The Professional Farriers Association of NSW was formally known as the Australian Farriers and Blacksmiths Association of NSW.
In April of 2008, members of the former AFBANSW got together and discussed a name change that would better reflect what the association represented.
So, the ‘Professional Farriers Association of NSW” was decided.
Although the association has had a name change, it still represents the same ideals that the association started out with in 1988 when founded by pioneer farrier Ray Lincoln, Ray has been a farrier for over 60 years. He even tells of shoeing the bakers cart horses in and around Sydney.
Ray knew that skills of the local farrier or ‘blacksmith’ as they were called in the early days, were fading and those skills needed to be preserved and taught to future generations.
He wanted to form an association that was dedicated to teaching the skills that are important to the wellbeing of the horse. He didn’t want to see his trade die out.
So with the formation of the AFBA NSW came the idea to that they would run competitions and clinics, that would not only showcase the farriers' skills to the public and provide a learning tool for farriers, but would also act to bring farriers together to network.
Farriers, as most know, have a penchant for the odd chat and conversation, and with such a large and diverse range of farriers in one spot, they talked about improvements and ideas. One of those ideas to come out of the networking back in the early days was the need for Farriers to have and teach an apprentice, so that the trade could be carried into the future.
It has been a long and hard road to get the apprenticeship scheme up and running, with the NSW TAFE organisation taking on the role of Training provider, under the guidance of the Farriers association. The farriery course is a 4 year apprenticeship scheme available to anyone over the age 16.
And more recently the Farriers association pushed to have an RPL (Recognised Prior Learning) course admitted into the TAFE curriculum, so that older experienced farriers, formally known as ‘backyarders’ and who have no formal qualifications, can attend and re educate themselves to become trade qualified.
Why Do Farriers Need To Be Qualified?
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Most of the general horse population are not aware that farriers need to complete a 4 year apprenticeship to gain qualifications and be confident in shoeing horses. Ignorance over the years had the public believing that all you had to do was put a shoe on the bottom of a horses foot and nail it on. As long as it stayed there, all was good. That is definitely not the case.
Our horses are athletes, and just the same as their human counterparts, they need to be balanced and comfortable with their shoes.
Farriery has come a long way with the introduction of the apprenticeship, the apprentices learn that a hoof needs to be balanced above all else.
They learn the function of the leg, understanding how ligaments and tendons work. They now know the internal structure of bones and how it all relates in form to
function.This knowledge is used in conjunction with learning how to make a shoe (even though you can buy any shoe you want), shape it to the foot, and not the other way around as is practiced by some who call themselves farriers. They are taught to evaluate a horses hoof and shoe it accordingly.
We now need to educate the public in
what they deserve from their farrier. Ask questions!!! Ask if your farrier
is trade qualified. Be confident that your farrier is going to do the best
job for your horse.
Why Does the Association Hold Farrier Competitions? Back to Top
Every event at the Farriers competition relates to everyday work in the trade. Spirited competition is great for learning, as well as creating a comraderie amongst the farriers.
Farrier competitions are worldwide and most of the farriers who compete at
their local competitions have the opportunity to travel all over the world
and meet other farriers from other countries.
Mr Jimmy Bryant, our international judge hails from New Zealand.
Jimmy is a world class farrier and has judged and competed all over
the world. His most recent international competition was at the 2007 World
Blacksmiths Championships in Calgary, Canada. He and his team won the
creative forging class.
Jimmy has his own business in New Zealand near Auckland. He has graciously accepted the invitation to judge the 2008 Australian National Farriers competition, which is hosted by the Professional Farriers Association of NSW.
Why are Members of the Association Graded?
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Members of the Professional Farriers Association of NSW are graded so you
know exactly what the capabilities of your farrier are. There are four
categories of farriers. These categories enable you to make an informed
decision when choosing your professional, thus ensuring the farrier you choose is
suited to your needs.
The relationship you develop with your farrier (or any other equine
professional) is important. So don't be frightened to ask questions about
their background and training. you need to be confident in the person
working for you.
The Four Categories of Farriers are as Follows:
Level 1
This entry level is comprised of farriers with
no government recognised training or apprentices.
Level 2
This level is comprised of farriers who have successfully completed their
apprenticeship or successfully completed a government recognised farrier
course
Level 3
This level consists of experienced farriers have been working in the field
with current government recognition for at least three (3) years.
Level 4
farriers at this level are government recognised trainers and assessors.
They generally represent our most experienced farriers.
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