In between AI slop and viral dance trends, blacksmithing is quietly drawing audiences of millions on TikTok.
One of the platform's most popular farriers, Samuel Wolfenden, has gained over a million followers on Instagram and 700,000 followers on TikTok since he posted his first video two years ago. "I woke up the next day and had millions of millions of views; I had one hundred thousand followers," Wolfenden told the New York Times in a recent interview.
His oddly satisfying videos of hammering shoes on horse hooves have garnered Wolfenden a devoted following. "Lucky horse," one user commented beneath one of his videos. The attention has since landed Wolfenden sponsorship deals, modeling gigs, and a publicist, according to the Times.
Wolfenden's not the only one cashing in on the demand. Farrier Sam Dracott's top three pinned videos on TikTok have a combined view count of over 630 million. "It's so satisfying to watch," one user commented beneath one of his videos. Dracott, who has four million followers on YouTube and TikTok, now employs an entourage, which includes a videographer, a social media manager, and a publicist. Due to his online presence, his income has doubled.