One of the biggest dangers confronting farriers is complacency. A farrier reaches a certain point, and thinks, “I am working at a satisfactory level. This is good enough. I don’t need to push myself anymore.” For some farriers that point is when they have accomplished certification. For others it may be when they get out of school. And for others, it may be when they simply realize that no one is over their shoulder, pushing or expecting them to excel. Many farriers, at some point in their career, have reached a plateau. Unless a farrier possesses the drive from within to continue challenging him or herself, progress will cease and skill level will stagnate or even decline.

Farriery is not regulated by a bureaucratic organization. This is wonderful! But the same autonomy that makes farriery such a wonderful career can also be the downfall of individuals that are not self-motivated. Farriers must be disciplined enough to make learning and progress a lifelong pursuit. The best farriers in the world are the ones that have dedicated themselves to endless education. The same is true of veterinarians, medical doctors and other professionals. Although other professions may be regulated through licensing or certifications, it is up to the individual to be self-motivated enough to not just meet, but exceed the standard. There is nothing more frustrating than going to a so-called professional expecting them to know what they are doing, only to realize they don’t have a clue.

Even though farriers are not mandated to certify, there are many legitimate, certifying institutions to help farriers push themselves to the next level. This is the best reason to certify. The general public really does not care whether farriers are certified or not. Reaching milestones, like certification, helps the individual farrier to grow. However, once a milestone is achieved, it is good to set a new goal to continue forward movement. Certifying is not the only way this has to be done. Competitions help some farriers to set goals and work towards achieving them. The looming date of the competition helps farriers to discipline themselves to practice every day. However, the competition environment is unappealing to some farriers. These individuals might be better suited to working with a coach or mentor in a private setting. The coach can help the farrier to set goals to improve. Schools and clinics also offer ways for farriers to improve. There are many ways to progress to upper levels, but the key is that the farrier does it!

It is hard to progress if the farrier is the only one seeing his or her own work. In order to grow, farriers must be willing to subject their work to an objective, qualified judge that can offer constructive criticism. Some farriers are afraid to do this. They are afraid they will be mocked. Unfortunately, some teachers feel they are justified in belittling others work because they themselves were disparaged when they started out. It is best to avoid these hazing types when seeking to improve. Farriers must learn to distinguish from these childish initiations and truly constructive criticism. There is no need to be offended when a qualified mentor is pointing out how to get better.

Fear prevents a lot of progress. Some farriers are afraid they will be “found out”; that peers will discover how little they know. This is an irrational fear. Everyone starts at the same point. No one was born knowing everything about horseshoeing. All farriers must travel the same path in order to learn. Some farriers are simply further down the path. If that farrier is offering to help move you down the road, it would be silly to reject that offer because you are afraid that he or she will criticize your inexperience. It is much better for the mentor to discover your inexperience (and correct it), rather than a paying client. A starting electrician would hopefully ask for help or learn all they could about the job, before trying to wire a house! The electrician would certainly not risk burning down the house because they were afraid that their peers would discover they didn’t know what they were doing. Likewise, an electrician would keep up to date with the safest and most efficient ways to get the job done.

Farriers have a wonderful job! They don’t have a boss standing over them and telling them what to do. The downside to this is there is no one to demand more, so some farriers get the mistaken impression that they don’t need to do more. The role of boss belongs to the farrier. Farriers must demand of themselves to improve. They must be self-motivated to reach new goals. Complacency is easy to fall into when it seems that no one can tell the difference between a good job and a mediocre job. This is dangerous because some farriers may lie to themselves and say that it doesn’t matter. Setting new goals and making oneself accountable is the only way to battle complacency.