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 Expert
Posts: 5290
  
| I just got to thinking about this. Someone asked me if I knew of a reputable certified farrier in their area. They will not let anyone who is not certified touch their horse. I explained that a "Certified" farrier nearly crippled my colt over a 3 year period of time and it took a year of a " Non" certified one to fix the damage. A lady boards her horse at my house that uses a " Certified" farrier and I just cringe whenever i see that person working on a horse. Just out of curiosity I asked about how you would get certified. He told me he went to farrier school in Oklahoma for 9 weeks, but he decided to " Extend" another 3 weeks for personal growth, and explained that most in his class did not extend. THis person had never been raised around horses, owned horses, ridden horses... His sister took english riding lessons when he was younger and he was fascinated by watching her horse get new shoes. Both parents are doctors and sent him to ivy league college that just wasnt for him, so off to farrier school he went and he is now certified. He knows who my farrier is and warned me about using non certified farriers!! And the dangers of doing so. My farrier shoes for some of the top 15 in the rodeo world and flys all over the country sometimes by request of these people to take care of their horses while they are on the road. He was born and raised around horses, has competed his whole life on them, and his family raises and trains top barrel horses. But he is NOT certified.... Just curious... | |
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 Owner of a ratting catting machine
Posts: 2258
| The Oklahoma horse shoing school is a joke.
Five Star horse shoing school is also in Oklahoma, and they're the real deal.
Someone can only be as good as their education and experience. I always ask where they've been, who they shoe for, and how long they've been in business. I want to know what programs they've been in, what their farrier rank is, and if they attend veternarian and farrier seminars. I like to know if they attend competitions, and how they do there. I don't like using the back yard guy, they do more harm than good usually. | |
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 Expert
Posts: 1898
 
| Certification means absolutely nothing to me. Our neighbor kid down the street became "certified" 2 years ago. This kid is afraid of horses, doesn't like them and has absolutely no business around them. He begged and begged me to let him shoe my horses. There was no way on earth I would let him touch my horses with a 10 foot pole! He has crippled more horses in this valley than I care to discuss, because he is cheap and his clients really don't know any better, they keep having him come back. I cringe. My sister has had the liberty of fixing the feet on three different clients horses who suffered the brutality of this guy. That is just one example. A very good friend of mine went to shoeing school and got certified in Montana, he told us that his final exam was to build a 3 degree wedge shoe. He took a keg shoe, tacked a 3 degree pad on it and turned it in, he got an A on his final and was the highest marked guy in the class. Disgraceful.
There is a farrier here who is very good and went to school for it, but before he went to school he learned from his father who was a graduate of one of the most prestigious shoeing schools in the state, when a certificate actually meant something. The kid only went to school for the paper, so he could shoe for people who believe that is what makes a good and reputable farrier.
For me, experience, understanding of conformation, and the mechanics of the foot and leg is far more important than a piece a paper that says you passed a class.
Edited by cyount2009 2016-01-27 12:14 PM
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  Witty Enough
Posts: 2954
Location: CTX | cyount2009 - 2016-01-27 12:11 PM Certification means absolutely nothing to me. Our neighbor kid down the street became "certified" 2 years ago. This kid is afraid of horses, doesn't like them and has absolutely no business around them. He begged and begged me to let him shoe my horses. There was no way on earth I would let him touch my horses with a 10 foot pole! He has crippled more horses in this valley than I care to discuss, because he is cheap and his clients really don't know any better, they keep having him come back. I cringe. My sister has had the liberty of fixing the feet on three different clients horses who suffered the brutality of this guy. That is just one example. A very good friend of mine went to shoeing school and got certified in Montana, he told us that his final exam was to build a 3 degree wedge shoe. He took a keg shoe, tacked a 3 degree pad on it and turned it in, he got an A on his final and was the highest marked guy in the class. Disgraceful. There is a farrier here who is very good and went to school for it, but before he went to school he learned from his father who was a graduate of one of the most prestigious shoeing schools in the state, when a certificate actually meant something. The kid only went to school for the paper, so he could shoe for people who believe that is what makes a good and reputable farrier. For me, experience, understanding of conformation, and the mechanics of the foot and leg is far more important than a piece a paper that says you passed a class.
This ^^^^. | |
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 Miss Laundry Misshap
Posts: 5271
| cranky B4 10am - 2016-01-27 12:21 PM cyount2009 - 2016-01-27 12:11 PM Certification means absolutely nothing to me. Our neighbor kid down the street became "certified" 2 years ago. This kid is afraid of horses, doesn't like them and has absolutely no business around them. He begged and begged me to let him shoe my horses. There was no way on earth I would let him touch my horses with a 10 foot pole! He has crippled more horses in this valley than I care to discuss, because he is cheap and his clients really don't know any better, they keep having him come back. I cringe. My sister has had the liberty of fixing the feet on three different clients horses who suffered the brutality of this guy. That is just one example. A very good friend of mine went to shoeing school and got certified in Montana, he told us that his final exam was to build a 3 degree wedge shoe. He took a keg shoe, tacked a 3 degree pad on it and turned it in, he got an A on his final and was the highest marked guy in the class. Disgraceful. There is a farrier here who is very good and went to school for it, but before he went to school he learned from his father who was a graduate of one of the most prestigious shoeing schools in the state, when a certificate actually meant something. The kid only went to school for the paper, so he could shoe for people who believe that is what makes a good and reputable farrier. For me, experience, understanding of conformation, and the mechanics of the foot and leg is far more important than a piece a paper that says you passed a class. This ^^^^.
And a lot of those pieces of paper can be bought saying you are a member of a farriers association and don't mean squat. | |
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Expert
Posts: 5290
| Thanks all, just making sure I wasnt being to harsh.. and as for the above post on Oklahoma, I have no idea which one he attended. Next time I will ask, if there is a next time.. lol | |
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 Off the Wall Wacky
Posts: 2981
Location: Louisiana | Honestly I couldn't tell you if my farrier is certified or not.
I go by who their other clients are, how their horses perform, etc.
I just changed farriers, mainly for convenience, as the last one went back to a 9-5 job and just doesn't really have time. We were struggling to meet up on a regular basis.
The new guy did change a couple things on my gelding, more technique than anything. He didn't go crazy changing up his angles or anything major. But different people shoe differently. He explained what he changed and why, without bashing the other guy. Time will tell!! Very subtle changes could make a positive, negative, or no difference lol. | |
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 Shelter Dog Lover
Posts: 10277
| None, my farrier learned from his dad who had a reputation as one of the best in Texas. | |
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 Extreme Veteran
Posts: 312
Location: KS | Ive never asked but im almost certain mine is not certified. And he does a really nice job, I keep mine barefoot most of the time and don't mine keeping them trim myself but like to have him come through spring and summer months to keep them up a little nicer. He shows up in a pickup, homemade stand, one small bag of tools. Does a really nice job, and 2nd thing I always look for is someone with patience/kindness towards a horse. If I had the best farrier out there and he's short with the horses, im done.
This is the first farrier Ive seen bring his own fly spray and spray every horse down before he works on them, had him do a colt for me that whose feet hand only been handle a few times, did amazing.
Had a guy I kinda grew up with doing mine before, his patience was short and he eventually got to where he would only work 9-5. No offense to anyone, but i like a farrier thatll work weekends or evenings so i don't have to take off work to meet them, this guy wouldn't meet me even if I hauled (he lived about 5 miles from me which made it worse). | |
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 Firecracker Dog Lover
Posts: 3175
| My farrier happens to be certified but it means nothing to me. He's been around horses his whole life and his wife rides and barrel races for fun. He KNOWS a horse's foot, inside and out, and he understands conformation. Those are things that are important to me. | |
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 Expert
Posts: 2135
Location: Somewhere else | I would much rather have experience over a piece of paper. I've had both work on my horses and the 'certified' farriers was a joke. Wanted to dope my horse cause he wouldn't stand completely still for the 30 mins it took him to do just 1 foot. Experience is what counts. Love the farrier I have now, he will work with the horses and he's patient with them. I've seen too many certified farriers dope a horse up and kill it. Nope, take the expeirence. It will save you alot in the long run. | |
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 A Somebody to Everybody
Posts: 41354
Location: Under The Big Sky Of Texas | dakota88 - 2016-01-27 3:16 PM I would much rather have experience over a piece of paper. I've had both work on my horses and the 'certified' farriers was a joke. Wanted to dope my horse cause he wouldn't stand completely still for the 30 mins it took him to do just 1 foot. Experience is what counts. Love the farrier I have now, he will work with the horses and he's patient with them. I've seen too many certified farriers dope a horse up and kill it. Nope, take the expeirence. It will save you alot in the long run.
Wow where do you live to have seen so many horses killed by certified farrier's? Now that is scary.. | |
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The Advice Guru
Posts: 6419
| Up here we have certified farriers whose only schooling was a weekend course. They have the certificate to prove it, and advertise themselves as certified, and charge 40/trim.
I believe word of mouth is better then looking at certification. This goes for anything | |
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Expert
Posts: 3147
| classicpotatochip - 2016-01-27 12:09 PM
The Oklahoma horse shoing school is a joke.
Five Star horse shoing school is also in Oklahoma, and they're the real deal.
Someone can only be as good as their education and experience. I always ask where they've been, who they shoe for, and how long they've been in business. I want to know what programs they've been in, what their farrier rank is, and if they attend veternarian and farrier seminars. I like to know if they attend competitions, and how they do there. I don't like using the back yard guy, they do more harm than good usually.
The Ok State Horseshoeing School in Ardmore is not a joke. I know nothing about the Ok. Horseshoeing School in Purcell. | |
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Industrial Srength Barrel Racer
Posts: 7264
| WrapN3MN - 2016-01-27 12:43 PM
Means nothing to me.
Same here - and I'm SCARED of most of them if that's all they have! | |
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 Fact Checker
Posts: 16572
Location: Displaced Iowegian | Nateracer - 2016-01-27 12:42 PM cranky B4 10am - 2016-01-27 12:21 PM cyount2009 - 2016-01-27 12:11 PM Certification means absolutely nothing to me. Our neighbor kid down the street became "certified" 2 years ago. This kid is afraid of horses, doesn't like them and has absolutely no business around them. He begged and begged me to let him shoe my horses. There was no way on earth I would let him touch my horses with a 10 foot pole! He has crippled more horses in this valley than I care to discuss, because he is cheap and his clients really don't know any better, they keep having him come back. I cringe. My sister has had the liberty of fixing the feet on three different clients horses who suffered the brutality of this guy. That is just one example. A very good friend of mine went to shoeing school and got certified in Montana, he told us that his final exam was to build a 3 degree wedge shoe. He took a keg shoe, tacked a 3 degree pad on it and turned it in, he got an A on his final and was the highest marked guy in the class. Disgraceful. There is a farrier here who is very good and went to school for it, but before he went to school he learned from his father who was a graduate of one of the most prestigious shoeing schools in the state, when a certificate actually meant something. The kid only went to school for the paper, so he could shoe for people who believe that is what makes a good and reputable farrier. For me, experience, understanding of conformation, and the mechanics of the foot and leg is far more important than a piece a paper that says you passed a class. This ^^^^.
Edited by NJJ 2016-01-28 9:17 AM
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Expert
Posts: 5290
| Adding to my thread here hopefully someone will see it. I would REALLY be interested in learning to trim my own horses and even learn to " Tack a shoe back on" that gets lost at a rodeo etc... Not so much learn to shape feet, or anything but kind of learn the basics to get me by in a pinch. lol Any ideas? I guess ask my shoer to teach me... Now I have to find the time.. | |
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 Accident Prone
Posts: 22277
Location: 100 miles from Nowhere, AR | I thought certified meant they had tested with the farrier association, not just completed a course. As far as I know, mine learned from apprenticeships, and doing clinics and competitions. I'm thinking he might be a certified journeyman, but I'm not sure. I do know he worked wonders for some messed up feet from my previous shoer and he tries hard to work with me if I or my vet think something needs tweaked. Been with him almost 3 years now. | |
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 Whack and Roll
Posts: 6342
Location: NE Texas | The fault I see with alot of farriers, is they know more than we do, however they see the horse only once every 6 - 8 weeks vs us seeing them every day. I think that they are often in a rush to get as many customers a day in rather than ensuring a quality job on every horse they encounter and taking the time to measure, then rasp, then measure again to ensure balance both front to back as well as laterally. There are things I have asked my farrier to improve upon, and I also have a hoof stand and a rasp and trim a couple of my horses myself, as most of mine are now barefoot. I don't have any certification, but I try to educate myself and pay very close attention to what i'm doing, measuring the foot, and making sure I have a very balanced foot.
A certificate doesn't prove to me that someone takes pride in their work or that they are conscientous. The proof is in the pudding there for me.
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