Faced with overwhelming opposition from its members, the American Farrier’s Association cancelled its plan to survey North American farrier schools and dropped any possibility that the organization might push for farrier registration and licensing. Instead, the AFA will, in a complete about-face, monitor each state for emerging legal limitations on farrier practices and work to prevent such limitations from becoming law.

The reversals were approved by the Board of Directors, which represents each of the local AFA chapters, and puts an end to previous efforts by the AFA Executive Committee that had drawn widespread criticism.

During the mid-year board meeting held in mid-September in Omaha, Neb., the board rescinded three resolutions approved at last February’s board meeting. At the February meeting, the board had voted down six proposals from a special task force, but had approved three that allowed the group to survey North American farrier schools, pursue the initiative of registration and licensing and continue to forge the way into this uncharted territory.

Reversed Earlier Decisions

Because of the controversy concerning regulation and licensing over the last 6 months, the board reversed its stance on the three resolutions approved in February. A proposal by Jerry Langdon, president of the North Carolina Horseshoers Association, to rescind the previously passed task force resolutions was passed unanimously by the AFA board. The rescinded resolutions included:

1. That the AFA undertake (in collaboration with other organizations and individuals as desirable) a survey of all farrier schools in North America to document the quality of…