Know your numbers before you raise your rates
The rate conversation is one of the most dreaded parts of the trade. It gets a lot easier when you walk in knowing your real numbers — what a visit actually costs you, and what you actually make. Here's the playbook.
Meet Shoein' — the farrier's app →Why raising rates feels so hard
Most farriers don't dread the increase itself — they dread not being able to justify it. When someone pushes back, "everything's gotten more expensive" feels thin. What steadies you in that moment is a number: knowing that after fuel, steel, and drive time, a given visit leaves you with less margin than it did two years ago.
As one farrier put it: whenever they got backed into a corner on pricing, being polite and honest saved them every time. Honesty is a lot easier when you know the truth about your own book.
The numbers to know first
Before you touch your prices, get clear on these — for your business as it really runs, not a rough guess:
- Revenue per horse. Your average charge per visit, and how it varies by work type (full set, trim, therapeutic).
- Horses per day. How many you actually complete on a good day — the ceiling on what a day can earn.
- Drive time & mileage. The windshield hours and miles between stops. This is real, unpaid cost that quietly eats your effective hourly rate.
- Your costs. Fuel, shoes, nails, consumables, tools, truck upkeep, insurance. Revenue minus these is your actual margin.
A simple playbook for the increase
- Pull your real averages. Look back over the last several months of visits — revenue per horse, your busiest and slowest days, and what your mix of work actually is.
- Set the new rate against your costs, not the competition. Market awareness matters, but price from your margin. If your costs rose 12% and your rate didn't, you already took a pay cut.
- Give notice and keep it simple. Tell standing clients ahead of time, in plain language: your rates are adjusting on a date, here's the new price, thank you for the business.
- Lead with reliability, not apology. The value you sell isn't only the shoeing — it's showing up on cycle, every time. Clients who value that rarely leave over a fair increase.
Where Shoein' helps
You can't price from numbers you don't have. Shoein' tracks your earnings and a full service history for every horse, so your real averages — revenue per horse, your busiest days, your mix of work — are already there when it's time to review pricing. Instead of guessing, you walk into the rate conversation with the facts in your pocket.
Frequently asked
How often should a farrier raise their rates?
There's no fixed rule, but many farriers review pricing once a year and adjust when costs rise or they're consistently booked solid. Small, regular increases are easier for clients to absorb than a big jump every few years.
How do I raise my farrier rates without losing clients?
Give notice, be straightforward about why, and lead with the value of reliable, on-cycle work. Most good clients expect periodic increases. Knowing your real cost-per-visit and margin lets you explain the change calmly instead of apologizing for it.
What numbers should a farrier know before setting prices?
Your average revenue per horse, how many horses you complete per day, your drive time and mileage between stops, and your costs. Together these tell you your real hourly rate and margin — the foundation for any price.
See your real numbers, price with confidence
Shoein' tracks earnings and service history for your whole book — so the next rate conversation starts with facts, not guesswork.
See Shoein' →Built for farriers · Coming soon to iOS & Android
More farrier guides
This page is general business information for farriers, not financial, tax, or legal advice. Rates, costs, and margins vary by region and business — for decisions specific to your situation, rely on your own records and, where appropriate, a qualified accountant.