Isaac Hopper meets Michael Snow on November 11, 1847. Prior to his rape conviction, Snow is said to have been a "currier" by trade. To 21st century technocrats, a "currier" might seem something foreign. According to Merriam Webster, a currier is "a worker who helps to bring tanned hides or skins to salable form," although it would perhaps be more accurate--and less redundant--to say that a currier is someone who makes tanned hides or skins salable. A Dictionary of Old Trades, Titles and Occupations defines currier as a "Horse groom. Also same as curryer." Curryer is then defined as "Leather trade finisher who greases the dry leather to make it flexible." Currier, or curryer, can also be spelled cunreur, which the Dictionary defines as "A leather worker in medieval times, generally meaning a currier." Despite Hopper's spelling, it is just as, if not more likely that he meant Snow was a leather worker rather than a horse groomer, as leather working was a skilled vocation more reflective of a "trade" than horse grooming. 

Technology today has virtually eradicated both professions. The car supplanted the horse, and along with it the horse groomer; and machines now do the dirty work of turning peeled creatures into leather products. This has harmed the people, and continues to harm the cow, but at least the horse has emerged unbothered. 

Sources:

https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/currier

Waters, Colin. A Dictionary of Old Trades, Titles and Occupations. Countryside Books, 2014.