Last month Dixie’s was celebrating our 9th anniversary, we have been both looking back over the years and towards the future of the company. Looking back, we are certainly not where we planned on being when first starting 9 years ago. Much like the rest of life, the company has had many twists and turns in the road. The original idea was to have a large multi-farrier practice by this point, but Dixie’s ended up being put on the back burner as far as growth so that Cody could focus on teaching and training for Agape Therapeutic Riding Resources. Even in the beginning, the company experienced challenges, like there were several other farriers that started in the same area at the same time. This made building the business slower than originally thought. Just like all parts of life, starting a business requires much patience and persistence.
In running a farrier company, there are many aspects to consider other than simply the skill in trimming and shoeing horses. For instance, this blog was started on a Monday morning which generally speaking is my office and shop time. I send out appointment reminders for the week, pay any bills that are due, order supplies that are needed, restock the trailer, build shoes, and take care of all the other paperwork that needs done, such as writing this blog or filling out reports. The paperwork side of things is certainly not the most fun part of this, but needs to be done. I mentioned this blog was started on a Monday, it is now being finished on Tuesday afternoon in-between appointments. One of the many areas where patience and persistence are needed, it would be far too easy to ignore this till next Monday, especially since writing does not come easily.
In working with horses, I am reminded there is much more than simply the hoof care. The past two months have felt like a rollercoaster in many areas of life, however that is something that can not be brought to the barn when I come to trim or shoe. As I was discussing with a client today, horses pick up very quickly if we are nervous, afraid, stressed, mad, calm, relaxed, etc… It would be tempting, at least for me, to think that anything bothering me outside of work, I could simply stuff down and forget about till the work day is over. Unfortunately, (or fortunately) while that might work to hide an issue with other people, it does not work that way with horses. They see right through all of it. Of course people try to deal with life struggles differently. There are those that will turn to alcohol or another substance to get rid of thoughts, feelings, or physical discomfort. There are others that try to stuff things down and pretend their problems don’t exist. Some become addicted to work or to a hobby so that it consumes their thoughts. And of course there are many other ways that people cope.
For me, I am grateful for a job that requires that I deal with everything everyday. I also know that I can’t deal with everything in life on my own, and if you are honest neither can you. What I know is that Christ deals with everything for me. It is because of what He has done and continues to do in my life that I am able to do anything at all, including work with horses.
As I look back, Dixie’s was founded partly because of my enjoyment of anatomy and horses but it was also founded to help spread the hope that I have found, even if I don’t come anywhere near to that goal as I would like. Looking at where the company is now, I am excited with all that is going on. We have added a fantastic new team member this year, opened the schedule for more appointment times, and have lots of plans for the future. Looking ahead, I am eager to see where God takes this company next. Look out for next month’s post as we will be back to looking at another aspect of hoof care.
Here is a preview of one of our many products that will launch soon!
