Becoming a farrier was nothing short of a spur of the moment decision for CCCHS senior, Ben Young.

Aside from focusing on school and clubs, Young runs a business as a farrier in his spare time. A farrier is a craftsman who trims and shoes horses’ hooves. Although Young had his mother as a role model in order to become successful in animal care, it wasn’t until he was fourteen that he knew he wanted to pursue a career in farrier work. After Young’s own horses started becoming lame, he started research into farriery in an effort to treat them. Success with his horses led him to decide to make a career of caring for horses.

Young states, “Eighty-nine percent of all horse health issues happen in the lower limb. That 89% is what I am trained to treat.” After being certified with The Brotherhood of Working Farrier Wellness, or BWFA, Young began working as an apprentice with more experienced farriers.Young also received his EFT, or Equine Flexion Therapy certification. The EFT certification allows Young to perform therapy on horses in order to keep them more flexible and comfortable, aligning the spine without chiropractic adjustments and addressing the muscles that control the skeleton.

It wasn’t until 2017 that his work started to flourish, causing him to work harder than before. More recently, Young has submitted and completed research regarding, “Navicular,” or, “Navicular Syndrome.” Navicular Syndrome, also known as Navicular Disease, most commonly describes an inflammation or degeneration of the navicular bone and its surrounding tissues, usually on the front feet. This disease can lead to significant and even disabling lameness. Young’s research may prove paramount in treating this serious disease.

Despite his age, Young overcame the doubt he faced, pushing forward with the encouragement of his instructor, certified Master Farrier and Master Educator, Link Casey. When asked if he would recommend working as a farrier to others, Young replied, “I would for a certain type of person.” According to Young, being a farrier is one of those careers where “You can set your own hours, or work when you want, as some people put it. Even though I don’t completely agree with that statement, I work twice as hard because of it; it is worth it in my opinion. But anyone that is successful working for themselves would tell you the same thing. If you can manage your time extremely well and aren’t afraid to put yourself out there to make tough business decisions, then I would highly recommend it.”

Working as a farrier has bettered him, in the sense that he has the satisfaction of being able to help people and horses.  Young states that his favorite part of working as a farrier is, “Being able to see people with a lame horse and have it sound again.”