dutchsmith wrote:Hello everyone!
I am a full time farrier in the Netherlands.(I hope you understand my "dutch" english)
Your English is a LOT better than my Dutch!
My wife (she will be a master saddler in about 2 years) and I are thinking about moving to the US. We have been in the US a few times and we love the country and the mentality.
There is a job market for saddlers but it is small and competitive. Best paying positions in the United States are usually entrepreneurial.
What part of the United States have you visited? It's a big country and work/lifestyle/environment can vary
dramatically depending on where a person decides to locate. I came to the midwest from the New Mexico area and felt like I had landed on an alien planet. It took awhile to realize that I may as well had!
First we would like to know the average monthly income of a full time farrier (50-60 hours a week. In Holland I maintain about 500 horses=about 40 hours)
Since you will be self-employed, your income on day 1 will be.... zero!
Expect to invest at least a year and probably more before building a business large enough to provide a "living wage". Depending on where you locate, it could take as long as three years. A lot of variables will influence your business growth.
You'll need "stake" money to get you by until you can earn your own way here. Personally, I wouldn't try it with less than a $100,000 seed money.
What about social insurance? If you get sick, no work no income?
There is a HUGE difference in managing health costs here versus countries that have formal, socialized medicine. In most states, hospitals cannot turn you away if you are seriously injured or sick, but who pays is complicated and varies a lot.
The general expectation is that you either purchase health insurance (generally expensive) or have employer provided insurance (not available if you're self employed). If you have no insurance you are left to either pay cash (extremely expensive) or fall back on whatever federal or state programs are available in your area.
It's a "hodge-podge" collection of programs that represent a complicated and sometimes difficult to access means of covering health costs. Many such programs depend on factors such as age (the elderly or very young), dependencies (children) and income level. Socialized medicine in America is a political football.
What about other insurances? What if you injure a horse?
There are a only a few companies that offer liability insurance specific to the care/custody/control of horses. In my experience, the coverage is somewhat minimal with a lot of loop-holes. A broader coverage liability insurance policy, combined with a business limited liability status is your best protection.
What is the best part of the US to find a job as a farrier?
Obviously, you want to go where the horses are.

More seriously, I think it has less to do with where you are located and a lot more to do with your ability to meet customer expectations.
Is there a lot of competition?
Depending on area, sure. Again, your "competition" will ultimately prove to have less to do with how many "farriers" there are in a given area and a lot more to do with your ability to meet customer expectations. Top hands don't seem to have any trouble keeping their books filled.
These are just a few of many questions... Thanks!
You're welcome and best luck! Best advice I can give you is that you're going to find that living in America is, in many ways, still a journey into the frontier. While we have more than our fair share of big cities, big government and "civilization", it's still a "every man for himself" kind of country. You'll succeed or fail based on your own personal drive, work ethic and good or bad luck.
Perhaps the biggest difference between living here and in more socialized countries is the freedom to either succeed or fail to greater extremes.
In socialized countries there is more of a "safety net" for those that fail. Success is more limited by the requirement to "share" a greater percentage of that success.
In America, the "safety net" is smaller and the fall is a lot harder. The climb to the top is also a lot higher with nearly unlimited potential.
In my opinion, it's a tougher country populated by some of the nicest, most generous and sometimes, hardest people you'll ever meet.
Pick your climate (we've got 'em all), pick your pony and saddle up. For good or bad, you're in for a ride that will change your life forever.
Cheers,
Mark