Farrier Survey

1. How long have you been shoeing?
a. Recently graduated from horseshoeing school.
b. Less than 5 years.
c. Between 5 - 10 years.
d. Longer than 15 years.

2. What appeals to you most about shoeing horses?
a. Hard work – satisfaction from a good days work.
b. The money
c. Being your own boss.
d. Working with horses

3. How many events a year do you attend that improve your professional development as a farrier?
a. 0
b. 1-2
c. 3 or more
d. Attending events is a waste of time when I could be shoeing.

4. How many sensitive structures are there in the horse's foot?
a. 45
b. 15
c. 10
d. 5

5. How do you deal with unruly horses?
a. Don't do them
b. Have customer contact vet to administer sedation
c. Train horse to stand
d. Be patient, petting the horse in to submission

6. What do you see as benefits for certification?
a owner will pay higher price because of my certification level.
b. More respect from the horse community.
c. I feel more confident.
d. I learn from the preparation before my certification.

7. When I get home from a long day of shoeing horses:
a. I put off doing accounting and paper work and watch television instead.
b. I read and study to improve myself.
c. I go right to sleep.
d. I review the day's work, set goals to improve and work on one more thing to improve myself. before going to sleep.

8. How do you feel when something has gone wrong and the responsibility of a case rests with you?
a. I don’t make excuses.
b. Unfair competition scares me.
c. I learn from my mistakes.
d. I'd rather be a leader than a follower.

9. How do you feel about playing all of the roles in your farrier business?
a. I have all the business skills I need.
b. I'm a people person. What else do I need?
c. I dont know what I need to know. Help!
d. I have most of the skills I need, and know how to find people with those I lack.

10. How do you feel when another farrier critiques your work?
a. I set goals so I can measure my progress.
b. I can do it better than they can anyway.
c. I welcome constructive criticism.
d. I want to hear what others have to say – it is very important to me.

11. When you shape a keg shoe:
a. I make many trips back and forth between the anvil and the horse.
b. I have a good image of the shape of the foot in my mind and can shape the shoe so it fits right the first time.
c. I have trouble “seeing” or locking onto the image of the horse's foot.
d. It takes forever to get the shoe level.

12. When presented with an opportunity to attend a farrier training clinic or seminar:
a. I’ll only go if it is free.
b. I pay whatever price necessary to learn from those I know can teach me.
c. I stay at home and read a book or magazine instead.
d. I only go if my competitors are going.

13. How do you react when a new fad/technique comes out?
a. I cringe and mumble under my breath, “this will set us back another 50 years.”
b. I become upset wondering how I will explain this to my customers.
c. I analyze the new idea from my background. I want to know if it will indeed be beneficial to my customers and how it will affect the anatomical structures of the foot and performance of their horses.
d. I like to try everything. If a company made the product, they must know something about shoeing horses.

14. Do you have a goal or plan when you wish to exit the farrier business?
a. I can’t afford to not shoe horses.
b. I have a retirement plan set up and would like to cut my work load down so I don't have to shoe horses until I can't anymore.
c. I have invested money in other things besides my business that will help me in the future.
d. I wish I would of planned better in the beginning, but I am thinking about it.

15. How do you learn best?
a. Hearing audio CDs or tapes
b. Watching someone else show me how to do it
c. Learning by doing it myself
d. Watching DVDs or Videotapes

16. In what type of teaching situation do you learn best?
a. One on one with mentor
b. In a small group, by participating
c. At a large clinic, by not embarrassing myself
d. By myself with a book

17. When is the most effective time for you to further your professional development?
a. January – March
b. April - June
c. July – September
d. October – December

18. Which areas do you feel you need the most help with?
a. Anatomy, balance, and conformation
b. Forging – shoe making
c. Specialty – breed type shoeing
d. Certification – test taking, practical, shoe boards

19. What training time length would you be the most interested in?
a. 2 or 4 - days
b. 1 - week
c. 6 - weeks
d. Home study

20. According to the Farrier Career Matrix found on pages 30-31 in The Principles of Horseshoeing (P3)which level would you classify yourself?
a. Student/Apprentice Farrier
b. Beginning Farrier
c. Working Farrier
d. Advanced Professional Farrier