What is a farrier?

[catherines]

Sorry ,I should not make assumptions about gender my sincere apologies…

As for the rest… yes you did state that perhaps you phrased it wrong…and I agree, I think you did … I also agree as I did in my original post , that someone who performs only those thing you mention is not, and should not promote themselves as a farrier.

My last post was not directed at you and honestly still not seeing any ranting in my post however , I’m done with this we are obviously posting at cross purposes and I not seeing any benefit or enlightment for anyone in continuing to try and explain myself.

[quietann]

I agree with OP… though it may not be a “legal” definition, to me a farrier is someone who knows hooves well enough to know how to trim, to decide whether a horse needs shoes or not and if so what kind of shoe, and can design a shoe to fit a horse’s hoof, or modify a pre-cast shoe to fit – and can do the necessary hoof care on a horse without causing any down time.

My own farrier says he didn’t call himself a farrier until he was done with his apprenticeship. He came up in the “old way” – where an apprenticeship was absolutely required.

He also said that a farrier rarely, if ever, becomes the main farrier at a barn where s/he worked as an apprentice, because the BO will remember every mistake made during that time. He worked at my current barn when he was an apprentice, years ago, and I am the only one there that uses him now, even though the main farrier is IMO not as good.