Words by Jenny Lynn Davis | Images by Ryan McGill
When Olivia Wells graduated from Jasper High School in May 2024, college seemed like the obvious next step. It’s what everyone expected. But deep down, Olivia knew she was drawn to something a little more hands-on, and a lot less ordinary.
The spark that started it all? A summer camp her mom signed her up for years earlier.
“I didn’t even start out that interested in horses,” Olivia says. “But my mom sent me to EASI, a local horse camp, and the first time I got on a horse, I was hooked. I came home and told her I never wanted to stop.”
Olivia started riding horses around Jasper, then moved barns and began showing with Vintage Creek in Sterrett, Alabama. She spent four years in the show ring and fell in love with the animals.
“I love figuring them out,” she says. “Every horse is different, and they all have their own story and personality, just like people.”
Over time, Olivia found herself paying less attention to ribbons and more to what happened behind the scenes. She became increasingly curious about the people who cared for horses, especially the horseshoers, also known as farriers.
“I would follow them around at the barn and horse shows. Their work fascinated me because horse feet are so much more complex than they look,” she says
That interest eventually became a career path thanks to a nudge from a family friend who suggested farrier school. Olivia made some calls and enrolled in an eight-week program at the Lookout Mountain School of Horseshoeing in Gadsden, Alabama. By February 2024, she was officially training to become a farrier.
“I loved it from day one. They taught the craft and the business side. It gave me a really solid foundation,” she says.
Horseshoeing isn’t the kind of job most people associate with young women just out of high school, and Olivia is aware of that, but it doesn’t bother her.
“Most people in this industry are older men, but that doesn’t mean there’s no place for someone like me,” she says.
In fact, her youth and energy might be one of her biggest advantages. Olivia started her business by tapping into relationships she’d built over years of riding and showing, and word traveled fast.
“I knew some people in the horse world already, so I let them know I was getting started, ordered some business cards, and started handing them out,” she explains. “Farrier work is really word-of-mouth based. Social media only gets you so far because it’s all about building trust.”
Her first job was for a family friend, and she admits she was nervous. “People love their horses like family. You want to do it right,” she says. But once she got to work, the nerves faded, and confidence took root.
A typical day on the job looks different depending on the horse and the need. Some appointments are simple trims; others require shaping and fitting specialized shoes for performance or therapeutic use. Every hoof, Olivia says, is like a fingerprint – no two are the same.
“Being able to take a horse that’s struggling and help it move comfortably again is such a good feeling,” she says. “I love knowing I’m making a difference for the horse and its owner.”
For now, her focus is on growing the business and gaining experience. Long-term, Olivia hopes to specialize in hunter-jumpers, the discipline she grew up around, but she’s in no rush.
“They say it takes about ten years to really master this, and I believe that,” she says. “Right now, I just want to learn from every horse I work with.”
When she’s not under a horse, Olivia still makes time to be a regular teenager, enjoying activities like hiking, swimming, tanning, and hanging out with friends. She’s close with her younger brother, and while her own horse, Snow, doesn’t get ridden much these days, she’s still part of the family.
As for advice to other young women planning their next steps in life?
“You can do anything you truly want to do,” she says. “Just because you don’t see someone else doing it doesn’t mean it’s not an option.”
She credits her path to a strong sense of intuition and faith. “It’s taken a lot of following my heart and listening to what God’s called me to do,” she says. “And when He calls, you should answer. That was the best decision I ever made.” WL
