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Would you ride a horse shod by yesterday’s knowledge, or today’s science?

When choosing a farrier for your horse, the question of qualifications often comes up. Many horse owners hear acronyms like AFA, IAPF, WBC, or even the historic Worshipful Company of Farriers and assume that credentials alone guarantee quality care. While these organizations play important roles in shaping the farrier industry, not all certifications are equal—and not all require ongoing education to keep skills sharp.

This post will help you understand the four major farrier organizations, what their certifications mean, and why continuing education and critical thinking matter far more than passing a rigid exam once in a career.


The Four Major Farrier Organizations

1. International Association of Professional Farriers (IAPF)

  • Focus: Continuing education and professional development.

  • Membership Benefits: Owners know that their farrier tracks annual education hours in a transparent, verifiable system.

  • Certification/Accreditation: credentials require exams, the IAPF recognizes farriers who log documented hours of continuing education each year.

  • Checks & Balances: If a farrier does not complete their annual CE requirement, their membership lapses, and the public can see whether they are in good standing.

🔑 Client takeaway: If your farrier is an IAPF member, you can trust that they are actively pursuing the latest knowledge in hoof care, lameness prevention, and therapeutic shoeing.


2. American Farrier’s Association (AFA)

  • Focus: A structured exam system with different certification levels (CF, CJF, etc.).

  • Membership Benefits: Shows a farrier has passed written and practical exams, often involving standardized shoes and shoe-fitting templates.

  • Exams: Candidates are tested on their ability to fit shoes to strict rules and templates, which means if you can shoe to the prescription, you pass.

  • Limitations: The AFA system does not require critical thinking in practical application—you are graded on whether the shoe fits the exam criteria, not necessarily whether it best serves the horse.

  • Continuing Education: Not required to maintain certification. Outside of paying membership dues, farriers are not obligated to attend clinics, courses, or lectures after passing their exam.

🔑 Client takeaway: AFA credentials show skill at passing a standardized exam, but without ongoing education, the credential does not guarantee a farrier is up to date on modern science, hoof pathology, or evolving therapeutic practices.


3. World Championship Blacksmiths (WCB)

  • Focus: Similar to the AFA, with structured exams and levels of certification.

  • Certification/Accreditation: Achieved by shoeing to test prescriptions and guidelines.

  • Limitations: Like the AFA, the WCB does not require annual continuing education to maintain certification. Continuing education is nested in the next credential level (i.e., you must pursue a higher certification to continue learning in a structured way), but voluntary education outside of testing is not mandatory.

  • Client takeaway: The WCB demonstrates a farrier’s ability to shoe to standard exam rules, but offers no guarantee of ongoing education once certification is achieved.


4. Worshipful Company of Farriers (WCF)

  • Focus: Historic UK-based organization with deep tradition.

  • Certification/Accreditation: Offers levels of diploma, associate, and fellowship. Exams are highly respected internationally.

  • Checks & Balances: Exams are rigorous, but like the AFA and WBC, once credentials are earned, continuing education is not required to maintain them.

  • Client takeaway: WCF credentials carry prestige, but without mandatory ongoing education, they don’t guarantee a farrier is keeping current with science, lameness research, or new technologies.


Ranking These Organizations for Clients

  1. IAPF – International Association of Professional Farriers

    • Why #1: Requires and tracks ongoing continuing education, giving clients verifiable proof that their farrier is staying current.

  2. Worshipful Company of Farriers (WCF)

    • Why #2: Highly respected and rigorous exams, but lacking ongoing CE requirements.

  3. American Farrier’s Association (AFA)

    • Why #3: Well-structured testing system, but exams prioritize fitting a prescription over critical application, and CE is not required.

  4. World Championship Blacksmiths (WCB)

    • Why #4: Similar limitations to the AFA, but less widely recognized in North America.


Why This Matters to You and Your Horse

  • Horses are not standardized. No two hooves are alike, and lameness problems require farriers to think critically—not just apply a cookie-cutter shoe.

  • Education is evolving. Advances in biomechanics, radiography, and equine sports medicine change what we know about the hoof every year.

  • Credentials without continuing education expire in value. If a farrier hasn’t attended a clinic, seminar, or course since they passed their exam 10 or 20 years ago, they are not working with current knowledge.


Final Takeaway

When hiring a farrier, ask:

  • Do you pursue continuing education annually?

  • Are you part of the IAPF or another organization that tracks education hours?

  • How do you collaborate with veterinarians and trainers?


A farrier who values continuing education is always going to provide better outcomes than one who relies on a credential earned years ago.


At Rocking Speer Ranch, we believe that education, professionalism, and dependability are non-negotiable. Hoof care isn’t just about passing an exam—it’s about ongoing growth, collaboration with veterinarians, and a commitment to keeping your horse sound for years to come.


📚 References

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