The Rising Popularity of Farriers: How Horse Shoeing Became a Viral Sensation

At a recent London premiere for the Marvel film “Thunderbolts,” the usual attendees—models, celebrities, and film stars—were joined by an unexpected guest: a 32-year-old farrier who crafts and nails metal shoes onto horses’ hooves.

Samuel Wolfenden, from West Yorkshire, England, had spent much of his life quietly working alongside his father at SW Farriers in Halifax, near Leeds. His days were filled with trimming and shoeing the hooves of sturdy Suffolk Punch horses and small Dales ponies, content with his craftsmanship and hometown routine.

That changed two years ago when he set up his phone in the barn and recorded himself fitting a shoe onto a shaggy Shire horse. What started as a simple portfolio video to document his work quickly took off.

“I wanted a record of my work to look back on,” Wolfenden said in a May interview. “When I posted the clip on Instagram, I went to bed thinking nothing of it. The next morning, I woke up to millions of views and over one hundred thousand followers. It was unbelievable.”

The blend of charming animals, skilled artisanship, and the satisfying transformation of worn hooves into polished, shod feet has captured the attention of millions worldwide—many of whom have no direct connection to the equestrian world but find the farrier videos mesmerizing.