make farrier tools and supplies handling and moving
- already held prepare equid hooves handling and moving
- already held control animal movement handling and moving
All 6 carried skills, including the 6 the farrier role treats as required.
Table 3 · What you may need to learn
The 16 missing skills fall into 6 areas of the ESCO skill hierarchy, numbered in the order worth working in. Areas carrying the most required skills come first, and inside each one the required skills sit above the optional ones. Nothing here is a verdict on you: it is a list of what this particular job asks for that your current one does not.
- still to learn carry out post hoof-trimming activities required
- optional, not held apply animal hygiene practices optional
- optional, not held shape metal over anvils optional
- optional, not held understand the needs of animals optional
- optional, not held apply smithing techniques optional
- optional, not held work with blacksmithing hand tools optional
- still to learn advise horse owners on farriery requirements required
- optional, not held create solutions to problems optional
- optional, not held use different communication channels optional
- optional, not held farrier industry optional
- optional, not held forging processes optional
- optional, not held types of metal optional
- optional, not held manage time in agricultural production optional
- optional, not held work independently in agriculture optional
- optional, not held manage animal biosecurity optional
- optional, not held work with blacksmithing power tools optional
Table 4 · Where to start
The 2 entries a farrier role is least likely to hire without. The ordering is computed from the skill data, not from what pays.
- 01 advise horse owners on farriery requirements practise this
- 02 carry out post hoof-trimming activities practise this
Each entry opens a course search for that skill. Career Overlap earns nothing from these links.
Appendix · The rest of the record
All 6 skills that carry over
- already held analyse animal locomotion skill
- already held assess equid footcare requirements skill
- already held attach horseshoes skill
- already held control animal movement skill
- already held make farrier tools and supplies skill
- already held prepare equid hooves skill
14 supplementary skills, helpful but not required
- optional, not held apply animal hygiene practices optional
- optional, not held farrier industry optional
- optional, not held manage animal biosecurity optional
- optional, not held manage time in agricultural production optional
- optional, not held shape metal over anvils optional
- optional, not held understand the needs of animals optional
- optional, not held work independently in agriculture optional
- optional, not held apply smithing techniques optional
- optional, not held create solutions to problems optional
- optional, not held forging processes optional
- optional, not held types of metal optional
- optional, not held use different communication channels optional
- optional, not held work with blacksmithing hand tools optional
- optional, not held work with blacksmithing power tools optional
26 held skills the farrier role does not ask for
- not needed by the target role agritourism knowledge
- not needed by the target role agronomical production principles knowledge
- not needed by the target role animal welfare legislation knowledge
- not needed by the target role assess lameness in horses skill
- not needed by the target role assess requirement for horseshoes skill
- not needed by the target role assist animal birth skill
- not needed by the target role biology knowledge
- not needed by the target role biosecurity knowledge
- not needed by the target role breed stock skill
- not needed by the target role breed-specific behaviour of horses knowledge
- not needed by the target role clean horse's legs skill
- not needed by the target role clean stalls skill
- not needed by the target role equine dental diseases knowledge
- not needed by the target role keep task records skill
- not needed by the target role livestock species knowledge
- not needed by the target role maintain pastures skill
- not needed by the target role maintain the farm skill
- not needed by the target role operate agricultural machinery skill
- not needed by the target role present the farm facilities skill
- not needed by the target role provide care for horses skill
- not needed by the target role safe horseback riding principles knowledge
- not needed by the target role supervise hygiene procedures in agricultural settings skill
- not needed by the target role teach young horses skill
- not needed by the target role train horses skill
- not needed by the target role transportation vehicles for horses knowledge
- not needed by the target role young horses training knowledge
3 gaps that are knowledge rather than practice
Knowledge gaps usually close through study. Practical skill gaps usually need something you can point at.
- optional, not held farrier industry optional
- optional, not held forging processes optional
- optional, not held types of metal optional
Common questions about this move
Can an equine worker become a farrier?
Yes, and it is a moderate move. An equine worker already covers 47% of what a farrier is expected to do: 6 skills carry over, 6 of which the farrier role treats as required.
What skills does an equine worker need to become a farrier?
2 required skills are missing, plus 14 optional ones. They fall into 6 areas of the ESCO skill hierarchy, led by handling and moving. The single most important is advise horse owners on farriery requirements.
How hard is the move from equine worker to farrier?
Its learning distance is 48.2 out of 100, which is the moderate band. That accounts for both how much is missing and how specialised those skills are.
How this record was compiled
Both occupations are taken from ESCO, which lists the skills and knowledge each occupation is expected to have and marks every one required or optional. Nothing here is a prediction about hiring, and nothing here knows that a particular employer wants a particular certificate. Treat Table 3 as a starting point for your own research rather than a syllabus. The full method states what these figures can and cannot tell you.