By KARI KRAMER | East Texas Edition

Glenn Spradling (left) works with fellow farrier Jay Watson during the April 8 clinic at Spradling’s ranch in Hunt County. -- Staff photo by Kramer

April 27, 2006 - Glenn Spradling hopes to prove to the public how educated farriers are, and to aid in the effort, he puts on a clinic every year for farriers and the public at his Hunt County home.

Spradling is a Certified Journeyman Farrier and a member of the American Farriers Association (AFA). He said contrary to what its history would believe people to think, being a farrier is a science and requires a great deal of time and education to do correctly.

“It’s a profession, and not just a job,” said Spradling at this year’s clinic on April 8, which featured educational and forging events.

He’s been a farrier full-time since 1991 and has spent much of his life around horses, in fact, that’s how he became a farrier.

“My granddad trimmed a few horses and I kind of got the apprenticeship that way,” he said. “I needed money and being raised around horses, you always want to be around that.”

An apprenticeship is an important part of a farrier’s educational process. The apprenticeship allows farriers in training to work with and learn from a more experienced farrier. Unlike other countries; however, the United States does not require that farriers complete an apprenticeship before calling themselves a farrier. In fact, there is very little a person in the U.S. has to do to give themselves the title, according to Spradling.

He said in the U.S. any person with an apron and a business card can call themselves a farrier, and he hopes to change that. First, he hopes to offer more education to those who are in training, and he also hopes the AFA will be able to get an official apprenticeship program up and running again.

Each year the association holds an annual convention (the 2006 convention has already concluded) that hosts a multitude of educational events and seminars. Many of the association’s approximate 4,400 members attend to absorb and share information.

“There’s more and more people getting into the business all the time,” said Spradling. In fact, he believes the old-fashioned business will keep growing in modern times.

Spradling said more and more horses are being bred for pleasure and the horses are bigger and better than horses from previous eras.

“The demand for a good farrier is up and coming,” he said.

Jay Watson, of Poolville, was also optimistic about the future of the farrier industry. Watson is a former instructor from the Texas State Farrier School and he also attended the Hunt County Clinic. Watson said the new changes in the horse industry and in the farrier trade are benefiting both the farriers and the horses.

“It’s just going to get better and better,” he said. “With clinics and certification the knowledge of the farrier is increased, which, in turn, benefits the horse.”

Both men said horse owners should be more adamant about hiring good and qualified farriers. The AFA has a list of farriers on their website at www.AmericanFarriers.org. The site allows users to “Find a Farrier,” by state, country, or the farrier’s last name. The site lists the farrier’s city, their certification status, and offers more details. Watson said some farriers specialize in specific horses or breeds, and the website will often note that detail.

For owners and potential farriers who want more education, Spradling suggested they attend all the clinics and educational events possible. Training farriers, according to Spradling, should seek an experienced training for education.

“Search out a journeyman and inquire about riding with them,” Spradling suggested. “It’s really really important.”

In addition, Watson said the AFA has informational packets they will send out to trainees who are considering becoming a farrier.

For horse owners, Spradling suggested they surround themselves with other horse owners who are educated in handling horses. Both Spradling and Watson recommended that a farrier visit horses every six to eight weeks and that horse owners have a clean, well-lit place where shoeing can be done. They also suggested that the owners take the time to prepare the horses’ feet before the farrier comes (like removing any dirt and mud from the feet). 

“I think that horses need to be ready to be worked on,” said Spradling. In addition, he said people should “get horses used to having their feet picked up,” because it makes the farrier’s job safer.

Though Spradling admits that a farrier’s duties once belonged to the “village idiot,” he said today things have changed. “There’s a lot of college-educated farriers,” he said and added that most people don’t understand the technical aspect of the job. “There’s an art to it and there’s also a technical part.”

Farriers and members of the public were able to learn a little more and add to their education at the recent clinic. Spradling said he plans on continuing to host the event at least once a year.

For more information about the farrier profession, locating a farrier, or the AFA visit www.AmericanFarriers.org.