Dedicating a portion of the American Farrier’s Association convention to horse owners was apparently a good move, as record-breaking numbers attended the event in Chattanooga, Tenn., during late February.

Pointing to a need for increased professionalism and catching its own board of directors by surprise, the Executive Committee of the American Farrier’s Association and a task force it quietly created have proposed standardized education, testing and registration of farriers nationwide.

 It is my strong opinion that professional farriers should, and deserve, to be licensed to practice by statutory authority.