2020 was a year fraught with challenges for many people for many different reasons. One of the hurdles I faced during COVID was isolation. I was in college, living alone, and most of my courses were online. I was effectively cut off from my peers and separated from my family during a time where the world felt upside down anyway. When I graduated, it was particularly anti-climactic. I finished my last exam, got my degree mailed to me and moved on with my life. It wasn’t that I needed to walk across a big stage in a cap and gown. What I was missing was support, encouragement and recognition — things I see frequently in farriers.
Learning is difficult. It takes discipline to commit new information to memory and practice to apply it skillfully. There are no short cuts, but being passionate makes the process a lot more enjoyable.
Attending my first International Hoof-Care Summit this January reminded me that that spark is a necessary ingredient when learning something new. It was something I saw frequently in the hallways between sessions. When being a farrier isn’t a job but an identity, the hard work never seems unbearable. Something I didn’t have when I was learning but was something I saw at the Summit in no short supply was community support. Encouragement gives people a sense of accomplishment and pride, but even disagreements are a form of growth. Having an open and non-judgmental conversation can be the difference between learning and isolating.
During Paige Poss’ wet lab, I made sense of some abstract information I couldn’t wrap my head around before, like how the tendons of the lower limb function together or what damaged laminae actually look like on radiographs and in the hoof. This may seem like basic knowledge, but I was thankful to talk with farriers like Tobias Ellis and Rabeka Clarke of the University of Illinois College of Veterinary Medicine, who were more than happy to patiently explain details I thought I should have known already. Their openness gave me the confidence to ask more questions, to learn more.
Seeing this drive to help others succeed was one of my personal “Wow” moments from the Summit. In an industry where you’re frequently alone, it can be easier to remain that way. It was one of my pitfalls during COVID. But when farriers come together, big things happen.
Recently, the American Farrier’s Association debuted its new race plater certification (CRP). Kentucky race plater Pat Broadus says this recognition has been in the works for years. It’s a labor of love from dozens of farriers and a testament to their desire to recognize their peers’ efforts.
In the last couple months, my sister graduated from school to become a veterinary technician. The road was long and bumpy, but now she works in a small animal orthopedic clinic doing what she loves — helping animals. Whatever her path ended up being, I was going to be proud of her and tell her that loudly. It helped her confidence and gave her a firm foundation to be successful.
Discipline is what gets farriers at the anvil practicing, but support is what gets people out of bed in the morning. I’m glad to have people who can give that to me, and I admire those who do it for others. Especially in a world that can feel isolating or divisive, don’t forget to send another farrier some words of encouragement this week.
