Next week is a national celebration of some of the most important people in your horses’ lives: their farriers.

Didn’t get the memo about National Farrier’s Week? Don’t worry, most people don’t, as it tends to fall onto those calendars of “weird holidays” like National Pumpkin Muffin with Icing Day. And that’s too bad, because we really couldn’t manage without our farriers. They deserve to be celebrated! In that spirit, we have five easy ways to thank your farrier for being awesome, not just on National Farrier’s Week, but every week.

1. Refreshments. We’re not saying throw a party for your farrier (unless you want to – sounds fun!) but National Farrier’s Week is probably in July for a reason: no one wants to shoe horses in July. It’s hot. It’s sweaty. If they have a forge, it’s twenty times hotter and sweatier. Say “thanks for leaving your air-conditioned house/truck to stand under my horses all afternoon” with the simple gesture of keeping some cold drinks on hand for your farrier to choose from.

2. Be prepared. If you’re looking for a way to celebrate your farrier every day, be ready for appointments. Yes, the later in the day, the more likely your farrier will be late, delayed by emergencies and unpleasant surprises. But sooner or later, you’re the one calling your farrier to ask that your horse’s thrown shoe gets tacked on as soon as possible, so you know how a farrier’s day can get knocked out of order fairly quickly. Make their visit to your farm a pleasure: horses stabled and ready, mud knocked off and hooves clean, and their work area free and clean.

3. Be informed. An educated owner and a dedicated farrier are a horse’s dream come true, and a happy horse with comfortable feet is easier to work with.

4. Give a gift. Many professional’s days are celebrated in offices — days like administrative professional day are usually marked with some cards and small presents for the office admin. Barns are more fun to work in than offices, so we should have some celebrations, too! Celebrate your farrier with a gift card for gas, or Starbucks — something to keep them motoring through the countryside, taking care of horses on far-flung farms.

5. Cookies. In all seriousness, the universal gesture of thanks is baked goods. It’s very hard to go wrong with some delicious chocolate chip cookies!

Your farrier is an integral part of your team, even if they’re not in your barn every day. Make sure you let them know how important they are to you and your horses. And from all of us at Equine Facility Design: happy National Farrier’s Week! We’ll get right on those cookies.