Hoof Care Provider

Qualifications

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There are over 50 farrier schools in the USA with education programs that vary between a few days to several months.  Some farriers learn by serving as apprentices under an established farrier. In addition many people attempt to enter the hoof care market with no training at all.  The only thing that prevents a poorly trained, incompetent hoof care provider from working on your horses is YOU!

Since most horse owners do not have any formal education or knowledge of farriery, it may be difficult for a layperson to determine whether or not a farrier is qualified to work on their horses.  Therefore, horse owners depend on word of mouth and reputation to determine whether or not their farrier is qualified.  While following the crowd may be a safe bet in many situations, it is still BETTING ON THE CROWD.  How do you know whether or not the crowd you are following knows anything more about hoof care than you do?

Obviously if your horses are competing successfully at a very high level and the "crowd" happens to be the US Equestrian Team there is not much question regarding the qualifications of the professionals involved at this level of the industry.  However this segment of the equine industry represents only a very small minority.

The ultimate responsibility for a horse's health belongs to YOU, the individual horse owner.  If you don't know, really truly KNOW, what proper hoof care is all about, then you are not making your own hoof care decisions, someone else is making them for you.  Is the person trimming or shoeing your horse COMPETENT to do the work your horse needs?  What are the knowledge, skill, and experience requirements that a hoof care provider OUGHT TO HAVE in order for you to pay them for PROFESSIONAL SERVICES?

There are numerous educational opportunities for farriers.  Whether it is local farrier associations of national organizations, the choices in continuing professional development for farriers are literally overwhelming.  In spite of this, we farriers seldom have clients ask us about our educational background or whether or not we participate in continuing education.  In the US, the farrier industry is NOT REGULATED by the government.  Therefore the knowledge and skill we have as professionals is dependent upon what we choose to learn on an individual basis.  Some of us invest substantially in continuing education and some of us invest nothing at all.  As a horse owner, you don't know which of us is making that investment unless you ask.

With no licensing requirements or government regulations regarding minimum competency standards for hoof care providers, it is up to the individual horse owner to figure out who is qualified and who is not.  However, there are professional organizations that offer peer review, testing, and certification.  Many farriers voluntarily stand for certification exams with these professional organizations. 

Why have these professional organizations defined certification TESTING to MINIMUM STANDARDS for farriers?  Could it be that these organizations are attempting to provide YOU, the horse owner, with some HARD DATA that you can use to determine whether or not your hoof care provider has a clue about what they are doing?  Let's look at what it takes to obtain a certification from each of the national organizations:

Guild of Professional Farriers Registered Journeyman Farrier Guide

American Farriers Association Certification Guide

Natural Balance Certification Guide

If you compare the basic minimum requirements for each of these credentials there is a common theme:

1. A minimum field experience requirement before testing for certification.
2. Written exams covering knowledge of anatomy, locomotion, and common lameness issues.
3. Live examination of trimming and shoeing according to a specific criteria or standard.
4. Demonstration of the ability to modify or build horseshoes and appliances to serve a specific need.

Lack of certification does not mean lack of competence on the part of a practitioner.   However, it does mean that by not demanding certification, you are basing your choice of who works on your horses on something besides documented proof of a MINIMUM level of knowledge and ability.  Certification is not about maximum knowledge and skill, quite the opposite - it is about MINIMUM knowledge and skill.  In the high performance segment of the equine industry, certification is not so important because anyone who has established them self as a farrier at that level is obviously well beyond any basic level of competency.

Only you know whether or not the information you use as selection criteria for a "professional" is relevant to your horse's needs.  The de facto minimum standard is whether or not you believe you are hiring a competent professional.  Thus the questions, HOW do you know, and what is the basis of your belief?  If you familiarize yourself with the minimum standards required for certification, then compare the work you see to the basic minimum standards, at least you will have some objective knowledge to help you make an informed choice.  If you base your decision on "highly recommended," then your decision is based on somebody else's information, not your personal knowledge.

Nobody gets it right on every horse every time.  A farrier can go from hero to zero in one minute flat.  All of us can and do make mistakes - often at the expense of our reputations.  We can also have great reputations just because we are popular, likeable, or inexpensive.  Caveat Emptor!

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