There are few things that can compare to the soul refreshment that can be felt when riding a good horse in natural surroundings. Yet a lame horse can cast a dark cloud over what should be a rewarding experience.

Farrier work is hard and exacting work. Those who enter the craft with less than a strong desire to excel may relax their practice standards and begin to do poor work when they see their clients are not capable of accurately evaluating their work and do not insist on a high standard of performance.

Instead of trying to put a bureaucracy in place to regulate farriers, a better solution to prevent poor quality hoof work is horse owner education. Responsible owners want to learn all they can to take the best care of their horses. For the enjoyment of horse ownership to be fully appreciated, owners must accept full responsibility for their horse’s comfort. Good feelings come from good care.

This is the 19^th year The American Farriers Journal has sponsored National Farriers Week.  I’ve enjoyed reading the contributions of horse owners honoring their farriers posted by the AFJ.

There are two additional farriers I would like to recognize for all they have done to raise the standard of farrier education. I appreciate the efforts of my two sons Jake and Pete have made to excel in the craft. They each have become competent craftsmen, great teachers and good family men. It is mostly because of their work that we have so many satisfied return customers who consistently bring their horses to our school to insure their horse’s feet receive proper care.

We regularly have veterinary referrals and see horses that suffer from navicular disease, limb length disparity, quarter cracks, club feet, laminitis and founder due to over feeding and selenium toxicity. It is most rewarding to see students put comfortable foundations on these horses and watch them become sound again.

Our mission is to prepare future farriers to succeed in business and in life. We teach the essential techniques needed for success. In the Eleven years we have been in business, the majority of our graduates are self-employed, making a good living trimming and shoeing horses. We have had students from all over the world. Many have returned several times to continually increase the level of their skill so that they may better serve their clients.

Our motivation is to provide a better life for each horse. We teach the essential techniques needed for success in business. We want our students to be successful. Their success is our success. Satisfied customers are our best advertisement.

National Farriers Week is a dedicated time for horse owners to express appreciation for the farriers who keep their horses sound. It is also a good time for horse owners to learn what constitutes good farrier work. Horse owners who don’t know what constitutes good hoof care are at a disadvantage when it comes to providing optimal humane care.

We have created an on-line home study farrier foundation course where you will learn what constitutes a competent well-trained farrier. Then , after taking the course, if you decide you want to learn to practice doing the work yourself, or you want to purse a farrier career, you can apply the cost of the course to your tuition at our unique school.

We have the most qualified and experienced teaching faculty, a family-focused environment, and the smallest classes. We maintain a sizable herd of our own horses for student instruction in addition to working on client horses brought to the school. You can be assured of working on horses every school day. For more information visit our website at www.butlerprofessionalfarrierschool.com

Doug Butler PhD, CJF, FWCF