Inspects, trims and shapes horses' hooves, and forms, fits and nails horseshoes.

Selects metal stock for job requirements; heats metal in forges and furnaces and hammers, punches and cuts metal using hand tools and machine presses; tempers and hardens finished articles by quenching in oil or water baths or by cooling gradually in air; prepares horses' hooves for shoeing, nailing horseshoes to hooves, and trimming hooves.

• Works indoors in workshops or stables when offering a mobile service.
• Workspaces need good ventilation to disperse the heat from a small furnace or forge, as farriers work with red hot metal.
• Worksites may be dirty and smelly especially when constantly working with metal and horses. Worksites will also be noisy as heavy beating and hammering is required to shape red hot iron and steel.
• Farriers work constantly with horses.
• Personal protective equipment should be utilised as needed.

• The physical demand is medium to very heavy.
• Standing is constantly required. Walking about workshop is frequently required. Sitting is not required.
• Stretching up or across is likely to be required on an occasional basis. Bending, squatting, crouching or kneeling, and twisting of the body or neck are frequently required.
• Lifting and carrying are constantly required.
• Repetitive movements are frequently required especially in the use of hands and arms for holding tools and metal with tongs and other specialised equipment.
• Driving is not required unless the employee is working as a mobile farrier.
• Employees use a wide range blacksmithing and general engineering hand, power and machine tools and equipment including forges or furnaces, anvils, tongs, files, shoeing nails, hammers, wedges and other metal shaping tools as well as grinding equipment.
• Mental skills necessary include metal-handling, practical, problem-solving and organisational skills as well as horse-handling and behaviour knowledge.

A New Zealand Register Level 4 qualification or at least three years of relevant experience (ANZSCO Skill Level 3). In some instances relevant experience and/or on-the-job training may be required in addition to the formal qualification. For entry-level positions on-the-job training may be sufficient.

There are opportunities for flexibility of movement but they are limited.