Regulation is a dirty word among farriers. Just its mere mention raises the hackles among many across the industry in the United States. While lawmakers on the state and federal levels aren’t overtly creating legislation to rein in farriery, inroads are being made — and in some disciplines, paved

Regulation doesn’t arrive quickly or easily. Nibbles and small bites are taken, building momentum.

It’s Predictable

Jamie Cooper, a Texas attorney married to farrier Matt Cooper, predicted nearly a decade ago that regulation would arrive in the form of animal safety.

“Some well-intentioned, well-meaning farrier is going to hurt retired Senator So-and-so’s grandbaby’s princess,” she said at the 2015 International Hoof-Care Summit. “Retired Senator So-and-so is going to go on a rampage, and we’re going to get licensing in this country.”

Although retired Senator So-and-so’s legislation wasn’t inspired by a farrier performing hoof care, catastrophic racetrack injuries and doping scandals in 2018 and 2019 did. 

Bipartisan U.S. legislation in 2020 created the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Act. Racetrack farriers are no strangers to regulation. They can’t touch a horse without a license. Yet, the law created the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority, which…