I’m often asked how I would define farrier competency. “What should a competent farrier look like?” “How will I know one when I see one?” In the British Isles, they would call such a person “a qualified farrier.”

The way a person starts out is generally the way he or she ends up. Attitude is nearly as important as talent. We see this with students at the Butler Professional Farrier School. Those persons that get the highest scores on exams, and become the most successful farriers after graduation, almost always are those that are internally motivated by a strong desire to learn and be of service to others.  Those that require someone else to motivate them, and dare others to teach them something, rarely become competent.

We have found that the state or country of origin, the age, or the sex of the student is not as important as possessing a strong desire to learn. We have had excellent students in all these categories. Horse experience is probably the most important prerequisite. I will refer to the competent farrier hereafter as a he for ease of writing, but we have had many outstanding female students.

Be aware that the passing of certification exams or membership in farrier organizations is not as important as the preparation and commitment to excellence that motivates a person to take an exam. Most horsemen don’t realize the effort and practice it takes to pass a craft exam. Therefore, the main benefit is to the craftsman who challenges himself to do it, puts in the time to make a good job of it, and thereby increases his competency. You, as the client, are directly benefited by getting a more competent farrier and a higher standard of work done on your horses.

First and foremost a competent farrier must know horses. This takes time. That’s why we recommend horse experience before farrier school and apprenticeship afterward. A competent farrier (or any horse professional) should know the horse inside and out. He should know anatomy or structure vocabulary and the physiology or function of the structures. He should recognize effective horse training methods, proper horse nutrition, and what constitutes humane care for horses. To advise the owner, he should know when a horse needs to be shod and how and when it only needs trimming. He should be aware of the top horses and the top people in his specialized breeds and disciplines. He should know the ideal conformation and gaits of these horses and the methods to achieve the best performance in these various disciplines. In other words, he should be able to “talk the talk.”

A competent farrier must be able to do the work. Farrier work is hard work and not everyone has the capacity to do it. The farrier must have the required tools and know how to use his tools to create a solution to foot problems. He must balance the feet and be mindful that he is shoeing the whole horse, not just the feet. He needs to be able to explain what he is doing and why. In addition to carrying an inventory of materials needed to solve foot problems, he must be able to make or modify a hoof or shoe in any situation. He should be capable of following instructions from the horse owner and veterinarian. He should be able to convince owners and vets of the merit of the technique he recommends to help the horse. In other words, he should be able to “walk the walk.”

A competent farrier must know business. He needs to run a sustainable business that will be around at least as long as you own the horse. This requires self-discipline, since the farrier is self-employed and is, in fact, the business. He keeps accurate records and knows his costs. He makes and honors appointments. He returns phone calls and is available during business hours to answer questions, especially when a new horse has been purchased. He is constantly learning by studying, attending selected clinics, and practicing to master his craft in order to be a reliable resource for you, the horse owner.

A competent farrier must have character, not just be a character. He must be clean, courteous and respectful. He is free of addictive habits that adversely affect his business and relationship with you, the client. (He understands that today’s health-conscious clients do not appreciate those who are not.) He must know his limits and be willing to refer cases to more advanced practitioners when necessary. If you move away with your horse(s), a good farrier will help you find a competent farrier in your new area.

This is what I think a competent farrier looks like. I believe a number of the problems confronting our industry at this time are due to the fact that not enough farriers fit this profile. If you are fortunate enough to have a farrier like I’ve described, you will want to do your part to keep him or her happy!

Farrier work is a craft skill. It takes many years to master any craft. Farrier school is only the beginning. You must study and practice to become competent. You must train your eyes, your brain, and your motor nerves and muscles to do this precision work. You must obtain the knowledge and develop the skills of a competent farrier. This means you know your craft and are no longer struggling.

There is a shortage of competent farriers. Many are practicing with inadequate training and experience. The only reason more horses aren’t lame is because most horses are very forgiving of farrier error. Following are skills that are essential. If you don’t have these, the horse owner will look for one who does. Your possession of these traits raises the cost of switching to a new farrier.

1) You must be able to balance a foot. To do this you must take into consideration the horse’s conformation, gait, use and environment. You must position your eyes perpendicular to the plane you desire to assess. You must be able to project the ideal on to and compare it to each foot you work on. You must be able to recognize and describe balance. You must be capable of compensating for imbalance.

2) You must be able to use the trimming tools to achieve balance. Keep your tools sharp and well maintained. Replace them when they are worn out. Practice making over lapping cuts with your nippers to create a level hoof that requires very little rasping. Remove hoof distortion or flares with your rasp. Trim hooves and fit shoes so there is no sole pressure. Round the edges of hooves that are to be left barefoot.

3) You must be able to select or make and fit shoes to the trimmed and dressed hoof. Shoe fitting skill is often lacking in practicing farriers. You must see the hoof shape first before you can accurately fit to it. Visualize and shape starting with the toe and move toward the heels. Shaping shoes accurately is aided by the forge. You must learn where on the anvil to hold the shoe to make precise adjustments. Even well made machine made shoes must be altered to fit individual feet. A well fit shoe is easy to nail accurately.

4) You must know the anatomy and physiology of the horse’s foot. You must know the foot and what’s in it. You must know how it works, what can go wrong, and what may be done to fix it. You must learn the vocabulary, the form and the position of the structures. You should know the foot as well or even better than the vet. You must become a respected foot specialist.

5) You must be aware of foot abnormalities and be able to accommodate them by forging alterations in shoes. You should be able to recognize abnormal conformation of the foot and limb. You should know the common foot diseases and what the vet can do to treat them medically and how you can treat them mechanically with various therapeutic shoes. You must be efficient in your use of the forge to make and alter shoes.

6) You must be able to explain what is needed to the horse owner and veterinarian and convince them of its value. You must know anatomy and a specialized industry vocabulary so that you can adequately explain a problem and present options for them to choose. After they have chosen and committed to the agreed-upon course of action, you must continually remind and convince them of the value of such a course.

7) You must be able to run a sustainable business. To do this you must exercise self-discipline. Don’t waste your resources. Keep accurate and honest records. Live by a schedule. Plan ahead so you can be on time for appointments. Communicate your expectations. Guard your health. Thank people for their business. Be an information resource. Do those things that will keep your clients happy.

This is what I think a competent farrier should be able to do. I believe a number of the problems in our industry are ones that poorly prepared farriers have brought upon themselves. They are not doing any or all of these things to a high standard. As a result, farriers have an image of ignorance. I hope you will commit to changing that image by resolving to be a professional farrier and master your craft!