September, 1996 Issue of the Forum & Idea Exchange

*** Welcome to the Forum! ***

Still the busy season for us farriers. Finally cooling off a little, so everybody wants their horses shod to ride. Autumn setting in means the usual droning rains added to hooves and pastures already wet from an unusually rainy summer, so some of us are having to make a second career out of replacing shoes lost in the mud. Then there is trying to schedule around the weather, and adding ten minutes or so to each horse for mud-removal, and the sun quitting on us earlier every day. It'll be a wonder if any of our SHOE farrier members even find time to read this.

Despite all this, time has been made to accomplish some big things in the farrier industry since the last Forum, and SHOE members have been among the prime movers.

New National Farrier Organization Founded!

On August 10, 1996, farriers from all over the USA gathered at the Hampton Inn in Charlotte, NC to organize a new association for serious working farriers. One that could provide valid, comprehensive field credentials to qualified farriers and promote farriery as a true profession.

SHOE hosted this meeting. SHOE President Jeff Crane and members Marcus Pierce and Mike Stine were active participants. The job of chairman fell to your Forum Editor.

This was far from the rubber-stamp kind of national board meeting many of us have seen before. Delegates had differing opinions of how things should be done, and quite a bit of debate went into hammering out compromises. It was hard work, but after the problems of the past, everyone was determined to do it right this time from the very start.

When the dust settled, we had something that we can all be proud of... The Guild of Professional Farriers. Instead of duplicating the functions of the already well-established American Farriers Association, such as creating a certification system to measure student development and personal achievements, the Guild will be able to concentrate on doing practical things to advance the profession, like creating a comprehensive credential standard that horseowners can rely upon when looking for a qualified farrier.

All Guild Member farriers meet the Registered Journeyman Farrier (RJF) standard. Horseshoers who do not yet have the required skills or experience to enter the Guild can benefit from attending the Guild's events and joining Guild Chapter organizations.

The Guild will elect its first President at the convention in November 1997. Until then Marcus Pierce will serve as Interim Chairman. Dave Millwater is the national Guild Secretary, Henry Heymering of Maryland is the Treasurer, and Jeff Crane is Director for the Region that includes WV, VA, NC, KY, and MD. The Guild's Charter and Bylaws will be published with the November ANVIL Magazine.

Guild of Professional Farriers
P.O. Box 684
Locust, NC 28097

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SHOE Gains Chapter Status

At the Board Meeting during the August 3 SHOE General Membership Meeting, the Board authorized President Crane to petition the Guild to grant chapter recognition to SHOE. On August 10 one of the first actions of the newly invested Guild Board of Directors was to name SHOE as Guild Chapter #1.

Shoe a Horse for Ted Day

Farrier Ted Mays broke his back a few weeks ago and will be out of action for a long time.

Although not a member of SHOE, Ted has been a member of the AFA and NCHA for years, and has shod horses in the Charlotte area for some time.

We all knew that Ted could use a little help, so we came up with Shoe a Horse for Ted day. On September 14, at Providence Equestrian Center in Waxhaw to shoe horses and have the owners make the checks out to Ted.

Farriers Jeff Crane, Marcus Pierce, Billy Barham, Mike Freeman, Bruce Trexler, Roger Hawkins, and Steve Keeney worked on horses and enjoyed the fellowship of the day.

Over $1200 was made for Ted in just a few hours. Pierce Farrier Supply and Delta Horseshoe Co. supplied the shoes and nails.

Billy Barham won the hour of therapeutic muscle massage donated by Claudette Imbriano.

Thanks to all the people who helped and gave of their time.

by Marcus Pierce

~~~~~ SHOE Calendar of Events ~~~~

• Fall Horseowner & Farrier Clinic November 9.
  New Salem Stables Raffle, Iron in the Hat, Demos, Vendors, and more!
  Contact Jeff Crane 704/843-1466
• Guild of Professional Farriers Board Meeting January 22, 1997
  Louisville, KY
  Contact Dave Millwater 704/536-0397
• 1996 Awards Banquet February 6, 1997
  7:00 PM Idlewild Country Club
  $13 per person in advance.
  Keynote speaker to be announced. Cash bar 6-7PM.
  Contact Jeff Crane 704/843-1466 or Marcus Pierce 704/753-4576
• Guild of Professional Farriers National Convention November 1997
  Asheville, NC
  Contact Jeff Crane 704/843-1466

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You can send your print or 3.5" diskette submissions to the Forum through the mail to: Millwater Publishing P.O. Box 461 Locust, NC 28097 Or you can E-mail it directly to me. This paper exists as an avenue for communication for your benefit. We hope you will use it often and well!

S.H.O.E. Guild Chapter Membership Application

--circle one--

• Farriers - $20
• Suppliers - $20
• Veterinarians - $20
• Associations - $20
• Horse owners - $17
• Trainers - $17
• Youth Membership - $10

Please provide your: Name, Phone number, Address, City, State, Zip Code, Date of Birth, and Organizations of which you are a member.

Please make checks payable to: SHOE --send to-- Debi Crane, Secretary, P.O. Box 3531, Matthews, North Carolina, 28106, USA (704) 843-1466

Pierce Farrier Supply

1-800-452-2593

Family owned & operated!

VISA & MC accepted

9705 Pierce Road Indian Trail, NC 28079

Brands carried by Pierce Farrier Supply:
Champion Titanium
St. Croix Forge
Kerckhaert
Iron Works
Dutchtown
JB Aluminum Horseshoes
Farrier's Choice Horseshoes
Emerson
Anvil Brand
Victory
Cooper
Capewell
Mustad
Delta
Equilox
Level-It
DS Tools
GE Tools
W-Brand
Save-Edge
Simonds
Bellota
Castle Plastics, Inc.
Thera-Flex
Sorbathane
ShockTamer

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