Farrier Liability Insurance
Farriery is a hands-on trade where a small mistake — a missed nail, a startled horse, a slip on a wet aisle — can become a serious claim very quickly. The farrier works alone most of the time, handles animals owned by other people, carries tools that double as ignition sources, and drives a truck that doubles as a forge. Kelly Insurance Group places farrier liability submissions nationwide for full-time professionals, part-time operators, mobile rigs, and shop-based shoers.
The Farrier Trade In Numbers
The figures and references that frame the farrier liability conversation. Every number on this page is tied to an identified primary source — no estimates and no invented statistics.
Why The Farrier Account Is Underwritten Differently
A farrier is part craftsman, part road warrior, part horse handler — and the policy needs to reflect all three. Standard small-business templates miss most of what actually drives the loss profile.
Three threads run through every farrier submission. First, handling another person's horse — a thousand-pound animal, restrained or held by the owner, with the farrier bent under a leg holding a knife or a driving hammer. Care, custody, and control of the horse during the visit is rarely something a standard general liability form picks up by default.
Second, the truck is the business. The rig carries the anvil, the propane forge, the gas, the nails, the rasps, the knives, and — depending on the operator — apprentice help. It is parked at a different barn every few hours. Commercial auto, inland marine on the tools, and forge-specific fire considerations all belong in the conversation.
Third, no government license stands between the farrier and the work. The American Farrier's Association notes that farriery is not a legally licensed trade in the United States — the only measurable standard is voluntary certification through the AFA, headquartered in Lexington, Kentucky. That means the insurance file and the certification credentials together are doing most of the heavy lifting on the professional-standing question.
Interactive Service-Day Timeline
Click any step of a typical farrier service visit to see the exposure points that come up during that part of the work and the coverage lines that respond. Six stages from truck arrival to driving to the next stop.
ARRIVAL & SETUP — THE TRUCK
Pulling in, unloading the rig, opening the propane forge, laying out the tools. Before the first horse is touched, the truck has already done most of the underwriting work — what it carries, how it's parked, and where the forge is set up all factor in.
Mobile Operation vs. Shop-Based Operation — Switch The View
Two farriers can earn similar revenue with very different risk profiles. Toggle below to see how the coverage emphasis shifts depending on whether the operation is mobile, shop-based, or a hybrid of both.
MOBILE FARRIER — TRUCK IS THE BUSINESS
A mobile farrier travels from barn to barn, carrying the forge, anvil, and tool kit on a dedicated work truck. Most of the exposure follows the truck and the farrier into client premises across a wide service area.
AFA Certification Ladder — A Quick Reference
Because the United States does not license farriery, voluntary certification through the American Farrier's Association is the most recognized professional credential in the trade. The acronyms that follow a farrier's name come from the AFA program.
Certified Farrier
First level of AFA certification. Demonstrates working knowledge of anatomy, physiology, hoof structure, and the ability to trim and shoe to a prescribed standard.
Certified Tradesman Farrier
Optional second tier. Requires the CF level plus successful forging and fitting of a specific handmade shoe within a time limit to a pre-determined foot pattern.
Certified Journeyman Farrier
Highest standard AFA certification level. Requires the CF level, at least two years of horseshoeing experience, and demonstration of in-depth knowledge and forging skill.
Specialty Endorsements
Beyond CJF — Therapeutic Endorsement (TE), Educator Endorsement (EE), and Forging Endorsement (FE) recognize advanced areas of focus.
Source: American Farrier's Association certification program. Certification is voluntary and does not replace insurance; underwriters generally view it as one factor in the broader account profile.
Other Pages In The Equine Cluster
Three pages, three different operations. Pick the one that fits.
Why Farriers Work With Kelly Insurance Group
Kelly Insurance Group has spent more than a century placing specialty commercial accounts that don't fit the standard market — and a farrier is exactly that kind of risk. Our team takes the time to walk through the truck, the tools, the route, and the kinds of barns the farrier visits rather than treating it as a generic small business.
Most customers are also provided access to our custom client portal, where certificates of insurance for new barns, boarding stables, training facilities, and show grounds can often be generated at any time. Read about the team and the agency's history at the links below.
What Helps A Farrier Submission Move Quickly
The more accurately the operation is described up front, the smoother the underwriting review. The following details tend to come up first.
Start The Conversation With Our Team
Whether the operation is one farrier and one truck or a multi-rig shop with apprentices, this is the kind of submission Kelly Insurance Group is built to handle. Use the form to send the basic operation profile, or reach the team directly through any of the buttons below.
Related Coverages & Resources
Pages from the Kelly Insurance Group site that frequently connect to a farrier liability conversation.
Farrier Liability Insurance FAQs
Common questions farriers ask Kelly Insurance Group during the underwriting conversation.
What is farrier liability insurance?
Farrier liability insurance is a commercial insurance discussion built around the work of a professional farrier — trimming, shoeing, therapeutic hoof care, and the handling of horses owned by others. The conversation typically covers general liability, care custody and control of the horse during the visit, tools and equipment, the truck and forge setup, and commercial auto.
Do farriers need to be licensed in the United States?
No. According to the American Farrier's Association, farriery is not a legally licensed trade in the United States. The only measurable standard is voluntary certification, currently overseen by the American Farrier's Association headquartered in Lexington, Kentucky.
What do CF, CTF, and CJF mean after a farrier's name?
They are voluntary AFA certification levels. CF is Certified Farrier — the first level. CTF is Certified Tradesman Farrier — an optional second level requiring forging of a specific shoe to a pattern. CJF is Certified Journeyman Farrier — the highest standard AFA level, requiring at least two years of horseshoeing experience beyond the CF and a demonstration of in-depth knowledge and forging skill.
What are the TE, EE, and FE specialty endorsements?
According to the American Farrier's Association, these are specialty endorsements available beyond the CJF level — Therapeutic Endorsement (TE), Educator Endorsement (EE), and Forging Endorsement (FE) — recognizing advanced areas of focus.
Does a state Equine Activity Liability Act protect a farrier?
Some state EALAs specifically include horseshoeing and hoof trimming among the protected equine activities, but EALAs typically do not bar suits for negligence, faulty equipment, or other professional shortcomings. The Animal Legal and Historical Center identifies 48 states with some form of EALA, but coverage of farriery activity and the carve-outs differ by state.
Is care, custody and control a separate discussion for a farrier?
Yes. Standard commercial general liability policies typically exclude damage to property in the insured's care, custody, or control. Because a farrier handles horses owned by clients during the trim and shoeing, a separate care custody and control or horses-in-care discussion is usually part of the underwriting review.
Does the farrier's auto policy cover the work truck?
Not necessarily. A personal auto policy typically excludes vehicles used for business. A farrier truck — carrying a forge, propane, anvil, and tools used in trade — usually belongs on a commercial auto policy and is reviewed alongside the trade activities.
What about the propane forge and the fire exposure that comes with it?
The forge, propane storage, and any hot work on the property are part of the underwriting conversation. Where the forge is set up, how propane is secured during transport, and the surrounding environment at client premises all factor into the review.
Are tools and equipment usually covered under property or inland marine?
Tools that travel with the farrier — anvil, forge, hammers, rasps, knives, shoeing stock — are typically scheduled on an inland marine endorsement designed for mobile equipment, rather than fixed-location property coverage.
What if the farrier has an apprentice or paid helper?
The moment a helper is paid and supervised, the operation usually triggers a workers compensation conversation in the state where the work is performed. Family help, unpaid observers, and casual labor are reviewed separately, with state-specific rules.
Can a farrier ask the boarding barn to be added to the certificate?
Yes. Many boarding and training barns require the visiting farrier to carry their own liability insurance and to name the barn as an additional insured on the certificate. Most Kelly Insurance Group customers are provided access to a custom client portal where certificates of insurance can often be generated at any time.
How does a farrier start the process?
Start by describing the operation honestly — mobile vs. shop, service area, weekly volume, tool inventory, truck setup, AFA certification level, apprentices, and prior claims. From there the agent can structure the submission around what the farrier actually does, not a generic small-business template.
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