BRYAN J. QUINSEY, executive director of the American Farrier’s Association since late 2003, has resigned, effective April 14.

Facing an examination of their educational programs by the American Farrier’s Association and stung by criticism in an AFA task force report on farrier education, the majority of private farrier school owners in the United States have banded together in a new group called the American Farriers Education Council.

Newly revealed documents show that a plan for establishing standards for farrier education, testing and registration was largely developed by members of the Executive Committee of the American Farriers Association by late April 2004.

AFTER A SURGE of controversy about its proposals on standardized farrier education and registration, the American Farrier’s Association has dismissed the original members of the Education/Registration Task Force who developed the plan and started looking for new members from inside and outside the AFA.

THE NEW executive director of the American Farrier’s Association, Bryan Quinsey, was selected in mid-November by the group’s board of directors to head up the Lexington, Ky., organization.