Pennsylvania Professional Farriers Association
June 1999 Newsletter

The Presidents Letter:

Dear Members,

If you have ever attended a farrier function, you will know what I'm going to talk about, and for good reason. Our trade has come under fire recently and we've spent a good deal of time defending our position, and fighting for our right to keep this an independent business.

We started this organization with the belief that we were not going to make everyone a world's best farrier, but that we were going to make a difference. During the past two years we have reached that goal and surpassed it. There is no magic clinician or book to learn from. It's up to you to have the desire to learn and to teach others. This trade was started by handing down information and by showing each other different techniques. As Bob Scradzio said to me once, "The worlds biggest copy cat is a farrier."

Every time you attend a clinic or function you help support your organization. By attending you also show proof of continuing education and professionalism in a trade that is one of the most rewarding.

PPFA President
William Kiner CF

Anatomy Day at New Bolton Center

The first ever Anatomy Day at New Bolton Center was held on March 27. It was very pleasing to see the large turnout of the PPFA membership. More than 30 members took part in the informative day.

The day began with a lecture on anatomy by Dr. Elaine Hamel. She spoke on the anatomy of the foot and lower leg. Dr. Mark Donaldson was up next to discuss radiographs. He had many films to share with us and the discussion was very informative.

After a short break the group divided to move onto the specimen legs. Todd Meister CJF, DVM prepared a wonderful display of legs and feet. All the legs were labeled and diagramed for display. By following the diagrams and questions listed, we were able to identify all structures of the legs.

After the specimen legs, many of the PPFA's members were recruited for a demonstration. We were asked to give a demonstration on shoe removal to vet students. Volunteers nailed on a shoe then let the students take it off.

Our deepest thanks go out to the crew who put this day together.

Upcoming Events

Craig Trinka to Host Clinic in Mechanicsburg, PA

Plans are being ironed out for a two-day clinic in late September. The two days will focus on forging flat punched shoes along with creased bars. This will be a great warm up for the AFA certification which is also in the works for September.

The clinic will be limited to fifteen people. This small group will insure everyone gets personal attention from Craig. The costs involved will cover your bar stock, one meal per day and the costs for the location. Look for additional info in your mailbox soon.

For any questions or for more information, call Mike Wharton @ 717-938-4323.

PPFA to Hold Fall AFA Certification

Jay Flynn is hard at work to set up for our AFA Certification fall testing. The location may be the Valley Forge Military Academy. There are a large number of horses available to us along with a top notch facility. Look for more information soon.

Welding Clinic

Mark Goodfellow, our newly elected vice president east, will be hosting an informal welding clinic on July 14. The clinic will feature welding techniques with gas along with wire fed mig welders. It will be held at Mark Goodfellow's home which is just outside West Chester, PA. We hope to begin at 4 P.M.

Contact Mark Goodfellow for directions and more info. 610-696-7280.

PPFA Notes

PPFA Committee Chairs

Jay Flynn will be our State Services liaison. He will work with state representative Maryann Daily of Montgomery County. Mrs. Daily is our official representative for all concerns regarding legislation that could affect the PPFA.

Todd Meister will be the PPFA's veterinary liaison. He will work with the PVMA on any issues that could affect the PPFA.

Doug Neilson will be our certification coordinator. He will work with testers and examiners for our upcoming certification tests.

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