Darren Owen, CF, APF-I, Grad Dip ELR (Davis, Calif.)
Darren was/is my mentor. He helped me become a farrier and later a mentor myself. Darren came into my life in the early 2000s as a farrier for my draft horses. Darren and I became best of friends very quickly. We related more about our full-time careers in public safety then horses to start, but soon that changed. Darren asked me to ride along with him one day to help handle some rough stock minis that he had to trim. That quickly turned into us working together most days that we were not on duty. Starting out he had me working steel on the anvil, and in the textbooks studying equine anatomy. Darren helped grow my love and enthusiasm for farrier work. Darren offered me a position with his company Indian Fields Farrier Service, which I jumped on. Over the years since mentoring me, Darren has mentored many others, and has helped turn out some good and successful farriers.
Throughout our friendship, Darren always encouraged me to continue my education. To help motivate me to do so he would often sign up for the classes and take them right along with me. It was great to have someone to discuss the material with and a study partner for testing. Darren leads by example for education in obtaining his APF-I, and Grad Dip ELR in the time that I have known him.
Fast forward about 19 years since the start of Darren mentoring me, I was approached to be a mentor/teacher. Not sure what to do, how to do, or if I could/should do it, I called my best friend, who not only gave me the confidence to take on teaching, but also the support I needed to help me to be a mentor. This time as my mentor, he also motivated me by reminding me to “pay it forward,” meaning all the time and effort he spent on me should be spent to help another. Darren is very passionate about the “Team Approach to Hoof Care,” and this is just one more way that shows.
His commitment to education, the farrier industry as a whole (by serving on the IAPF Board of Directors), mentoring at least a half dozen farriers over the years, being a field rep for Life Data Labs, putting on horse owner clinics, lecturing at farrier events, and oh by the way, still finds time to shoe horses, is why I respect and admire Darren Owen.
— Chip Cook, APF-I, Suffolk, Va.
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