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Americans are noted for independence and free enterprise, and you can put farriers at the top of the list when you're looking at both of those. We tend to be independent to a fault, and our standard one-person business, run from a pick-up truck, almost epitomizes laissez-faire economics. So it may come as a surprise that the independent farrier, operating a singular business, would choose to join an association and even to participate in a certification program. Nevertheless, since as early as 1356, farriers have joined together to better themselves and their trade. Presently, many countries require an educational program in the form of an approved apprenticeship or nationally supervised training school or both. The aspiring farrier must then obtain a license or certification through a one time only examination. It is illegal to shoe horses in those countries if that examination is failed. As one might expect, such required programs can generate controversy. Both farriers and consumers alike can get nervous and envision problems with unions, bureaucracies, arbitrary standards, and any number of concerns that threaten to infringe upon this fiercely independent and unique business. While many of these concerns might be valid if a certification program were mandated and set up in the form of licensing, they're not an issue when the certification program is voluntary . And, in the United States , farrier certification is strictly a voluntary process. There is no licensing or mandated certification. All it takes to be a horseshoer in America is possession of horseshoeing tools and a willingness to work with your posterior higher than your head. Ultimately, then, voluntary certification processes are the only avenue American farriers have to prove to themselves and to others that they have a quantifiable level of knowledge and competency in hoof care. Unfortunately though, many in the equine community are not aware of the programs devoted to farrier certification in the United States . The foremost farrier certification programs offered in the United States are organized and operated through the American Farrier's Association (AFA) . The AFA certification programs involve a comprehensive set of standardized examinations, each with a written component and two performance components. The written examinations address and assess a candidate's knowledge and comprehension of anatomy, physiology, gaits, and general horseshoeing concerns. The performance, or “practical,” tests examine a candidate's skill in trimming and shoeing horses as well as his/her skill in fabricating horseshoes from bar stock and in manipulating and customizing “ready-made” horseshoes. Although candidates may sit for regular certification without first testing for Intern Classification , many choose to start the certification program at this level. The AFA's Intern Classification is primarily intended for graduating students and new farriers with less than a year's experience who wish to show a basic level of knowledge and competence for further study or employment as an intern or apprentice. Farriers who have at least one year of practical experience begin the AFA's certification program by sitting for the Certified Farrier examination, which tests basic standards of horseshoeing knowledge and skill. To successfully complete the written exam at this level, candidates must have a thorough working knowledge of the lower limb, basic gait and faults, and other horseshoeing concerns. For the practical portion of the exam, they must shoe two feet with either hand-made or ready-made shoes in a one-hour time period. Additionally, candidates must submit a shoe display with a number of forged modifications. AFA Certified Farriers who have a minimum of two year's experience and wish to continue with the certification process may sit for the Certified Journeyman Farrier examinations. At this certification level, the highest offered through the AFA, candidates must evidence a superior level of knowledge related to horseshoeing. The written examinations at this level require comprehensive knowledge of the hoof and limb, including skeletal structure, tendons, ligaments, and circulatory structures; likewise, these exams require a thorough knowledge of conformation, gaits and faults, and corrective trimming and shoeing procedures. For the practical examination, candidates must shoe a horse with four hand-made shoes in a two-hour time. Additionally, candidates must, in a 35-minute period, fabricate a forge-welded bar shoe to fit a pattern. Although there are no certification levels beyond the CJF, there are two specialty endorsements offered to Certified Journeyman Farriers: the Therapeutic Endorsement and the Educator Endorsement. As with the other examinations, these endorsements include both written and practical components. In addition to the American Farrier's Association, there are two other farrier associations in the U.S. , both of which offer certification. The Guild of Professional Farriers requires certification for membership. They recognize and automatically accept members who have attained CJF status through the AFA, and they maintain their own testing program as well. Theirs is a solid program; however, the Guild's membership is small, always fewer than one hundred members. The Brotherhood of Working Farriers, operated by Ralph Casey, also maintains a certification program. The BWFA's certification offerings are primarily centered around affiliations with horseshoeing schools, whereby the school's instructors certify their own students after they have completed a program of eight or more weeks. Since farrier certification is voluntary, farriers must make individual choices about their participation in any of these programs. Furthermore, since most consumers are unaware of farrier certification programs and seldom ask whether a farrier is certified or not, there's generally no significant external pressure for a farrier to pursue certification. Nevertheless, thousands of farriers participate in the AFA's certification programs, spending money, time, and effort on continuing education and preparation for these exams as well as in taking the exams. In the AFA, almost 2000 members have completed all the requirements and attained Certified Farrier status, with over 800 of those having gone on to complete their Certified Journeyman Farrier examinations. So what motivates a farrier to spend hours upon hours practicing and studying, to spend thousands of dollars travelling to test sites, to put reputation and pride on display in front of his/her peer group, and to generally suffer through a testing process fraught with anxiety? How about commitment, professionalism, confidence, and a general desire to excel within their chosen profession! |
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