In your search for a good farrier, you come across Hank and David.  From their profiles that follow, which one is the best farrier?

     Hank is fifty-something and has been shoeing horses for over twenty-five years.  Every horseman in the area knows Hank and Hank knows a little bit about every horseman in the area.  Hank's rasp, at one time or another, has touched the hooves of the majority of the horses in the county.  Hank shoes everything from ponies to draft horses, roadside plodders to show ring performers.  Hank is friendly and can tell a great story.  Because he is popular, his regular customers sometimes find it hard to get an appointment with him when they really need help and it usually takes Hank about a week or so to get to a horse when it loses a shoe.  Hank is a self-taught farrier; he didn't go to farrier's school and doesn't care much for anatomy and physiology discussions.  His shoeing style tends toward the long toe, low heel.  Hank shoes six or more days a week and charges about $45 per shoeing, but it depends how long a person has been his customer.

     David, 37 and previously a roofer, graduated from a comprehensive farrier program eight years ago, set up a practice in his home state for five years, then relocated to the same county as Hank.  David attends all of the farrier conferences, seminars, and workshops that he can afford.  He reads the three farrier industry publications and keeps up with the latest in hoof care technology.  David voluntarily submitted for testing by the American Farrier's Association and has recently earned the Journeyman Certified Farrier designation.  David is very businesslike: he is punctual and reliable; he talks very little before, during, or after his work; when finished shoeing, he makes an appointment with the client for the next visit.  David researches new products and techniques and when appropriate, he offers to try them on his client's horses.  His shoeing style is based on balancing the hoof.  David schedules appointments for four days each week, which leaves the fifth day for overflow and emergencies.  He charges his regular customers $65 per shoeing, new and one-time customers $75 per shoeing.

     So, who do you think is the best farrier, Hank or David?  It's kind of a trick question because it depends on your horse involvement, your priorities, and your budget.  Choosing a farrier depends on your level of riding, your event, and your horse's specific shoeing requirements.  Since you want to give your horse the very best care you can, no matter what you use him for, investing your time in a thorough farrier search is very worthwhile.  After all, your farrier can help preserve the usefulness of your horse.

 INTEREST AND PRIDE.
    A farrier should be a true craftsman, one who has genuine interest and pride in his work.  He should look at each hoof that he prepares and shoes as one that will bear his trademark and demonstrate the quality of his work.  A keen farrier wants to keep informed of the latest research and developments in hoof care technology.  A farrier that does not stay updated is outdated.

 GOOD TIME MANAGEMENT.
    Because a farrier must usually be the secretary, accountant, and chief laborer in his small operation, he must be a good business manager.  Time is one of his most valuable assets and it must be properly managed.  In order to be successful, a farrier must be organized when making and keeping appointments.  A farrier who is not dependable or punctual can cause unnecessary inconveniences and frustrations for horse owners and his negligence can result in irregular care for his client's horses.  A horseshoer must be careful to not pack his schedule so full that he gets in a hurry because then he will not do his best work.  If he fills the entire week with appointments, or gets behind schedule because of excessive visiting, then he has no time left for emergencies such as replacing lost shoes.

 GOOD HORSE HANDLING.
    In order to get along with the variety of horses belonging to clients, a farrier must understand and be comfortable using standard methods of horse handling.  Although a farrier needs to remain flexible to the different ways of doing things at various barns, he should never consent to work in unsafe conditions or work on an untrained or unmannerly horse.  A big part of his being a good horseman is knowing when to say NO when a client presents an unruly horse for him to shoe.

 GOOD COMMUNICATION.
    Story telling is not a prerequisite to being a good horseshoer but being able to explain hoof care principles and management to owners is important.  You should be able to ask your farrier what thrush is and get a thorough, intelligent, and accurate answer.  After all, that is supposed to be his area of expertise - the health and care of the hooves.  If the answer to "what is thrush" is "black gook and you don't want it", then you haven't really learned anything you didn't know.  Although your farrier doesn't have the time to teach you everything he has learned, he should be able to give you a good answer and then refer you to books or articles that deal with the topics that concern or interest you.

 APPROPRIATE SKILL LEVEL.
    Just as there are all levels of horsemen, there are all levels of practicing horseshoers as well - from very basic, self-taught individuals to thoroughly educated, high-tech farriers.  Horses with abnormal hoof problems will require the experience and skill of an upper-echelon farrier.  When an inexperienced horseshoer is faced with quarter cracks, run-under heels, laminitis, or navicular syndrome, he may not know what to do or what he tries may make the situation worse.
 The greater the performance demands are on a horse, the more precise his shoeing needs to be.  The backyard pleasure horse with normal hooves may get along very well with shoes put on by a farrier who has only very basic (but acceptable) skills.  However, when that horse is headed into the barrel-racing arena, over a hunter course, or on an endurance ride, his shoeing requirements may become much more specialized.

PRICE.
    With farriery, as with many other things, you usually get what you pay for.  Although the price of a standard shoeing (four keg shoes) can vary from over $100 to less than $25, the national average is about $50.  Prices vary regionally with West Coast farrier fees being the highest, followed by the southeast, the East Coast, the Midwest, the west, and the southwest.  Within a region, the variation in prices among farriers will be based on their level of experience, education, skill, demand, and location.
 While the above factors are important when selecting a farrier, the following characteristics do not determine whether a farrier is a skilled professional or not.
 How good-looking he is.
 How much chrome he has on his truck.
 Who he knows.
 How many stories he tells between horses.
 How hard he is to get a hold of.
 How many years he has been shoeing.
 How many designer labels he has on his clothes.

FINDING THE GOOD FARRIER

     There are several ways you can go about finding a good farrier.  You'll probably have to use a combination of the following methods to find the farrier most perfectly suited to your needs.

 ADVERTISEMENTS.
    You should not rely solely on printed advertisements in your search for a farrier because the only advertisement some of the best farriers use or need is word of mouth.  And while some of the farriers that you see in advertisements may be very qualified to handle your horse's shoeing needs, others are not worth the risk of testing out on your horse as they may create long-term problems for you.   A farrier that is actively soliciting more clients will advertise in newspapers or local horse publications or will put up notices on bulletin boards in feed stores, tack shops, and stables.  Start you farrier resource list by jotting down the names and phone numbers of those who advertise.  You can also collect business cards or newspaper ads.  Keep all of your information in a notebook so that you can add to your list as you go through your selection process.  Never base your selection of a farrier solely on advertising.  I recommend that you primarily use a combination of the following three ways to find a good farrier.

CERTIFICATION.
    There are many horseshoeing schools in the United States.  Some issue a certificate or diploma after a student has completed the course.  Some farriers who have attended these schools will list "certified farrier" or "graduate farrier" after their name to indicate that they have been to school and have received a certificate.

     Joe and John both call themselves certified farriers because they both received a certificate.  Joe attended a twelve-month program at the Equine Podiatry Institute of America.  John attended a two-week program at the Podunk Foot School.  You can imagine the difference in Joe and John's education in terms of thoroughness of detail and quality of training.  But if they both advertise themselves as certified farriers, how would you know the difference?

     To help standardize the skill level ratings of farriers (no matter what school they attended) the American Farrier's Association has developed a means of testing and certifying farriers by using identical exams and testing procedures across the country.  A farrier who has passed one of the AFA examinations can list his credentials as "AFA Certified Farrier" or "AFA Journeyman Certified Farrier".  Although AFA membership and testing open to any farrier, less than half of the farriers in the US belong to the AFA.      Applicants are required to pass written shoeing and veterinary-related exams as well as demonstrate shoeing skills in practical exams.  Currently there are three examination levels offered by the AFA: the Intern Classification, the Certified Farrier, and the Journeyman Certified Farrier.

     The Intern Classification indicates one who has graduated from formal horseshoeing training, has completed an apprenticeship, or has otherwise progressed in elementary skills and knowledge of horseshoeing.  This is NOT a certification that indicates a qualified farrier.  The intern classification written examination covers horseshoes and nails (40%), anatomy of bones, tendons, and ligaments (20%), physiology (20%), pathology (10%), and gaits and movement problems (10%).

     The practical exam consists of shoeing and presenting a horseshoe collection.  The shoeing is based on the examiner's evaluation of the applicant's skill at shoeing two feet.  The shoeing job is judged on hoof preparation, shoe preparation and fit, and nailing, clinching, and finishing.  The applicant is allowed plenty of time to complete the shoeing as the emphasis at the intern level is on correct techniques.  The shoe collection which must be presented by the intern candidate should demonstrate that the farrier has the ability and knowledge to alter shoes for specific purposes.

     The Certified Farrier candidate must have a minimum of one year of practical experience and must meet the basic standard of horseshoeing knowledge and skill to be designated a qualified farrier.  The written exam consists of more advanced questions related to the topics covered in the intern exam.  The practical exam consists of shoeing two hooves and presenting a shoe collection.  The Certified Farrier applicant has one hour to shoe the two hooves.

     The requirements of the Certified Farrier's horseshoe collection may include clips, a rolled toe, a rocker toe, a hind shoe with extended heels, a bar shoe, a shoe to raise hoof angle, a shoe with a pad, and two types of traction devices.  The candidate must be able to discuss and/or demonstrate the use of any shoe in his collection and must be able to prepare any of the shoes to fit a particular hoof or pattern as presented by the examiner.

     The Journeyman Certified Farrier candidate must have a minimum of two years experience, must have passed the Certified Farrier examinations, and must have demonstrated a superior level of knowledge related to horseshoeing.  The Journeyman written exam covers the anatomy and physiology of the limb and hoof in great detail.  The first part of the practical exam requires shoeing all four hooves of a horse in two hours with handmade shoes; toe clips on the fronts and quarter clips on the hinds.  Part two of the practical exam requires forging and fire-welding a bar shoe to fit a pattern or hoof as provided by the examiner.

     The AFA maintains an updated directory of farriers' names, addresses, phone numbers, and level of certification.  By contacting the AFA (American Farrier's Association, 4089 Iron Works Pike, Lexington, Kentucky 40511) you can obtain the names of the AFA Certified and Certified Journeyman Farriers in your area.  However, since over half of the farriers in the United States are not members of the AFA, if you rely solely on the farriers list from the AFA, you may miss finding a very talented and capable farrier who may live just down the road from you.  So, take the list you began compiling from advertisements and add the AFA farriers to it.  Now you are ready to begin the most revealing portion of your research.

     RECOMMENDATIONS. 

When you ask people who their farrier is, you are likely to get an overwhelmingly enthusiastic recommendation.  For some reason, most horse-owners have a very strong allegiance to their farriers whether there is rational basis for their devotion or not.  That is why I am going to recommend that you speak with nine different people before you formulate your master list.  Talk to three people in each of the following three groups.

     Group 1:  Veterinarians.  Beginning with your own veterinarian, ask him which farriers he has worked with.  Ask how capable and open-minded he felt the farrier was in solving problems with a veterinarian.  Ask if the farrier worked well with the owner in developing and implementing management that would help deal with hoof problems.  Ask your veterinarian to name both the farriers he recommends and those he does not recommend.  Then ask two other equine veterinarians in your area to tell you what farriers they have worked with.  Take notes on your farrier resource list.

     Group 2: Professional trainers, instructors, stable managers, or breeders.  Ask the professional horsemen in your community which farriers they have had experiences with and which ones they currently employ.  Don't take one person's opinion so strongly that after you hear his or her testimony you either cross a farrier off your list or put five stars by his name.  Just keep adding data to your list, including details such as, "never on time", "my horses are always ready to go right into the show ring", or "he's hard to get along with".  Ask how long it takes for various farriers to replace lost shoes; if a horse has ever been lame right after shoeing and what the farrier did about it; if the farrier works well with the farm veterinarian; if the farrier gets along well with horses.

     Group 3:  Horse owners.  Choose three horse owners that are very similar to the type of horse person you are or aspire to be.  If you are a casual trail rider, it would be inappropriate to ask a gaited show-ring rider for his or her farrier recommendations.  So, find three people who follow the same level of management that you do and ride as frequently as you do in similar activities and ask them the same sorts of questions that you asked the people in Group 2.  Add more notes to your farrier resource list.

     By now, you should have a notebook bursting full of valuable personal recommendations.  Now you need to summarize.  It should become fairly obvious which farriers automatically rise to the top and which have stayed at the bottom during your entire survey.  Try to narrow your list down to 3 or 4 names that kept coming up repeatedly in a very positive way.  Also, while the information is fresh in your mind, make a secondary list of all other names which didn't have negative things associated with them, but which did not come up with as much frequency as those on your top list.  You may need this secondary list sometime in the future, so compile it now in your estimated order of preference for later reference.  Now you need to either speak in person or on the phone to your top farrier choices.

 INTERVIEW.
    When you think about it, when you hire a farrier to work on your horse, he or she becomes an employee of yours, so you have every right to request background information.  Some farriers have a biographical sheet that they give to prospective clients that lists their education, experience, and rates.  If not, you can ask pertinent questions related to the school that the farrier attended, how long he has been shoeing, and what areas of specialty he has.  If you are interested in riding reining horses, you'd better be sure your farrier knows about sliding plates; if you will be raising foals, he'd better understand the developmental process of the young horse's limbs.  If you present your questions in a courteous, respectful manner, no farrier should take such inquiries as an affront.  If he does, it may tell you something about how the two of you will get along.  Besides getting a feeling about a farrier's level of expertise and his manner, a brief telephone or personal interview will also allow you to find out his rates and scheduling procedures, two very important business details that must be clearly discussed to prevent misunderstandings.  Once you have found the farrier that suits your needs, here's how to keep him.

KEEPING THE GOOD FARRIER

    First of all, get to know your farrier's preference for handling appointments.  Scheduling is the most common problem in getting continuous farrier service.  Does he like to schedule a definite appointment seven weeks in advance?  If so, do either of you have to phone to confirm the appointment the day before or do you just assume both parties will be responsible enough to show up?  What happens if one of you misses the appointment?  Does the farrier require the owner or someone to be present when he is working?

     Perhaps the farrier prefers you to call him as you need him?  If so, when should you call?  Three weeks ahead or one day ahead?  You'd better get an idea of how long after you call you can expect to see him.  If you have a large number of horses or if your horses differ greatly in their shoeing schedules, perhaps it would be best to arrange for your farrier to come to your farm on a particular morning each week unless otherwise notified.

     When you are on the phone confirming an appointment with your horseshoer, have an accurate list for him of what you need done such as two to shoe all around, three broodmares and one yearling to trim.  If your needs happen to change before your appointment, have the courtesy to call him so he can adjust the rest of that day's schedule accordingly.

     Also, mention any special problems that your horses may have so that your shoer can be sure to have necessary supplies on hand when he visits.  Although some shoers trucks look like veritable stores with their inventory of shoes, pads, nails, and accessories all pigeonholed and categorized, if your horse has unusually large or small feet or needs quarter crack repair or some other specialized care, he may require supplies that your farrier does not normally carry with him.

     Discuss payment arrangements with your farrier.  Some farriers use a monthly billing system, especially with larger barns or with clients that have a large number of horses.  However, most farriers require payment at time of services, so if you will not be there in person, arrange to leave a check to pay the farrier for his work.  That way you will be ensured of continued farrier services.

     All horses that are scheduled for work should be readily available before the farrier arrives.  They can be tied or cross-tied in the barn or in nearby stalls or small pens conveniently located to the working area.  The shoeing area should have a secure place to safely tie horses at a level above the height of their withers.  The area should be well lighted, uncluttered, and level.  Some shoers like to work on a concrete slab, others on a rubber mat.  A rocky paddock or a barn aisle full of potholes does not allow your horse or your farrier stand level.

     Although direct sunlight helps your shoer see what he is doing, hot summer sun can be extremely fatiguing.  Provide shade and shelter for summer as well as for winter work.  Besides making your farrier happy, you will be making your horses more comfortable and cooperative as well.

     The area where the farrier works should not be like Grand Central Station.  Shoeing in the crossties in a barn aisle can be a real nightmare if traffic in and out of stalls requires the farrier to constantly move the horse he is working on.

     A place where the farrier can concentrate on his work without interruptions will enable him to do his best work.  Children and dogs have no place in the farrier area.  When an owner is yelling "Skippy, Skippy, Skippy, NO!" at the tops of her lungs at a dog who suddenly appears underfoot to sneak a hoof trimming, the horse may think he is the one being yelled at and problems can result.  The nearby operation of noisy machines such as motorcycles, snow machines, snow blowers, weed eaters, and chain saws can certainly be scheduled at a time other than when the farrier is working.

     If your horses have come out of muddy lots, be sure to clean them, especially their shoulders, hindquarters, and legs.  Also, scrape and then wipe the mud off the hooves rather than hosing them off.  Clean, dry hooves are much better for the farrier to work on than slippery, soggy hooves.  Make things nice for your farrier and chances are that he or she will respond in kind.

     Your horse must be trained to be cooperative about having his legs handled and his hooves worked on.  It is your responsibility to present your farrier with a well-mannered horse.  Although it helps if you tell the farrier beforehand about any idiosyncrasies your horse has, the farrier does not have the time, nor is it in his job description, to be a horse trainer.  He expects and deserves cooperative horses to work on.

     Will each and every one of your horses pick up any leg at any time and hold it up for at least 3-4 minutes?  All this and not pull it away, or jerk nervously, or lean?  Although this sounds very simple, you would be surprised how many horses do not have good manners about having their legs handled.  A horse should not need to be forced into submission for shoeing  - he should be properly trained beforehand.  And under no circumstance should any person ever be put in the position to have to leg wrestle with a horse.  If you are having trouble with your horse's manners, don't expect your farrier to take care of the problem.  Hire a professional trainer - that is what they do for a living.

  Now here are some DOs and DON'Ts for the actual farrier visit.

     DO offer to hold your horses rather than tie them if it is their first time for trimming or shoeing, but
     DON'T feel offended if your offer is rejected.  Your farrier may prefer to work alone with the horse tied.
     DO have plenty of fly repellent on hand, but
     DON'T wait until your farrier's visit to acquaint your horse with a spray bottle.
     DO introduce your dogs to your farrier but
     DON'T let your dogs loose while the farrier is working.
     DO tell your horseshoer the name, age, and use of each horse (and you may continue and tell about each ribbon he's won, the time he went through the fence, the first time you showed him a pig....) but
     DON'T expect him to really listen or to carry on a conversation.  He is there for one reason  - to provide a professional service that allows you to participate in your favorite horse activities.
     DO pay attention to your horse's behavior, but
     DON'T take your nervous horse for a hike down the gravel driveway on freshly trimmed feet while the farrier is shaping a shoe.
     DO discuss stable management and hoof care with your farrier.  Ask him about the symptoms of problems he may see in your horse's feet and listen to his recommendations to remedy them, but
     DON'T expect miracles from your farrier.  If you bought a horse that had been neglected for two years, or if you have a horse with crooked legs, or if you board at a stable that only cleans stalls once a week, don't think that your farrier has a magic rasp that can cure cracks, founder, conformation flaws, or thrush.  You must work together toward gradual, permanent results.
     DO have your payment in full ready before he leaves and   DON'T make him ask.
     DO offer him a place to wash up and a glass of water.
     DO make an appointment for the next shoeing.

     Finally, one of the best ways to keep a good farrier is to show him that you are genuinely interested in the health of your horse's hooves.  Be a conscientious manager and rider and learn all you can about hoof care and shoeing.  The more knowledgeable you are, the better able you will be to converse with your farrier.  Stay informed by reading specialized articles related to farriery.

     The care of your horse's hooves is a team effort between you, your veterinarian, and your farrier.  Take the time to find a really interested, skilled farrier, then treat him like the professional he is and you will likely be able to retain his good services.

by Joanna Goodall