FOXTAIL FORGE & FARRIERY
DANVERS CHILD, CF, RJF

If a vet passes enough tubes,s/he'll bloody a nose; likewise, if a farrier nails on enough shoes, s/he'll quick a horse. If a vet hits a vein with the wrong medication, s/he'll drop a horse graveyard dead; if a farrier "takes off too much foot," the horse will have some discomfort for a relatively short period of time. In effect, short of freak accidents, a farrier is seldom involved in activities which are comparable to those that a vet deals with on a daily basis. We generally deal with performance issues, not life and death issues. When we are involved in therapeutic work of that nature, we're typically engaging in an activity which falls under a given state's veterinary practice law, and subsequently we're working--or should be--as part of a team which includes an attending veterinarian.

This is not to diminish the importance or significance of what we do. And it's not a way of saying that we shouldn't be accountable for what we do. Instead, it's intended to point out the problems of establishing a measurement and evaluation system for determining farrier accountability, especially one predicated upon veterinary practice.

The temptation is to compare us to veterinarians, but--since we're more often talking about performance issues rather than health and injury issues--a better comparison would be with trainers or educators, those who influence and/or maintain a horse's performance and seek to achieve optimum performance. Since our tools and techniques are tangible, however, we're typically not thought of in that manner.

If you accept this analogy--comparing farriers to trainers rather than vets--the issue of accountability becomes much cloudier. For one thing, it's as much art and craft as it is science. You'll look long and hard to find funded research facilities and institutions devoted to farrier science, and the number of valid, true experiments (i.e., long-term, replicable studies involving experiment and control subjects) that deal with horseshoeing and/or farrier practices is virtually null (outside of therapeutic issues, it probably is null).

Likewise, if you accept the analogy--comparing farriers to educators rather than vets--you realize (lack of professionalism aside) that the work a farrier does, or fails to do, is usually evidenced in the long term rather than the short term. Poor shoeing is not going to "make" a horse navicular in two, four, or even ten shoeing cycles, and--in fact--it may never result in such a condition. A young horse can be trimmed perfectly level and have a perfectly balanced hoof and still pop a splint. As with other influential activities, our influence is cumulative and long-term. Subsequently, an accounting method is clouded by a virtually infinite set of factors, and it's difficult and often impossible to determine which ones are relevant and influential and which are irrelevant and superfluous.

There's always some sort of outcry about "back to basics" movements in education because the general public has a feel for what they consider to be the "basics." For some reason, however, the average horse owner doesn't have a feel for the basics of hoof care and maintenance, and they end up feeling they are "at the mercy" of their shoer.

They'll remain at the mercy of the shoer until and unless they get those basics. A good farrier will appreciate the opportunity to educate clients and explain what s/he's doing and why. Additionally, the owner should be willing to attend seminars, read articles and books, and do what s/he can to develop a basic understanding which will enable him/her to evaluate (at a general level) a farrier's work. I'm not suggesting some major undertaking that will require enrolling in a farrier's school; I'm merely suggesting that folks should be as willing to seek information on shoeing as they are on training. An informed client is usually an appreciative and understanding client.

Of course, it's difficult to determine what constitutes "the basics." Because we're talking not only about farrier science, but also about farrier art and craft, individuals will be just that--individual. Subsequently, a large part of learning involves discerning basics from idiosyncrasies. I recently had a new client panic on me when I pulled the hoof forward to "dress" it. Her previous farrier, whom she had used for six years before moving, had told her that a hoof should never be rasped on the outer wall. I really doubt that she was told that, however; instead, I suspect she was warned about rasping or dressing the periople and that she generalized from that. Anyway, you have to learn enough to separate issues of technique and personal preference from issues of right and wrong. For example, one farrier will unhesitatingly set a shoe back yet balk, cringe, and even bad-mouth another who achieves a similar result by chopping a toe off or dubbing it back. The fact that both farriers agree that the hoof needs to be backed up and the breakover set appropriately is the main issue--the rest is aesthetics.

Rather than looking to a bureaucracy for licensing, you must look to credentials, reputation, work ethic, professionalism, etc. Additionally, personality and working relationships come into play. As a general rule, you can expect to pay more for a more competent, more professional service. The best farriers I know are spending a fair amount of money on continuing education, on equipment and inventory that allows them to be prepared for any situation they encounter, and on the tremendous overhead that it takes to be self-employed. The worst farriers I know are driving around doing as many horses as they can as fast as they can at a cheap price. They'll often fit shoes as tight and short as they can so that they don't have to worry about callbacks for lost shoes, and they consider business practice to be complete once they've determined the price of cheap shoes and nails, after which everything is considered profit.

The adage "no foot, no horse" has held on for years because it's generally true. But I've seen horses with well-kept hooves bow tendons, pop splints, break legs, and so on. Likewise, I've seen horses that I considered to be poorly shod, sitting at low angles, wearing short shoes, and staying out of level, yet they go along like the Energizer Bunny and stay sound for years. I can't figure an accountability system out that takes that into account...

If you have questions, please post them on the appropriate Bulletin Board page, and I will answer them there, where they can benefit everyone.

Disclaimer:

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This article was reprinted with the author's, Danvers Child, CF, RJF permission.

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