Lauren Carey

Lauren Carey has realised her childhood ambition of becoming a farrier having qualified in her chosen profession, and starting her own business.

Lauren Carey – Apprentice Farrier

“I’ve learned far more about horses than I ever knew before, and I thought I knew a lot before I started.”

 

Lauren says there is far more to farriery than she imagined as a child: “I’ve learned far more about horses than I ever knew before, and I thought I knew a lot before I started.

“This isn’t just a horse job, it’s a people job too. You have to be dedicated because it’s hard graft. Sometimes it’s freezing or you’re being dragged across a muddy field by a lively pony. But that’s all in a day’s work…”

Lauren, the first apprentice for Melton Mowbray farrier Nick Forryan, wouldn’t have it any other way. She is glad she took the four-year-two-month apprenticeship route straight after her GCSEs.

The first step was an NVQ2 in Horse Care and a Forging Certificate at Warwickshire College. She found some work experience and wrote to professionals asking for a placement. She was accepted by Nick as his trainee whose great aunt had worked as a farrier when the men of the family went to war.

Although she is quite academic, Lauren appreciated the advantages of hands-on training and structured progress of an apprenticeship.

“With this apprenticeship you can become self employed - I will be building my own round this summer. When I’m my own boss I will have a much higher wage than those of my age who have been to university, and I won’t have £10,000 student debt.

“And it’s not just about the horses. I’ve learned how to fix the van and done some welding, which is a skill I wasn’t expecting to learn. Since I started my training I’ve definitely grown up and that’s partly through mixing with so many different people."

Apart from receiving her qualification, Lauren says her most rewarding moments are hearing from horse owners that her work has helped make a difference to the animal: “That makes you feel good. It makes you always want to do your best.”

Now she will set up on her own, but long term she wants to become an Associate Farrier (AWCF), which will involve more study, and a research dissertation for a qualification awarded by the Worshipful Company of Farriers.

Find out more about a career as a registered farrier