Selection of a Good Farrier

© Ray Miller

"How do I select a good farrier?" At the clinics I attend I'm asked this question quite a few times. It's both a simple and a difficult question to answer. The reason is that we have such a range in the knowledge that farriers, horse shoers, iron hangers, or platers possess. As most people know, there are no state or federal requirements for certification of farriers, horse shoers, iron hangers or platers. Therefore, a person who wants to earn income from the trimming and shoeing of horses needs only to run an advertisement or tell a few people that they are a farrier, buy a few tools and they are in business.

The different farrier associations all have various requirements to rate and grade farriers. This helps a bit. It may show that a farrier knows how to make shoes. It may show that the farrier knows the anatomy of the horse. But does it guarantee that the farrier knows the proper application of a shoe or the mechanics of the horse. It may not show that the farrier knows what is normal and what is abnormal in the horse. Do these tests show that the farrier understands the pathogenesis of lameness? Do these tests and ratings show that the farrier understands all the subsystems of the horse and how these subsystems, if abnormal, can affect the balance and movement of the horse? Do these tests show the riding ability of the farrier and the understanding that the rider plays in the balance and movement of the horse? Do these tests show that the Farrier understands the "Form to Function" of the horse? These are questions that owners and trainers needs answered. How do you find the correct answer then? Other than, "it looks like a nice job"?

Start by educating yourself about the horse and the trimming and shoeing of the hooves. There are alot of good books on the subject. You can learn that a lot of vertical cracks, toe and quarter, are due to imbalance in the hoof. You can learn about conformation and performance of the horse -- what is normal and what is really abnormal for the horse. You can learn the anatomy of the horse. You can learn how radiographs play a very important part in getting your horse correctly trimmed and shod. You can learn the capabilities and limitations of your horse due to his conformation. Education on your part is key. With this knowledge you can ask questions of your farrier. See if what the farrier tells you makes sense.

I will inject a word of caution here: Be sure you are getting your information from accurate and knowledgeable sources, ie: books by knowledgable full-time professional farriers or farriery articles by full-time professional farriers. Try books and articles by equine lameness veterinarians. Articles by people holding degrees in Equine Science, BS, MS and PhD's. Use the Internet site www.horseshoes.com. Don't rely on your neighbors or part-time trainers. A lot of lay people have a hard time understanding what is correct and what is not correct. They may be wanting to trim and shoe for the stopwatch and the judge. This is usually not always correct for the horse.

Your horse is your next source as to whether your farrier's work is correct or incorrect. Yes, your horse will tell you. Do you have quarter or toe cracks that tend not to grow out? Then the hoof out of balance. Is the horse short and choppy in its movement, poor collection or extension? Check and see if the horse's back is sore. Does the horse walk off tender footed after being trimmed or shod? A horse should NEVER be sore when the farrier has finished. Does your horse have flares on the front and/or back hooves? A horse that is properly balanced with the leg under the horse, where it needs to be, will not develop flares 99% of the time and will not need to be trimmed from the top side of the hoof . Is there ample wall/horn all the way around the hoof? By ample I mean 1/8th to 3/8ths of an inch of wall/horn, in some cases more. Does the size of the hoof match the size of the horse! Are the heels wide apart or are they contracted? If contracted, you have a problem. Is the bottom of the hoof concave? If not, the farrier may be paring too much live sole I away. A horse should be trimmed down to the live sole, not into it. Radiographs of the hoof will help you to understand this. A lot of horses develop a double sole because the bars have not been trimmed out.

Learn what a healthy balanced hoof should look like. Learn what the frog is used for and then look for that nice large frog that is clean and contacts the ground.

Next, check out the farrier. Ask for references, ie: other clients, trainers, vets. Ask to see any certification or memberships in farrier associations. The Guild of Professional Farriers, American Farriers Association, Brotherhood of Working Farriers. Ask the number of years that the farrier has been working. Find out if the farrier is a full-time professional working at least forty hours a week year round. The Guild of Professional Farriers requires at least four years of full-time practice in addition to any schooling. Find out if the farrier has any college degrees in Farrier Science or Equine Science. Ask if the farrier has a shop. Does he collects sale tax as required by state law. Ask if the farrier carries any type of insurance to protect both you, your horse and the farrier. See if the farrier carries workers comp-insurance. Remember, a full-time professional will conduct his business like a professional and will have all the necessary tools, equipment, insurance and business practices that will let you know the farrier is a full-time professional.

I might add here that a lot of full-time professional farriers may or may not belong to one of the farrier associations. However, if that farrier has been in business full time for at least 10 years, has a good client base, and can give you references, that farrier may be OK. A lot of the old timers in their 50's and 60's learned to shoe from master farriers. At that time there were no farrier associations, so they just never joined.

Someone just out of shoeing school is not always your best bet when selecting a farrier. They have just scratched the surface of the information and knowledge needed to be a competent farrier.

Remember that a full-time professional will see a lot more horses than a part-time farrier, and will therefore have a better understanding of the horse -- what is normal, what is abnormal, balance, collection and extension. You should also understand that gauges are a tool to help the farrier, but that each leg-bone column and hoof is an individual and may be trimmed/shod differently from the others. Horses are not cars that all four hooves will necessarily match like all four tires.

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