The International Horseshoeing Hall of Fame is the crown jewel of farriery. We know, because you criticize it.
The conclusion might seem counterintuitive, but it’s not. Criticism is good. It means the industry cares who is held up as an example of excellence in this honorable trade. Yet, the true value rests in the benefits of constructive criticism.
- Outside perspective. Constructive feedback offers a different viewpoint that can reveal blind spots, provide better approaches, or improve decision-making.
- Self-Improvement. Criticism is an opportunity for growth that can increase effectiveness and innovation.
- Continuous Learning. Critical insights encourage a growth mindset that can improve our skills, abilities and processes.
- Avoid Recurrent Mistakes. Criticism often reveals patterns of performance that require change.
- Better Results. An openness to feedback often leads to improved performance and results.
Objections & Process
The most common complaints revolve around who is and isn’t honored. Let’s clear the air on the Hall’s history and how induction is determined.
The Hall of Fame, which is housed at the Kentucky Derby Museum, was established in 1992 by American Farriers Journal (AFJ) to honor farriers around the world who have made significant contributions to the profession and who have left a permanent, positive impression on their peers and clients.
AFJ coordinates the process by first calling for nominations. Farriers are nominated by their peers, trainers, veterinarians, horse owners, friends and family members. Saturday, May 31, 2025, is the final day to submit nominations for the 2026 class. You may submit your nomination at AmericanFarriers.com.
The nominations are submitted to current Hall of Fame members, who serve as the board of electors. Only Hall of Fame members are allowed to vote. AFJ editors calculate the votes. The inductees are announced in late summer or early fall.
Details, Details, Details
The Hall consists of about 170 farriers. Like any shrine of excellence, the percentage of inductees relative to the current and past trade members is small. Yet, many deserving farriers are waiting for the call. Some are nominated, others aren’t. What’s the most common trait for successful nominations? Details, and plenty of them.
When nominating a deserving farrier, invest some time in documenting the nominee’s story. Successful nominations are often more than one page and describe how they improved the trade, their accomplishments, their innovations, service to the industry, and most importantly, how they helped the horses in their care. While this isn’t an exhaustive list, extensive details such as these don’t guarantee induction, but they improve the chances.
In the film A League of Their Own, Tom Hanks’ character Jimmy Dugan describes what makes baseball great. It aptly describes farriery, as well.
“It’s supposed to be hard. If it wasn’t hard, everyone would do it. The hard is what makes it great.”
