American Farriers Journal

What American Farriers Journal does

American Farriers Journal (AFJ), founded in 1975 and operated as a trade publication of Lessiter Publications, Inc., is a multi-platform media company serving the equine hoof-care industry. Its core product is an 8-issues-per-year print and digital magazine distributed under tiered annual subscriptions ($47.95 digital-only, $57.95 premium print+digital), supported by a content library of roughly 20 years and 12,000+ indexed articles accessible to paying digital subscribers. The portfolio also includes special publications (Getting Started in Hoof Care career guide, Special Report For Equine Veterinarians), the American Farriers Journal Podcast, daily and weekly email newsletters (Hoof-Care Advisor Daily, Weekly Digest), webinars, YouTube video content, and a supplier directory.

The company's flagship event is the annual International Hoof-Care Summit (IHCS), entering its 24th edition in January 2027 in Covington, KY, which delivers four days of continuing footcare education and a trade show and has drawn attendees and exhibitors from 21 countries. AFJ's most recent product addition is "Ask AFJ," an AI-powered search tool that lets users query the proprietary content archive for instant expert answers. The technology stack is a content management and digital publishing platform with integrated e-commerce and subscription billing.

AFJ generates revenue through four streams: recurring subscriptions (the primary), display and sponsored advertising, e-commerce sales of books/DVDs/special reports/apparel, and IHCS event revenue (registrations and exhibitor booth sales). It serves three primary segments — professional farriers (primary), equine veterinarians (primary), and horse care product buyers (secondary) — through a horizontal segmentation approach anchored by editorial content, the annual summit, and a tiered Educational Partner program that includes Zoetis, SmartPak, Platinum Performance, Vettec, Razerhorse, Life Data Labs, and others. The company is privately held under Lessiter Publications, has 11–50 employees, is headquartered in Brookfield, WI, and does not publicly disclose financials.

Name

American Farriers Journal

Legal name

Lessiter Publications, Inc.

Website

https://americanfarriers.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1975

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

American Farriers Journal is a 50-year-old trade publication (owned by Lessiter Publications) serving professional farriers and equine veterinarians with an 8x/year print and digital magazine, the annual International Hoof-Care Summit, special reports, and the Ask AFJ AI-powered content search tool.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Specialized Trade Media and Publishing

NAICS

Periodical Publishers (513120), Periodical Publishers (51312)

SIC

Periodicals: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2721)

akta.pro primary industry

Health, Fitness & Wellness Magazines (MPAJAEAD)

Keywords

• Equine hoof care
• Farrier trade media
• Professional publications
• Equine veterinary content
• Hoof care education

Headquarters

HQ city

Brookfield

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Digital Commerce or Content

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Magazine Subscriptions: Annual subscriptions for American Farriers Journal magazine in print and/or digital formats. Publishes 8 issues per year with exclusive digital access to AmericanFarriers.com content.
2. Product Sales: E-commerce store selling books, DVDs, reports, special publications, apparel, and equipment guides for farriers and horse care professionals.
3. Event Revenue: International Hoof-Care Summit conference registration fees and exhibitor booth sales.
4. Advertising: Display advertising, sponsored content, and digital ad placements throughout the website and publications.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

American Farriers Journal is a B2B trade media brand that publishes an award-winning 8-issues-per-year print and digital magazine, special publications, email newsletters, and a podcast for professional farriers, equine veterinarians, and horse-care product buyers. The company also operates the annual International Hoof-Care Summit, sells educational books and reports via its own e-commerce store, and offers the Ask AFJ AI-powered search tool that draws on more than 12,000 indexed articles.

Product overview

American Farriers Journal is a multi-platform publishing company serving the equine hoof-care industry with its core product being an award-winning print and digital magazine (8 issues per year) targeting professional farriers, equine veterinarians, and horse care professionals. The portfolio includes special publications like the annual 'Getting Started in Hoof Care' career guide and the 'Special Report for Equine Veterinarians'. Digital offerings include the American Farriers Journal Podcast, an AI-powered search tool called Ask AFJ, and daily/weekly email newsletters. The company organizes the annual International Hoof-Care Summit conference and maintains a comprehensive supplier directory. Educational products include anatomical guides, corrective farriery textbooks, and research reports covering topics from business practices to therapeutic shoeing.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• American Farriers Journal (Magazine Subscription) Recurring print and digital magazine subscription (8 issues per year) targeting professional farriers, equine veterinarians, and horse-care product buyers, with tiered offerings including Premium (Print+Digital), Digital Only, and Print Only.
• Getting Started in Hoof Care Annual special publication serving as a career guide for new and aspiring farriers, providing practical advice on establishing and operating a successful equine footcare practice.
• Special Report for Equine Veterinarians Special publication targeted at equine veterinarians, focused on building better working relationships with farriers and supporting equine health through veterinarian-farrier collaboration.
• American Farriers Journal Podcast Podcast series featuring professional farriers and equine hoof-care experts covering a wide range of topics and specialties for on-the-go listening by farriers and equine veterinarians.
• International Hoof-Care Summit (IHCS) Annual 4-day continuing-education conference and trade show for professional farriers and equine veterinarians, held in Covington, Kentucky, with dozens of educational sessions, exhibitor booths, and networking opportunities.
• Ask AFJ (AI-Powered Hoof Care Search) AI-powered search tool on AmericanFarriers.com that provides instant answers to hoof-care questions by drawing on the publication's archive of expert content.
• Hoof-Care Anatomy Made Simple Set Three-resource educational package providing the anatomical foundation critical for effective equine footcare, including bones, muscles, tendons, and ligaments.
• Corrective Farriery (Volumes 1 & 2) Two-volume advanced textbook set edited by Dr. Simon Curtis covering remedial shoeing techniques, hoof capsule repair, laminitis management, and modern synthetic materials for therapeutic farriery.
• The Hoof of the Horse by Simon Curtis 188-page hardcover book by world-renowned farrier and author Simon Curtis tracing the development of the equine hoof from the mare's uterus to old age.
• Hoof-Care Advisor Daily Newsletter Daily email newsletter providing hoof-care professionals with the most recent industry news and updates.
• Weekly Digest Newsletter Sunday-delivered email newsletter providing important industry news and a roundup of the most popular hoof-care content from the past week.
• Directory: Guide To Suppliers Online supplier directory listing providers of farrier products and services including anvils, horseshoes, tools, forges, and other hoof-care equipment.
• Farrier Business Practices Benchmark Survey Annual industry-wide benchmarking survey providing farriers with comparative data on income growth, pricing trends, retirement funding, and other business practices.

Quantifiable outcome

• Attendees report taking home an average of $4,576 in ready-to-use ideas from IHCS
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

14 partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Platinum PerformanceminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 26 January 2027Gold Level Educational Partner for the January 26-29, 2027 International Hoof-Care Summit in Covington, Ky.
• Farrier Product DistributioncoreGTM or Marketing PartnerAs part of the Kerckhaert Group, Farrier Product Distribution is an IHCS Educational Partner and sponsor of the Ask AFJ AI-powered search tool. They provide information on Kerckhaert horseshoes, Liberty horseshoe nails, Save Edge rasps, Diamond farrier tools, and related equine products.
• Anvil BrandminorGTM or Marketing PartnerSponsors the annual Farrier Business Practices Benchmark Survey conducted by AFJ.
• Glue-UminorGTM or Marketing PartnerSponsors the annual Farrier Business Practices Benchmark Survey conducted by AFJ.
• Hoof MDminorGTM or Marketing PartnerSponsors the annual Farrier Business Practices Benchmark Survey conducted by AFJ.
• VetericynminorGTM or Marketing PartnerSponsors AFJ content and advertising on the website, including leaderboard ad placements.
• ZoetisminorGTM or Marketing PartnerIHCS Educational Partner providing educational content on equine health topics.
• SmartPakminorGTM or Marketing PartnerIHCS Educational Partner and sponsor of the nutrition section content.
• RazerhorseminorGTM or Marketing PartnerIHCS Educational Partner providing hoof-care educational content.
• Life Data LabsminorGTM or Marketing PartnerIHCS Educational Partner providing hoof-care educational content.
• Postyme ProductsminorGTM or Marketing PartnerIHCS Educational Partner providing hoof-care educational content.
• KawellminorGTM or Marketing PartnerIHCS Educational Partner providing hoof-care educational content.
• VettecminorGTM or Marketing PartnerIHCS Educational Partner and sponsor of educational content on adhesives and glue-on shoes.
• G.E. Forge & ToolminorGTM or Marketing PartnerIHCS Educational Partner and sponsor of forging equipment educational content.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Market position

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/farrierproducts
• Facebookfacebook.com/farriers

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about American Farriers Journal