If the state was so worried about the welfare of horses, it would make sense that they then license farriers, feed rep nutritionists, etc. This is just stupid. Maybe she should call herself a professional horse petter.
Well, it was only a 4 day massage therapy class. Hard to squeeze it all in, you know.
I have been working with horses for many years. In those years I have learned to realize that some veterinarians are great at lameness, and others aren’t. Some farriers are more than competent and some aren’t…The same goes for dental practitioners and massage therapists.
Not everyone has the benefit of my “mileage”. , Therefore many people do use and pay less than competent individuals. As a result we have licensing. And don’t I wish farriers were licensed. :lol::lol:
In any field there are those who walk the walk , and others who simply talk the talk.
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Well, vets are licensed and there are some that I wouldn’t let near my dog or horse.
Dentists are licensed. Please see multiple threads on problems with dentists.
Professional Licensure is not a cure for incompetence.
As a licensed (and board certified) massage therapist for people and a certified bodyworker for horses - I absolutely, vehemently agree that licensing of some kind for people who are making money providing a service is a good and necessary thing.
I do not believe that licensing is an end-all-be-all. I.e., there are people out there who by virtue of years and years of personal experience become very, very adept at something without a piece of paper to prove they know what they’re doing.
But when you step into the business arena and start charging money for your craft or knowledge, you have to play by the rules. If the rules say you must have xyz, you must have xyz. You may not like it, but most of the time these rules exist for a reason, that reason largely being to level the playing field. So to a large degree, shame on this practitioner for not doing her due diligence and investigating what is required before she opens shop.
That said, New York state is known for it’s insanely overzealous “regulations”. It makes absolutely zero sense that they would allow someone with a human certification to practice on equines - their anatomy and physical function are not at all similar. Bit of a head scratched, that one.
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Absolutely true.
A properly established and enforced licensing standard for anything is a system to allow an applicant to demonstrate some basic level of proficiency and competence in the profession involved. If there is a numerical system which scores an applicant on a scale of 100, with 75 being passing, the person with a 76 and the person with a 99 both pass. In most licensing systems the color of the license is the same for both. The license proves that on the day it was issued that the applicant met the minimum standards of the profession. Neither more nor less.
But it does prove that on at least ONE DAY the person was, in fact, fully qualified at a minimum level. No guarantees going forward. Just a proof of the past. Nowadays lots of state licensing authorities require “continuing education credits” to maintain a license. This can be a Good Thing if it’s intelligently designed and administered.
G.
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[quote="![](uilherme,post:18,topic:459517"]
Not hardly. How do you know a practitioner of any art is incompetent until they have so demonstrated? How many “demos” do we need to establish that fact? What do we do about the “objects” of the incompetence?
“Market regulation” works in many areas because the only loss is money. One could argue that since horses are livestock and, as such, are just property that they should receive the same treatment. Of course this means we don’t licence veterinarians, either. Would not the market that would regulate masseuses also regulate vets?
G.
P.S. I first read this in Safety School as part of our curriculum. It’s worth considering:
The Ambulance Down In The Valley, by Joseph Malins, 1895.
‘[IMG]https://www.tonycooke.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/ambulance.jpg)Twas a dangerous cliff, as they freely confessed,
Though to walk near its crest was so pleasant;
But over its terrible edge there had slipped
A duke and full many a peasant.
So the people said something would have to be done,
But their projects did not at all tally;
Some said, “Put a fence ’round the edge of the cliff,”
Some, “An ambulance down in the valley.”
But the cry for the ambulance carried the day,
For it spread through the neighboring city;
A fence may be useful or not, it is true,
But each heart became full of pity
For those who slipped over the dangerous cliff;
And the dwellers in highway and alley
Gave pounds and gave pence, not to put up a fence,
But an ambulance down in the valley.
“For the cliff is all right, if you’re careful,” they said,
“And, if folks even slip and are dropping,
It isn’t the slipping that hurts them so much
As the shock down below when they’re stopping.”
So day after day, as these mishaps occurred,
Quick forth would those rescuers sally
To pick up the victims who fell off the cliff,
With their ambulance down in the valley.
Then an old sage remarked: “It’s a marvel to me
That people give far more attention
To repairing results than to stopping the cause,
When they’d much better aim at prevention.
Let us stop at its source all this mischief,” cried he,
“Come, neighbors and friends, let us rally;
If the cliff we will fence, we might almost dispense
With the ambulance down in the valley.”
“Oh he’s a fanatic,” the others rejoined,
“Dispense with the ambulance? Never!
He’d dispense with all charities, too, if he could;
No! No! We’ll support them forever.
Aren’t we picking up folks just as fast as they fall?
And shall this man dictate to us? Shall he?
Why should people of sense stop to put up a fence,
While the ambulance works in the valley?”
But the sensible few, who are practical too,
Will not bear with such nonsense much longer;
They believe that prevention is better than cure,
And their party will soon be the stronger.
Encourage them then, with your purse, voice, and pen,
And while other philanthropists dally,
They will scorn all pretense, and put up a stout fence
On the cliff that hangs over the valley.
Better guide well the young than reclaim them when old,
For the voice of true wisdom is calling.
“To rescue the fallen is good, but ’tis best
To prevent other people from falling.”
Better close up the source of temptation and crime
Than deliver from dungeon or galley;
Better put a strong fence ’round the top of the cliff
Than an ambulance down in the valley.
[/quote]
Magnificent poem. Thanks for sharing it.
As my vet says, “What do you call the person that graduated at the bottom of their med/vet school class?”
Answer: “Doctor”
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What’s your point? The last ranked doctor still had to graduate 4 years of undergrad, pass entrance exams, and pass all the classes through med school.
Maybe the better question is “What do you call the person that loved horses but couldn’t get into med/vet school?”
Answer: “Horse massage therapist.*”
- caveat - they can only practice under the supervision of a licensed vet.
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My horse massage therapist was a licensed human massage therapist before. She said when she took the courses there was another human massage therapist in the class. She felt that both of them had a much better feel for anatomy than the other participants. I am sure many techniques are the same between species. If you already know the concepts behind that it probably helps.
