Equine
Books and taxes for farriers.
Trim fees, shoeing jobs, corrective work, and cash and checks collected barn to barn all week. Gus sorts every payment as it lands, an accountant checks every transaction, and you get one number each month.
- From $197 a month
- An accountant on every transaction
- Cancel whenever
May came in at $7,500. The pallet of steel shoes from Big Sky Farrier Supply landed this month, so I kept it in shoe stock instead of letting it eat into your equipment line.
- Venmo trim and shoe feesTrim and shoe fees
- Meadow Brook Farm route checkBarn route fees
- Big Sky Farrier SupplyShoes and nails
- Shell fuel, farrier rigTruck and rig
- Propane, traveling forgeForge fuel
Why your books are different
A farrier's books go wrong somewhere between the truck and the shoe order.
A generalist sees deposits and calls it income. Your work is trims, shoeing, and corrective jobs paid barn to barn in cash and checks, with shoe stock bought in bulk and a rig that is really a rolling shop. When the books do not know the difference, a stock-up looks like a bad month and your real skill work disappears into routine trims.
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1
Route cash and checks don't all make it into the books
A day of barn stops means ten or more small cash and check payments, and it is easy for one or two to slip through without landing in the books at all.
What we doWorks from your bank deposits and asks about any gaps, so a missed stop does not quietly shrink your real income. -
2
Corrective shoeing gets lumped in with routine trims
A therapeutic shoe job for a lame horse pays far more than a routine trim, but if both land in one bucket you cannot see how much of your income actually comes from the harder, more skilled work.
What we doSplits routine trims from corrective and therapeutic shoeing, so you can see which work actually pays for your training and time. -
3
A shoe order looks like a bad month
Buying a season's worth of steel and aluminum shoes in one order from a supplier can eat a big chunk of a single month's cash, making that month look thin even though the stock lasts for weeks of jobs.
What we doKeeps shoe and nail stock in one steady line and tells you when a stock-up, not a slow month, is behind the number. -
4
The rig is more truck than tool
Outfitting a truck with a forge, anvil mount, and shoe stock storage can cost as much as the truck itself, and filed as a repair or a supply it hides what your rolling shop actually cost.
What we doFlags rig outfitting and equipment purchases, logs them separately from routine fuel and repairs, and gets the accountant's call on writing it off. -
5
An apprentice looks like a helper, not an employee
An apprentice who rides along, uses your tools, and follows your schedule usually looks like an employee under the law, even if you pay a flat day rate and call it help.
What we doKeeps apprentice pay visible and flags the arrangement so worker classification gets a real look before it becomes a habit.
Your categories
The categories Gus keeps for a farrier.
Set up once for how you get paid stop to stop. You never pick a category. He does, and an accountant checks it.
Money in
- Trim feesRoutine trims, priced per horse.
- Shoeing feesStandard shoeing jobs, front or all four.
- Corrective and therapeutic shoeingHigher-priced work for lame or special-needs horses.
- Barn route contractsDiscounted per-horse rates for barns with several horses on one visit.
- Emergency and lost-shoe callsSame-day calls that carry a rush fee.
Money out
- Shoes and nailsSteel and aluminum stock bought from a supplier like Big Sky Farrier Supply.
- Forge fuelPropane for the traveling forge.
- Truck and rigFuel, maintenance, and insurance for the farrier truck.
- Tools and equipmentAnvils, rasps, nippers, and hoof testers.
- Apprentice payDay rates or wages for help on the route.
- Liability insuranceCoverage for working around horses on someone else's property.
- Continuing educationClinics and certification through farrier associations.
What we watch for you
- Trim to shoe ratio
How much of your work is routine trims versus paid shoeing, so pricing reflects the real mix.
- Route income per stop
What each barn stop actually brings in, so a route change is based on real numbers.
- Fuel cost per mile
What the road actually costs you, since a farrier's rig logs more miles than most trades.
- The set-aside
What you will owe, tracked every month, so tax season is a number you already know.
Ask Gus
Things farriers ask Gus.
Text him like you would text anybody. He answers in plain English, and when a question is above his pay grade, an accountant looks and gets back to you.
I work from what hits your account and flag any gap against your route, so a missed deposit does not quietly shrink your real income.
That order is a real cost, just a big one at once. I kept it in shoe stock so it does not look like a bad month of work.
Worth a real look. Someone who follows your schedule and uses your tools usually counts as an employee, not a contractor, so I flagged it for the accountant before it becomes a bigger habit.
The tax side
The tax side of a farrier business.
Most of what goes wrong here is mileage, a rig that is really rolling equipment, and help that looks more like an employee than a contractor.
What your return has to get right
Your accountant signs it, so it gets done right the first time.
- Vehicle mileage on the routeA farrier logs serious miles between barns, and that can often be deducted using the business standard mileage rate, 72.5 cents a mile through June 2026 and 76 cents after, or by tracking actual truck costs.
- The rig as business equipmentA truck outfitted with a forge, anvil mount, and shoe stock storage is often treated as equipment, not a repair. Section 179 or bonus depreciation can apply to the buildout in the year it is done.
- Self-employment tax on farrier profitA farrier working as a sole proprietor or through a pass-through pays 15.3 percent self-employment tax on top of income tax, up to the Social Security wage base of $184,500.
- Employee or contractor for an apprenticeAn apprentice who works your schedule and uses your tools is usually an employee, even if paid a day rate. Getting that wrong gets expensive, so Gus flags it before it becomes a habit.
Deductions farriers miss
Your bookkeeper knows what to look for in your statements. You never have to.
- Shoes and nails
- Forge propane
- Truck fuel and maintenance
- Rasps, nippers, and hoof testers
- Anvil and stand
- Liability insurance
- Apprentice pay
- Continuing education and certification
- Work boots and aprons
- Phone for scheduling
- Truck or trailer registration
- Association dues
General information about 2026 federal rules, not advice for your business. Your accountant looks at your actual numbers before anything gets filed.
All year, not just April
A farrier's year, kept every month.
Shoeing season ramps up as horses come back into work, and slows when many go barefoot for winter. Gus keeps the books ahead of both. Every month in between, your bookkeeper closes the books and speaks up the moment something looks off.
- January
Plan the year
Last year's return gets started, the 1099 or employee question for your apprentice gets settled, and a monthly set-aside is planned.
- April
Filed. Done.
Your return is filed and signed, with the set-aside already covering it.
- July
Halfway check
Where you stand at midyear, and whether spring's shoeing rush changed what you will owe.
- October
Before winter slows the route
A look at rig upgrades or a new set of tools worth buying before some barns go barefoot for winter.
What you get
What you pay depends on what your business needs, and it does not move after that, busy season or slow. No hourly bills, no surprise invoices, no setup fee.
Book a call- Monthly bookkeeping
Every transaction sorted into categories set up for farriers. You never categorize a thing.
- An accountant checks every transaction
Real review, every month, before your books close. Not a spot check.
- Your business tax return, filed
Prepared, reviewed, and signed by that same accountant every year.
- The monthly number
What you made, what you spent, what to set aside for taxes.
- Your own bookkeeper
A real person assigned to your business, in the app whenever you need them. No hold music.
- On your books all year
Every month, not just in April. Your team speaks up whenever something is worth your attention.
- Cancel any time
No contract. No cancellation call. Your books are yours.
Straight answers
Questions farriers ask first.
I get paid in cash and checks at nearly every stop. Can Gus keep up with that?
Yes. He works from your bank deposits and flags anything that looks like a gap against your route, so a missed stop does not quietly disappear.
Do you track the difference between a routine trim and a corrective shoeing job?
Yes. They get their own categories, so you can see how much of your income comes from routine work versus the harder, higher-paying jobs.
I bought a season's worth of shoes and nails in one order. Won't that make my month look bad?
No. Gus keeps shoe stock in its own steady category and tells you when a stock-up, not a slow month, is behind a thin-looking number.
I just built out a new truck with a forge and anvil mount. Does that count as equipment?
Often, yes. Gus logs the buildout as equipment and flags it, and the accountant decides how much comes off this year with your whole year in view.
My apprentice rides along and I pay him a flat day rate. Does that change anything?
It is worth a real look. Someone who follows your schedule and uses your tools usually counts as an employee, and Gus flags that before it becomes a bigger habit.
My books are a year behind. Can Gus catch up?
Yes. Send the bank statements you have. Gus sorts them, the accountant checks them, and most farriers know where they stand within a week.
Is a real accountant checking my books?
Yes. You get your own bookkeeper, Gus does the first pass on every transaction, and an accountant checks every one before your month closes. That same accountant prepares, signs, and files your business return. Goatkeeper is not a CPA firm, and we never pretend a person looked when they did not.
What does it cost, and can I cancel?
It starts at $197 a month, depending on what your business needs. No setup fee, no hourly bills, no contract. Cancel any time from the app, and your books go with you.
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What makes a bookkeeper worth paying for Every business we keep books for
Book a call
Pick a time. That's the whole signup.
Fifteen minutes with a real person on our team. They look at where your books are, tell you straight what it takes to get caught up, and get you set up on the spot if it fits.
- $197 a month to start
- An accountant on every transaction
- Cancel whenever