Qualifications
In the United Kingdom, it is illegal for people other than registered farriers to call themselves a farrier or to carry out any farriery work under the Farriers (Registration) Act 1975. The primary aim of the Act is to "prevent and avoid suffering by and cruelty to horses arising from the shoeing of horses by unskilled persons".
In the United States, however, farriery is not regulated, no legal certification exists, and consumers must inform themselves of a farrier's qualifications. Three organizations, the American Farrier's Association (AFA), the Guild of Professional Farriers (GPF), and the Brotherhood of Working Farriers (BWFA) maintain voluntary certification programs for U.S. farriers. Of these, the AFA's program is the largest with approximately 2800 certified farriers. Additionally, the AFA program has a reciprocity agreement with the Farrier Registration Council and the Worshipful Company of Farriers in the UK.
Within the certification programs offered by the AFA and the GPF, all farrier examinations are conducted by peer panels. The farrier examinations for both organizations are designed so that qualified farriers may obtain a formal credential indicating they meet a meaningful standard of professional competence as determined by technical knowledge and practical skills examinations, length of field experience, and other factors.
The Brotherhood of Working Farriers Association (BWFA) offers four levels of certification: 1. BWFA Apprentice II Certification 2. BWFA Journeyman I Certification 3. BWFA Journeyman II Certification 4. BWFA Master Farrier Certification
The American Farriers Association (AFA) offers four levels of certification: 1. AFA Farrier Classification 2. Certified Farrier (AFA CF) 3. Certified Tradesman Farrier (AFA CTF) 4. Certified Journeyman Farrier (AFA CJF)
The Guild of Professional Farriers offer three levels of registration: 1. Registered Farrier 2. Registered Journeyman 3. Registered Master Farrier
Many farriers who have received a certificate of completion for attending a farrier school or course will represent themselves as being "certified".
Read more about this topic: Farrier