Make No Mistake!

I'm sure you've all heard the quote, "if it's going to be, it's up to me." If we want the AFA to be what we want it to be then "it's now up to all of us." American Farriers Association is not a coffee club or a social club. It is an organization whose primary purpose is to encourage men and women to find their greatness in this industry through our teachings, shared knowledge and our love of equines. Yes, lifestyles have changed a lot since I shod my first horse, but one thing has never changed and that is the passion for the teachings and tenets of our profession.

We must continue to be positive about our future and proud to talk about all the value the AFA has to offer. Never look at ourselves as elitists but rather continue to invite other men and women to join our ranks. Lastly, even though AFA finances remain strong, in this economic climate, we must now, more than ever take a long hard look at our expenditures and make a better effort at helping our members and their families achieve their dreams.

As the year ends, we think about all we are grateful for. Our relationship with you is one thing we treasure. Thank you for the opportunity to serve you. On behalf of everyone at AFA, we wish you and your family a safe and happy Holiday season and a prosperous New Year.

AFA Nominations and Elections Committee Update

Candidate statements for the upcoming election are now available. Please select the link below to view it now.

Candidates

Region 1
Jeremiah Harris, CJF

Region 2

Dennis Manning, CJF

Region 3

Write-In Candidate - Tim Dodd, CJF

Write-In Candidate - Donnie Perkinson, CJF

Region 4
No Candidates

Region 5

Garrett Maloney, CJF

Vice President
Tom Dubois, CJF

Treasurer

Bruce Worman, CJF

President-Elect
Margie Lee-Gustafson, CJF

AFA Candidate Statements

Christmas Gift Idea

Wondering what to get for the horse lover in your life? The AFA Board of Directors can help you out! Each Board Member is offering Horse 360/Animal 360 iPhone application bundles, free to you with your donation of $50 or more to the AFA Capital Campaign Fundraiser! Please contact your regional director for more information.

Communications Committee Update

In addition, starting with the January No Foot No Horse Newsletter issue, we will have a "Letters to the Editor" section. If you have a letter to the editor you would like to submit, please forward it to the AFA office at rheighton@americanfarriers.org.

Keeping It In The Family

Are you and another family member members of the AFA? If so, are you both certified? If the answer is yes, tell us about it! We are curious as to how many father/son, mother/daughter, mother/son, father/daughter, brother and sisters there are that are both certified. If you fit that bill, please contact the AFA office and let us know!

A few of the father/son teams we are currently aware of are Chris and Cody Gregory, CJF, Doug and Jacob Butler, CJF, and Ritner and RJ Goff.

AFA Membership Directory

The 2012 AFA Membership Directory is now available in a downloadable pdf format. Please select the link below for your copy.

2012 AFA Membership Directory

December AFA Advantage Raffle Winner

Congratulations to Mike Haurin, CF of Youngstown, OH! Mike has won two boxes of horseshoes and two boxes of horseshoe nails, and all he had to do was be an AFA member in good standing! Make sure your dues are up to date to get your name in the hat for next months drawing.

Chapter Spotlight

The Utah Horseshoers Guild would like to invite everyone to the 1st annual Horseshoeing and Forging Championships February 1 & 2, 2013. The UHG is excited to welcome Jim Quick, CJF as judge and clinician. The location will be at Utah State University 3580 South Highway 89-91 Wellsville, UT. This will be a great warm up for anyone who plans on competing at the AFA convention. The open division will be run just as the AFA will run the convention contest. Cost will be $200 which covers Jim's demonstrations, contest entry and lunch both days. Contact Jacob Manning 435-823-3343 with any questions.

The schedule will go as follows;

Friday morning set up and start at 9:00am. We will run all the forging classes, division 1 & 2 as well as the open. After lunch Jim will do a demonstration for the rest of the afternoon. Saturday at 9:00 -10:10am we will start off with Draft forging class (AFA Convention rules) following with Jim doing a demo on some live feet explaining what he will be looking for in the live shoeing. After that we will do lunch and then start the live shoeing.

Professional Farrier

There are several ways to view your PF. It will arrive in your inbox from Equine Veterinarian with links to both Magazines. You will also find links on the AFA web site and Facebook page. If you have been viewing the new digital PF on line and find it grainy and hard to read, just scroll over the page and click your mouse to expand and enlarge to full page view and it will be crisp and easy to read. We get both the Professional Farrier and Equine Veterinarian.

Did you know you can advertise in the Professional Farrier e-zine and get your business seen by over 10,000 vets, farriers and horse owners?! Contact Dick Booth at Boca Publishing today to hear the great advertising rates available!

bocapublishing@bellsouth.net

Click the link below to view the October 2012 Issue

June 2012 Professional Farrier E-zine

June 2012 Equine Veterinarian E-zine

October 2012 Professional Farrier E-zine

August 2012 Professional Farrier E-zine

2013 CVT Logo

Convention and Contest Registration is now OPEN!

Select the link below to download your copy of the registration packet now, or visit

www.americanfarriers.org to register online. Remember, you get a special "Early Bird Discount" if you register by January 15th!

Contest Registration Deadline is January 1st!!!!

2013 Convention Registration Packet

2013 National Forging & Horseshoeing Competition Rules and Shoe Drawings

Speaker Blurb

Pat Reilly and Bruce Daniels, CJF - A History of Horseshoeing in 19^th Century United States

The University Of Pennsylvania School Of Veterinary Medicine has employed a farrier from the very beginnings of the school in 1884. The second half of the 19^th century was an interesting time in the United States- the number of horses exploded as a result of civil war and industrialization. Without a formal education system for farriers or veterinarians in the United States, health care and farrier care was an evolving process. The evolution of professional responsibilities of veterinarians and farriers can be chronicled through the writings of the time period- government records, Civil War writings and the history of the University of Pennsylvania's veterinary School.

Podological Museum

When the University of Pennsylvania Veterinary School was established, the farrier was among the first positions to be filled. The school decided to look for a farrier in Germany, where an established education system for farriers was already in place. Penn surgeon John Adams returned from Germany with Franz Enge, an instructor of the German Farrier School and a translated version of Anton Lungwitz' book "On Horseshoeing- A textbook of horseshoeing for horseshoers and veterinarians".

Enge brought to America a collection of horseshoes and specimens from Germany referred to as the University of Pennsylvania Podological Museum. These items have been used (to this day) to educate students on horseshoeing techniques and principles. Over the years, the collection has grown to include many unique shoes exemplifying the skills and creativity of farriers and also help to show how horses were used and the hoofcare employed to support them.

"Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it."- George Santayana

In many aspects, the basic process of providing hoofcare has remained unchanged for the 19^th century. Whether your interest is in forging, therapeutic work or farrier theory, a review of this collection is promised to make you think about our current thoughts on the hoof and its care. This collection will be presented as a lecture by University of Pennsylvania's current Chief Farrier Pat Reilly and also with a roundtable presentation by current curator Bruce Daniels, CJF featuring selected horseshoes and specimens from the museum.

Events Calendar

Please send your events and functions to the AFA office for inclusion in the Website Events Calendar and our Facebook page.

Certification Calendar

For the most current certification calendar, please select the link below.

AFA Certification Calendar

Private Events Liability Disclaimer:

The American Farriers Association, its officers, Board of Directors and employees will not be held liable for injury, loss or damage to personal property associated with non AFA events.

Roving Reporters:

We are looking for roving reporters from around the world. If you or someone you know travels around the globe and has a farrier related story we would like to know about it. Please contact John Blombach phantomfarrier@comcast.net or the AFA office.

Chapter Spotlight

If you would like the Spotlight on your chapter, send a short story of a recent event your chapter held and we will give your chapter the Chapter Spotlight.

Complimentary Classifieds

If you have items that are farrier related we will provide limited space for a complimentary ad for our members. Please send your ad to the AFA office. Limit: two lines - no photos.

Apprentice Connection

If you are looking to work for another farrier or if you are looking to hire a helper, apprentice, Journeyman, etc, please send us a description of your needs or qualifications and we will publish your contact information. Arrangements are made privately between the individuals and the Association cannot be responsible for the outcome.

Apprentice Wanted: Looking for apprentice starting March 1, 2013 in Illinois. Send resume to Steve Sermersheim, CJF, TE, AWCF - PO Box 27, Collison, IL 61831. This is a 2 year program with incentives.

Apprenticeship Wanted: Laura Mathis, a recent graduate of Five Star Horseshoeing School is currently living in Oklahoma City, but is willing to relocate for the opportunity of a full time apprenticeship. Laura can be reached at 480-313-9218, or via e-mail at lauraquestrian@yahoo.com.

Apprenticeship Wanted: Max Grant, a 2011 graduate of the Oklahoma Horseshoeing School, is looking to expand his knowledge and skills (focusing on anatomy, forging and corrective shoeing) with an apprenticeship. His favorite area of shoeing is quarter horses. Currently located in Western New York, he is not opposed to moving. Max can be reached at 716-413-1250 or via e-mail at maxfield417@yahoo.com.

Mission of the AFA

"To further the professional development of farriers, to provide leadership and resources for the benefit of the farrier industry, and to improve the welfare of the horse through continuing farrier education."