AFA policing Credentials, Horse Owners need to check farrier Credentials too!

I am writing this blog entry for the protection of farriers, horse owners and our beloved equine population.

Recently, the following ad appeared publicly on Craigslist:

Certified farrier looking to to fill his book
Reply to: sale-831762984@craigslist.orgDate: 2008-09-07, 4:59PM
hello my name is mike hill i have been a professinal farrier for 7 years . i'am afa certfied and also bwfa certified . i have shoed a variety of horses from english horses to western performance also . i charge 100 for a full set of shoes and 75 for just the front and trim the hind feet , and 45 for a trim . i would greatly appericate your busniess . if you have any question please call me at 602 373 0199
Location: west valley
it's NOT ok to contact this poster with services or other commercial interests
Original URL:http://phoenix.craigslist.org/wvl/grd/831762984.html

At first glance, you might think, wow, this guy’s new to the area, inexpensive, well credentialed and trying to get a foothold with the local equine community; NOT! He claims to be AFA Certified; NOT!

The ad was brought to the AFA’s attention by AFA members in the Arizona area that were not able to validate Mike Hill’s claim to be an AFA Certified Farrier. Upon investigation and phone calls with Mike Hill no record of him ever taking an AFA Certification test exists, nor could he provide an AFA member number, date or place of his supposed Certification.

The AFA’s Certification Program is the highest standard of farriery achievable in the US. The program has many documents, checks and balances to record every bit of farrier’s work throughout the process to ensure only the most qualified pass. Nearly every AFA CF and CJF can tell you where and when they passed, as well as the Examiner on site. Mike Hill could not.

Certified Farriers are highly sought after for their talent and skills. As a Certified Journeyman Farrier myself, I always encourage horse owner’s to be proactive in eliciting the best farriery work for their horse(s).

The AFA Certification standard represents an assurance of quality and professionalism to the horse owner and is a modicum of genuine care toward the horse itself. The AFA will take every action to legally protect the high standard of AFA Certification. We extend the same to horse owners and farriers with any suspicion regarding AFA Credentials - simply call or email the AFA Office with any questions or go to the AFA “Find A Farrier“ on the AFA website.