Over the years I've read and heard a lot of folks decrying the
'evils' of horseshoeing. When I point-out that they are describing
the effects of
poor horseshoeing, they often deny that they cut
corners, and claim that the work was done by
"good farriers". Which
causes me to question just what some people think a good farrier really is.
Admittedly, finding and recognizing a competent farrier isn't an
easy task for today's horseowner. You can ask your vet or trainer,
but they aren't experts in applied farriery, and their
opinions are often colored by how willing a farrier is to let them
call the shots for shoeing without question. You can get
recommendations from other horseowners, and they will likely suggest
a guy based more on likability than actual competence. Many people
are more concerned with price and easy scheduling than knowledge and
skill.
So what does it take to be a truly competent farrier, and how can the horseowner recognize these attributes?
Shoeing School Diploma...
A lot of people seem to think that going to horseshoeing school
is how one becomes a farrier, so a diploma means that a shoer is
qualified to practice farriery. Truth is that horseshoeing schools
run the gamut from embarrassments to the trade through
excellent programs run by highly credentialed instructors. Courses
range from a few hours to several months. So all diplomas are
definitely
not created equal.
The better schools are a great way to
start training as a
farrier. But even the best are only a beginning. A horseshoer
advertising his horseshoeing school diploma actually strikes me as
being like a neurosurgeon bragging about passing his high school
biology class.
Experience...
There was a time, not all
that long ago, when the big kahunas of
the horse business in some parts of the country were the
Ol'
Horsetraders. Their claim to fame was usually that they'd
"been
in th' hoss bizniss f' thutty-odd years!" One didn't have to
be a great mathematician to figure out that, factoring in their age,
Navy service (not a whole slew of horses on battleships), etc., most of
the Ol' Horsetraders where I grew-up were calculating their
'careers' from occasionally playing with their grandpa's retired
plow horse as a kid straight through to thirty or so years later
without regard to a whole lot of non-horsey time in-between.
Of course, even some fellows who had actually been continuously active with
horses for many years appeared to have originally learned
'horsemanship' from dime novels and Hollywood westerns, and never
improved much from that point. So clearly, experience doesn't
guarantee competence.
On the other hand, experience can provide insight and deep
understanding that no amount of academic study can. Especially in
regard to horses, who take years to progress from one phase of life
to the next. It takes a full year just to observe an individual
horse's 'normal' transitions across the seasons. Developing a
pathology, then re-stabilizing afterwards can take over a year.
Then another year is needed to observe the post-pathology 'new
norms'.
Ideally, would-be farriers should spend their first four years in
apprenticeship under the direction of an established farrier while
they gain the needed basic experience. Unfortunately, this isn't
practical in the modern horse world. But a wise horseowner will
understand that
any horseshoer with less than a half-decade in the
trade should be considered a trainee, and should be employed only on
the advice of a real farrier who knows whether your horses' needs
and the trainee's ability level are compatible.
Let the mentorless rookies 'practice' on other peoples' horses.
Also keep in-mind that (for reasons I find rather disrespectful
to the profession) quite a few middle-aged men decide to take up
horseshoeing. Having some gray around the temples doesn't preclude
the shoer from being a green rookie.
Not necessarily an expert farrier.
Professional status...
There was a time when setting up a horseshoeing business was a
pretty big deal. You needed a good-sized shop in a prominent
location, forges, anvils, vises, stocks, and a
crew of employees
usually working in teams. Not unlike a full-service auto repair
shop today.
Then came the crash of the horse population and the rise of
automotive transport in the 20th Century. The typical horseshoeing
business devolved into a guy with a few tools in a truck.
Horseshoeing became a low-investment way for a dude to be able to
claim to be in the 'hoss bizniss'.
Despite the re-development of farriery as a profession since
then, there are still plenty of horseshoers who treat it as an
avocation.
A less than competent part-time horseshoer can stay in business
indefinitely, since he doesn't have to make a living at it. Being a successful, full-time farrier over an extended period of time may not absolutely prove competence, but it is certainly evidence in favor.
Journeyman level knowledge and skills...
A competent farrier has to understand hoof and limb anatomy and
biomechanics, including hoof flexing and growth, as well as gait
dynamics. He must have comprehensive insight into the effects of
hoof capsule modification on protection and support of internal
structures, as well as the functional balance of the digit... In
other words, he should know how to trim hooves to preserve or
restore soundness.
Unfortunately, this essential feature of farriery is
under-emphasized. This is partly because other aspects of applied
farriery as so much more impressive-looking. But mostly because
hoof balance is a bit complex and inherently subjective, so that
most laymen (and non-farrier professionals) can't easily recognize
the quality of hoof trimming. But horses who routinely come-up sore after trimming are compelling evidence that a horseshoer doesn't understand the hoof capsule sufficiently.
A professional-level farrier must also have fine control over the
prosthetic devices (aka horseshoes, pads, etc.) he applies to
hooves.
This means the ability to forge good handmade shoes,
including bar shoes.
It may seem a bit archaic in this era of countless brands,
styles, and sizes of quality factory-made horseshoes. Indeed, many
fully competent farriers rarely turn handmade shoes in the field, or
even use the forge with many of their keg shoes. But the
ability to
produce appropriate, well-fit shoes from raw bar stock demonstrates
that the farrier is never limited by the factory shoe design, and
doesn't have to compromise the good of the hoof to make it fit the
shoe.
Real farriers have forges and know how to use them.
A journeyman farrier must also be a horseman. Able to handle and
get-along with the animals, as well as to understand the demands
their occupations put upon them, and how to best enable them to meet
these demands.
Certification...
Because farrier skills are difficult for non-farriers to
effectively evaluate, formal examination and credential systems
would seem to be called-for.
The
American Farriers Association Certified Journeyman Farrier
(CJF) level indicates an admirable level of technical knowledge and
precision/efficiency in the forging and application of horseshoes.
In fact, the difficulty of the exam (due largely to tight time
limits and exam procedures apparently designed to interfere with the
normal flow of work) makes it almost more of a hazing ritual than an
evaluation of practical competence.
The AFA has tended to discourage the use of its certifications as
field credentials. Even CJF, their highest level, is available to
hobbyists with only two years' experience. (They have three
lower
level certifications as well.) Their certification system grew out
of horseshoeing contests which, for the sake of
objectivity, require fixed standards. This means their
examinations are strong on testing the ability to perform operations
to precise, pre-published parameters, but are short on variables
which might insure the applicant has a wider array of skills than
those practiced specifically for the examination.
The Brotherhood of Working Farriers Association has actively
promoted their certifications as field credentials for farriers.
Unfortunately, their lower level certifications don't approach
anything that could be considered minimal competence, and
irregularities with their higher level certifications render them
unreliable as evidence of knowledge or skill. There have been many
good farriers in the BWFA, but BWFA certification doesn't tell you
anything about a horseshoer's practical competence.
The
Guild of Professional Farriers was founded specifically to
establish a formal standard of competence for professional
farriers. Its minimum credential, required for membership, is
Registered Journeyman Farrier (RJF), which is available only to
full-time farriers with over four years' verifiable field
experience. The exams include double-aspect written test questions
(to discourage rote memorization), and practical skills tests
designed to demonstrate both precision of work and the ability to
effectively evaluate a horse's needs.
The high minimum standard of the GPF tends to keep membership
low, and most of the RJFs have full books, which limits the
usefulness of the credential to horseowners.
Two new systems have been announced. The AAPF and FITS... These
are still in development and are unknown quantities at this writing.
So, when seeking a really competent farrier, the horseowner should look for a full-timer with at least five years in the trade who
can
do hot shoeing with handmades (even if that's not what your horses need
right now)... Even better if he (or she) is an RJF or CJF. 'Extra
points' for actively continuing education via clinics, symposiums,
technical journals, and participation in farrier organizations.
If you can't find anyone like this who can put you on schedule, at
least try to find one who can recommend a protege or associate with
abilities sufficient to meet your horses' needs. They should be able to
provide better guidance than the non-farriers horseowners often get
recommendations from.
- 30 -
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