Why Being “Horse-First” Was The Best Business Move We Could Make

Noble Farriery COO Sarah Caples Noble on how putting horses first all the time simplifies business decisions and creates a better work culture

Building a successful business requires more than just expertise and ambition—it demands a guiding principle that informs every decision, from daily operations to long-term goals. It’s something I learned early, working simultaneously in businesses and nonprofits. Many people seem to think that a nonprofit is not a business, but this isn’t true. You still have to treat it as one, even if your motive is mission more than revenue. The best for-profits and nonprofits have a mind for both.

For Noble Farriery, that guiding principle is simple yet profound: Always do what is best for the horse. This mission statement has been the foundation upon which the business has grown, shaping its evolution, navigating challenges, and ensuring that ethical standards remain uncompromised.

Mission-Driven Decision-Making Leads To Technical Prowess

If you’re looking for a sentimental cowboy story, let me stop you right there. This isn’t that. This is about business, about survival, and about making decisions based on something more than the short-term bottom line.

“This is about business, about survival, and about making decisions based on something more than the short-term bottom line. ”

When Seth Noble set out to build a career as a farrier, he quickly realized that his work wasn’t just about providing hoof care—it was about advocating for the well-being of horses. Every choice he made, from the techniques he developed to the clients he worked with, was rooted in a fundamental question: “What is best for the horse?”

It was easy to get caught up and feel defeated when living by that ethic in the equine industry, especially in the rodeos where he got his start. So much of what we do with horses in domestication and equine sports is absolutely counter to their well-being, even when people say they love and admire horses and develop their entire lifestyle around them.

You’d think people who work with horses would care about them. Unfortunately, many see horses as a commodity. Our mission statement—do what’s best for the horse, no matter what—has been frequently met with polite nods and absolute indifference. We are lucky to know some excellent and heart-centered farriers, but too often we’ve found that there are those more enamored with hammers and sparks than with the precision and discipline of the trim. And some of them? Actively sabotaging the mission for their own interests.

With his skills as a horseman and farrier, Seth knew that continuing to show up and provide positive experiences for horses was the right thing to do, but it didn’t help his sense of futility and burn out. Early on, Seth had a dream of being a top farrier, but even after achieving that, it wasn’t enough when there was only so much he could do to help horses in the current state of the industry.

“The idea was simple: create a standardized trim, train others in it, and, most importantly, ensure that every decision revolved around the welfare of the horse.”

Seth spent years perfecting a trimming method that always moved horses’ feet back toward soundness, and when the pandemic hit, I saw the opportunity to turn his obsessive note-taking into something tangible. The idea was simple: create a standardized trim, train others in it, and, most importantly, ensure that every decision revolved around the welfare of the horse.

When I pivoted professionally to be more involved with the business, I saw how a horse-first mission could also help define the pillars of our multi-farrier business, including horsemanship and Seth’s trim methodology, and even our farrier-service subscription model.

As we grew the business, this clarity proved invaluable in removing ambiguity from decisions. If a method or business practice didn’t align with this principle, it wasn’t pursued. When hiring new farriers, the challenge wasn’t just finding skilled workers—it was finding individuals who genuinely embraced the philosophy of prioritizing horse welfare over convenience or profit.

In time, the ways that we consistently affirmed our mission through our marketing and our professionalism drew advocates and like-minded employees to us. Finding the perfect fit is still not easy for us or any business, but having a clearly defined mission definitely makes it easier for people to form partnerships, whether professionally or in the broader community. It just takes time and commitment.

Growing Staff Through a Core Ethos

Running a business comes with an overwhelming number of choices, from financial strategies to marketing approaches. However, having a well-defined mission acts as a filtering mechanism, making complex decisions simpler.

For instance, when expansion became an option, the question wasn’t “How do we grow the business as fast as possible?” but rather, “How can we scale while maintaining the highest standard of care for horses?” This perspective led to the realization that hiring and retraining farriers who lacked the right mindset was an uphill battle.

Farrier Seth Noble (l) and Podiatrist Brandon King, DVM (r)

Enter Dr. Brandon King, a veterinarian who saw the same problems we did. He understood that for horses to receive the best care, farriers and vets needed to be on the same page. And just like that, the impossible became possible. The opportunity to train veterinarians in farriery—creating equine podiatrists—emerged as a viable, mission-aligned alternative.

By keeping the mission at the center, operational procedures became more straightforward. The company’s training methods, team expectations, and service offerings were all designed to ensure that horse well-being remained the priority. Now Seth and Brandon each have their own apprentices who are ready to become newly minted, mission-driven farriers with us when they complete their apprenticeships and shoeing school programs later this year.

Guiding Long-Term Vision and Growth

Our mission is about the way we show up every day and how we intend to bring change to the industry going forward. It has led to initiatives such as developing an educational curriculum and a data management platform to support best practices in equine care.

Moreover, the clarity of the mission provided resilience during difficult times. When early attempts to scale faced setbacks, the question was not whether to continue, but how to pivot in a way that upheld the core values. This steadfast commitment kept the company from making compromises that could have diluted its integrity.

A mission statement is more than just words—it is a strategic tool that provides consistency, clarity, and direction. Noble Farriery’s journey is proof that anchoring a business in a core philosophy not only simplifies decision-making but also ensures sustainable, ethical success. Whether dealing with employees, clients, or industry trends, the unwavering commitment to “What is best for the horse?” has allowed the company to navigate challenges, innovate effectively, and build a legacy of trust and excellence.

Now, don’t get me wrong—this hasn’t been easy. There were times we nearly collapsed under the weight of our own ambition, but we survived. And our marriage? Let’s just say it’s a bit of a miracle we’re still together. Business will expose your flaws in ways therapy never could… but therapy helps, too.

The most important thing for us each day is this: Horses are the reason we have a business, a home, and a life together. They demand honesty, discipline, and character. So we stick to the only thing that matters—doing what’s best for the horse. Always. No matter what.