Horseshoers (farriers) in the United States have long practiced with no regulation and only voluntary certification, but some in the industry think that should change–soon. An American Farrier’s Association (AFA) task force presented a proposal to the AFA Board of Directors in late February on this issue, and that proposal has generated an explosion of controversy.

“Our charge was to evaluate the current status of farrier education in the United States and to look at the issue of farrier licensing or registration,” stated an introductory note in the proposal. “These issues have suddenly become critical to the future of farrier work in the United States due to the emergence of legal restrictions on farriers in several states.”

The proposal cited as examples veterinary practice acts in Florida and Arizona that state or imply that professional health work (including farriery) on animals is within the realm of veterinary medicine. This opens the door for legal action against farriers providing hoof care without a veterinary license in those states, which understandably has caused concern for farriers throughout the country.

The desire to raise the level of professionalism and practice in farriery is another driving force behind the proposal. “We don’t believe licensing is the solution, education is,” says Bryan Quinsey, AFA Executive Director. “Licensing just comes with it. This is something that a lot of guys recognize is going to happen one way or another. If (licensing is) going to happen, there needs to be input from the farrier industry