On Pages 46-48 in the November 2012 issue of American Farriers Journal, we listed more than 50 different initials representing various hoof-care certification programs. The goal of that article and the accompanying information on the AFJ website is to help you fully understand what all of these letters stand for in terms of the certification equine footcare standards offered by various groups.

As promised in the November AFJ, we've added more information regarding footcare certification programs:

1. A detailed list of the footcare credentials found in the November issue along with the name of the sponsoring organization follows. Plus, we've added a few new credentials that we've turned up since our editors wrapped up the issue a few weeks ago.

2. You'll also find the more than 50 certification credentials sorted according to the sponsoring organizations. This will give you a look at the different certifications offered by a particular group.

3. There's also an in-depth look at the qualifications for each set of credentials, sorted according to the sponsoring group.

4. These lists of credentials and qualifications will be updated as our AFJ editors learn about more various programs.

5. Our goal is to provide members of the equine foot-care industry with the most complete updated list of footcare credentials without serving as the judge or juror in regard to the value of each one. This guide aims to help you understand what the letters behind someone's name really mean.

6 If you know of any certification programs that we missed, please email the information to lessiter@lesspub.com, and we'll get the programs added to these lists.

- Frank Lessiter, Editor/Publisher, American Farriers Journal

What These Footcare Letters Really Mean...

AANHCP CP
Certified Natural Hoof Care Practitioner. (Association for the Advancement of Horse/Hoof Care Practices)

AANHCP CSP
Certified Natural Hoof Care Student Practitioner. (Association for the Advancement of Horse/Hoof Care Practices)

AF
Accredited Farrier. (American Association of Professional Farriers)

AF
Apprentice Farrier. (Brotherhood of Working Farriers Association)

AF II
Apprentice II Certification. (Brotherhood of Working Farriers Association)

AFCL
Formerly known as Associateship AWCF. Now known as Associateship AWCF. (Worshipful Company of Farriers)

AFEC CF
Certified Farrier. (American Farrier's Education Council)

APF
Accredited Professional Farrier. (American Association of Professional Farriers)

AT
Apprentice Trimmer. (American Hoof Association)

ATF
Approved Training Farrier. (Worshipful Company of Farriers)

AWCF
Associateship of the WCF. Formerly known as AFCL. (Worshipful Company of Farriers)

CAF
Cytek Accredited Farrier. (Cytek Horseshoe Company, Ltd.)

CBT
Certified Barefoot Trimmer. Formerly known as Certified Natural Balance Barefoot Trimmer. (Equine Lameness Prevention Organization)

CF
Certified Farrier. (American Farrier's Association)

CF
Cytek Farrier. (Cytek Horseshoe Company, Ltd.)

CFP
Certified Farrier Practitioner. Formerly known as Certified Natural Balance Farrier. (Equine Lameness Prevention Organization)

CJF
Certified Journeyman Farrier. (American Farrier's Association)

CJF EE
Certified Journeyman Farrier: Educator's Endorsement. (American Farriers Association)

CJF SFE
Certified Journeyman Farrier: Specialty Forging Endorsement. (American Farriers Association)

CJF TE
Certified Journeyman Farrier: Therapeutic Endorsement. (American Farrier's Association)

CLS
Certified Lameness Specialist. (Equine Lameness Prevention Organization)

CMF
Certified Military Farrier. (British Army)

CMF
Cytek Master Farrier. (Cytek Horseshoe Company, Ltd.)

CNBBT
Formerly Certified Natural Balance Barefoot Trimmer. Now known as Certified Barefoot Trimmer. (Equine Lameness Prevention Organization)

CNBF
Formerly Certified Natural Balance Farrier. Now known as Certified Farrier Practitioner. (Equine Lameness Prevention Organization)

CPD
Formerly Certified Natural Balance Barefoot Trimmer. Now known as Certified Barefoot Trimmer. (Equine Lameness Prevention Organization)

CT
Certified Trimmer. (American Hoof Association)

CTF
Certified Tradesman Farrier. (American Farrier's Association)

DAEP
Diploma in Applied Equine Podiatry. (Institute of Applied Equine Podiatry)

DEP
Diploma Course In Equine Podiatry. (Equine Podiatry Training Ltd.)

DIPWCF
Diploma Worshipful Company of Farriers. Formerly known as RSS. (Worshipful Company of Farriers)

EP
Equine Podiatrist. (Equine Podiatry Association)

FC
Farrier Classification. (American Farrier's Association)

FITS ASF
Advanced Skill Farrier, The Farriers International Testing System. (Association of Brazilian Farriers and South African Farriers Association)

FITS CF
Certified Farrier, The Farriers International Testing System. (Association of Brazilian Farriers and South African Farriers Association)

FSHP
Former Strasser Hoofcare Provider. These are individuals that still practice the Strasser method, but choose not to recertify with the Strasser program. (Equine Soundness Association)

FTF
Full-Time Farrier. (The Guild of Professional Farriers)

FWCF
Fellowship of the Worshipful Company of Farriers. (Worshipful Company of Farriers)

J I
Journeyman I Certification. (Brotherhood of Working Farriers Association)

J II
Journeyman II Certification. (Brotherhood of Working Farriers Association)

JHU
Journeymen Horseshoers Union. (International Chapter of Journeyman Horseshoers & Allied Equine Trades)

LSHMC
Live Sole Hoof Mapping Certification. (Equine Lameness Prevention Organization).

MF
Master Farrier Certification. (Brotherhood of Working Farriers Association)

MF
Master Farrier. (Worshipful Company of Farriers)

MIAEP
Member of the Institute of Applied Equine Podiatry. (Institute of Applied Equine Podiatry)

NHCC
Natural Hoof Care Certification. (The Equine Sciences Academy)

MTF
Military Training Farrier. (British Army)

OSNHC
Whole Horse Trim Certification. (Oregon School of Natural Hoof Care)

OSNH-A
Whole Horse Trim Certification - Advanced. (Oregon School of Natural Hoof Care)

RF
Registered Farrier. (The Guild of Professional Farriers)

RJF
Registered Journeyman Farrier. (The Guild of Professional Farriers)

RMF
Registered Master Farrier. (The Guild of Professional Farriers)

RSS
Registered Shoeing Smith. This qualification predates the Diploma, but basically represents the same qualification. (Worshipful Company of Farriers)

SHP
Strasser Hoofcare Provider. (Equine Soundness Association)

TFA
Farriers Apprentice. (Texas Professional Farriers Association)

TJF
Texas Journeyman Farrier. (Texas Professional Farriers Association)

PHCP
Pacific Hoof Care Practitioner. (Pacific Hoof Care Practitioners)

Organizations Sponsoring Certification Programs...

American Association of Professional Farriers

  • Accredited Farrier
  • Accredited Professional Farrier

American Farriers Association

  • Certified Farrier
  • Certified Journeyman Farrier
  • Certified Journeyman Farrier: Educator's Endorsement
  • Certified Journeyman Farrier: Specialty Forging Endorsement
  • Certified Journeyman Farrier: Therapeutic Endorsement
  • Certified Tradesman Farrier
  • Farrier Classification

American Farrier's Education Council

  • Certified Farrier

American Hoof Association

  • Apprentice Trimmer
  • Certified Trimmer

Association for the Advancement of Horse/Hoof Care Practices

  • Certified Natural Hoof Care Practitioner
  • Certified Natural Hoof Care Student Practitioner

Association of Brazilian Farriers

  • Advanced Skill Farrier, The Farriers International Testing System
  • Certified Farrier, The Farriers International Testing System

British Army

  • Certified Military Farrier
  • Military Training Farrier

Brotherhood of Working Farriers Association

  • Apprentice Farrier
  • Apprentice II Certification
  • Journeyman I Certification
  • Journeyman II Certification
  • Master Farrier Certification

Cytek Horseshoe Company, Ltd.

  • Cytek Accredited Farrier
  • Cytek Farrier
  • Cytek Master Farrier

Equine Lameness Prevention Organization

  • Certified Farrier Practitioner. Formerly known as Certified Natural Balance Farrier)
  • Certified Lameness Specialist
  • Formerly Certified Natural Balance Barefoot Trimmer. Now known as Certified Barefoot Trimmer
  • Formerly Certified Natural Balance Farrier. Now known as Certified Farrier Practitioner
  • Formerly Certified Natural Balance Barefoot Trimmer. Now known as Certified Barefoot Trimmer
  • Formerly Certified Natural Balance Farrier. Now known as Certified Farrier Practitioner
  • Live Sole Hoof Mapping Certification

Equine Podiatry Association

  • Formerly Certified Natural Balance Farrier. Now known as Certified Farrier Practitioner
  • Equine Podiatrist

Equine Podiatry Training Ltd.

  • Diploma Course In Equine Podiatry

Equine Soundness Association

  • Former Strasser Hoofcare Provider
  • Strasser Hoofcare Provider

Institute of Applied Equine Podiatry

  • Diploma in Applied Equine Podiatry
  • Member of the Institute of Applied Equine Podiatry

International Chapter of Journeyman Horseshoers & Allied Equine Trades

  • Journeymen Horseshoers Union

Oregon School of Natural Hoof Care

  • Whole Horse Trim Certification
  • Whole Horse Trim Certification - Advanced

Pacific Hoof Care Practitioners

  • Pacific Hoof Care Practitioner

South African Farriers Association

  • Advanced Skill Farrier, The Farriers International Testing System
  • Certified Farrier, The Farriers International Testing System

Texas Professional Farriers Association

  • Texas Farriers Apprentice
  • Texas Journeyman Farrier

The Equine Sciences Academy

  • Natural Hoof Care Certification

The Guild of Professional Farriers

  • Full-Time Farrier
  • Registered Farrier
  • Registered Journeyman Farrier
  • Registered Master Farrier

Worshipful Company of Farriers

  • Approved Training Farrier
  • Associateship AWCF. Now known as Associateship AWCF
  • Diploma Worshipful Company of Farriers. Formerly known as RSS
  • Fellowship of the Worshipful Company of Farriers
  • Master Farrier
  • Registered Shoeing Smith. This qualification predates the Diploma, but basically represents the same qualification