Our instructor Tiffany Gardner has been self-employed as a farrier for 12 years. She's enjoying our break between classes up in Washington State right now. One of the fears of prospective students is never being able to take time off. We want to elaborate on that fear and explain the importance of rest.

Tiffany loves being a farrier. It's been a great career, affording her the luxury of being in control of her time and finances. However, it is demanding both physically and mentally. This is part of the reason she loves it, but it's also why taking time off is a priority for her physical and mental wellbeing.

Corporate employees are often offered paid time off (PTO). It's the second most essential benefit people look for, the first being health insurance. It's no surprise that prospective students have questions about what time off will look like when they're self-employed as a farrier. It's important to understand that only 42% of Americans use their PTO.

Why? Maybe they are scared of getting behind. Perhaps they believe no one else can do the job in their absence. Many employees feel dedicated to the company and don't want to inconvenience their coworkers by taking time off. They are scared of disconnecting, always having to be one text, call or, email away.

Sometimes it's Hard to Step Away

We can empathize with these reasons. We've used them as excuses for not taking time off as farriers. However, there are so many benefits to taking time off. It improves your mental clarity, enhances your productivity, makes it easier to focus, and supports a healthy work-life balance that leads to better relationships.

Whether you work in the corporate world or you're self-employed, taking time off requires planning. If you work for a company, you have to submit a request and get it approved by your superiors. Tiffany remembers feeling helpless whenever she requested PTO. Now she has the freedom to plan her time off without needing someone else's approval.

When you're self-employed, you can plan whatever time off you want. However, that freedom comes with responsibility. Which do you value more, making money or time off?

When a company hires you, you give them your time in exchange for money and benefits. Usually, it's a substantial amount of time. In contrast, with the amount of money you're paid, it's rare to be entirely happy with your position.

Just like how Bob paid for his health insurance by budgeting it into his cost per horse, you can do the same thing with your vacation time. Budget in how much you need to make per horse to cover the cost of your vacation. Now you have paid time off.

Being self-employed as a farrier requires you to work to get paid. If you want to take a week-long vacation, you will most likely have to work a little more before and after to make up for the work that you rescheduled during your time off. But you get to set those priorities and make those choices for yourself. If you are tired of working for a company that doesn't respect your time, apply to become a farrier with us. Apply Now