Reggie Kester

As 2008 came to a close, I lost a mentor and friend, leaving me with an empty, lost feeling but with fond memories of a solid friendship that spanned more than 30 years. Reggie was what all good mentors are: he was inspirational and genuine.

In the late 1970’s, he took extra time to help a wayward young man that he never quit calling “Rowdy.” In those days, I worked hard to live up to the name, and Reggie spent days working to keep me out of the Ardmore and Texoma jails, in horseshoeing school, and on task.

As the years passed, our relationship developed and changed. He went from seeing me as a wild, semi-talented kid to seeing me as one of his own that had “made good” and made him proud. I never quit thinking of him as my mentor and teacher.

Maybe anyone could have taught me the basics of farriery, but Reggie taught me to respect it, to share it, and never to take it for granted. Reggie and I didn’t sit on the phone and chat regularly or even often, but he was one of my best and greatest friends.

He was quiet, patient, and humble. Like a lot of others who learned from Reggie, I often felt that he knew it all, but what made him great was that he knew he didn’t.

There’s an empty spot in my heart, in Ardmore, in the AFA, and in the horseshoeing world. Reggie’s gone.

Danvers Child, AFA CJF, OSHS Grad ’78

Independent?

As a rule, Americans tend to value independence. So, I suppose farriers must be great Americans, as you’d have to look long and hard to find a group that would qualify as being more independent. We’re the poster boys and girls for independence and non-conformism.

In fact, when you look at the individuals who make up the AFA, you can’t help but know that our association is great--because it’s made up of people who aren’t typically “joiners” and conformists. We’re a group, but we’re a grouping of people who are accustomed to setting their own rules, schedules, agendas, and priorities--people who are accustomed to working alone and doing things their own way.

Most things that can be viewed as a great strength are dual purpose and also qualify as a great weakness. So it is with our independence, which can cause us to be inflexible and argumentative. Sit down with a group of farriers, and you’ll hear stories about how clients were fired for x, how vets were ignored for y, and how trainers were argued with for z.

At times, all the braggadocio sounds pretty cool, and we applaud ourselves for sticking by our standards, for running our own businesses, and for refusing to compromise when it comes to how we go about our work. But it’s a thin line we walk, as we balance between refusing to compromise our standards and simply refusing to compromise.

My father used to talk about it as the difference between confidence and arrogance, and--as I embarked on my writing career, ghost-writing political speeches--he struggled to help me learn the difference between arguing and persuading. Persuasion, he said, was the language of self confidence, while argumentation was the language of self righteousness.

I’m still working and trying to get it right. But I know it’s important--in running my business, in conducting my life, and in making relationships and organizations work. Being a team player isn’t always easy. It demands humility, understanding, openness, and a general willingness to view the big picture. Let’s all aspire to be team players!

Who is the AFA?

It seems like a question with an obvious answer, but I don’t think the answer is nearly as simple as some would have us believe. Some would say “those AFA guys are all about improvement and betterment.” Others would say, those AFA guys are full of themselves.”

I would like to think that we would all be in the first group, promoting improvement in farriery. But I suppose we do sometimes fall into that second group, with a bit of a swollen head. Somewhere in the process of bettering ourselves and improving ourselves, it’s not uncommon that we tend to get an overblown idea of our self worth.

I remember a time when Dick Fanguy and I were visiting with a young shoer, who was quite full of himself and the fact that he had shod a “world champion.” Dick turned to me and asked how many world champions I had done. After some clarification about what constituted a world title, I tossed out a number.

Dick then asked, “How many of those campaigners would have gone on and won a world title if you had nailed their shoes on sideways?” I admitted that way more than half of them would likely have been wearing their ribbon no matter what I had done.

If you shoe long enough, you’ll find horses that could perform if we nailed a squirrel to the bottom of their foot. And you’ll find trainers that either know the circuit or the horses well enough that they could find a way to get a ribbon riding a goat.

Some among us might be wizards at hoof prep. Others might be kinghell at building a shoe. Yet others excel at applying glues and goos. And others may rival the graduate veterinarian when it comes to lower limb anatomy. But we’ve all got something to learn and some ways to go to improve and better ourselves and our trade.

So… circling back to the question… Who is the AFA? Each and every one of us is the AFA, and the way we present ourselves as individuals is they way we are perceived as a whole. Our presentation determines how people perceive not just us, but the organization we belong to.

Some will expect us to flaunt our certification level, to throw our client list in somebody’s face, to brag about our world champion horses, or to gloat over our forging skills. Surprise them, and flaunt the AFA mission statement, the AFA’s five basic tenets, and the bottom line purpose of the AFA… Education.

AFA member numbers...

A lot of discussion flies around about AFA membership numbers and the AFA’s failure to retain members. Many of the folks who speak on this subject like to point out that the AFA has lost more members than it has gained, that the AFA loses three members for every one it gains, and so forth.

It appears quite damning when they write or say these things, because their numbers are reasonably accurate. So… Are these doomsayers and naysayers correct? Is the AFA foundering? Are we riding a sinking ship?

Absolutely not!

Ask these same people how many people last more than a year in the farrier profession. Ask these same people how many people make it more than two years in the farrier profession. In fact, simply ask yourself how many people you know who have made a false start in the farrier profession.

You might also ask these same people how many of the people they started with are still shoeing horses. I don’t have accurate numbers, and I don’t know that anyone does, but I can tell you that I graduated horseshoeing school with 16 other people. Out of the 17, I was the only one still shoeing at the five-year mark. I don’t think that’s terribly unusual or different, and it’s probably pretty typical.

While you’re asking, ask these people how many horseshoeing practices they’ve seen fail each year. We know this business eats people up. It’s not easy to get established. It’s not easy to stay sound, physically or financially. Not everyone has the horse sense to stay with it. Not everyone has the business sense to stay with it.

So, yes. The AFA loses a lot of members, just as the farrier profession loses a lot of practitioners. It’s the nature of the business, and it’s reflected in our organization. When someone leaves farriery to work in a factory or an office or to drive a truck or start a lawn care business, they don’t renew their membership. Duh.

In any case, be prepared, because the folks that want to manipulate the numbers and paint the AFA as foundering and failing are going to be better armed in the future.

Now that the AFA is giving graduating students a free membership, it’s inevitable that we will see more memberships go un-renewed. Despite our best efforts to help new graduates, the fact remains that newcomers will fail at a higher rate or simply choose to take another path, and our membership losses will reflect that.

So… if you wanna manipulate numbers and paint ugly pictures, get a life. If you want to promote excellence in farriery, get a membership. The AFA is alive and well.

Certification RANT...

On my daily tour of Craig's List, I stumbled upon an ad for a "Certified, Professional Farrier." Following the link, I found that it took me to a website for a pair of farriers I had never heard of... despite the fact that they're working in my area. Hmmm... suspect... bells & whistles... not members of the American Farrier's Association, not members of the Indiana Farriers' Association....

So, who certified them, and how are they professionals if they're not affiliated with the professional organizations? Upon further reading on their site, I discovered that they were "certified" by the Oregon Farrier School. After checking that site, it appears that one can be a "certified professional farrier" after only 10 weeks of study. Had they stayed for another 4 weeks, they could have been "certified master farriers"!!

This kind of stuff really ticks me off, but I can understand a little bit... I remember when I first came out of farrier school. My first stop was a the local print shop, where I promptly got business cards, stating that I was "certified" by OSHS, that I was qualified to do "corrective" and "pathological" work, and that I was a highly qualified, genuine farrier. Of course, I didn't know jackshit, but it took several years of work for me to realize that I didn't know anything, and it took several humbling failures at a valid certification before I cracked down and became a lifelong student of this trade.

SO.... farrier certification is only as valid as the certifying organization. If someone tells you they're certified, they probably are, because there are dozens upon dozens of private schools and individuals who are certifying farriers each day. Caveat Emptor ... "Let the buyer beware" ...

I'm all for farrier certification--I earned mine through the American Farrier's Association and through the Guild of Professional Farriers.

Forums, Blogs, and such...

OMG.... The latest and greatest from the small but vocal group of dissenters on horseshoes.com is that the AFA is somehow behind the times and inadequate because the new AFA website doesn't incorporate a discussion forum, blog, or newsgroup for members and non-members.

I'm not an expert on internet forums, but I do have a modicum of experience with such beasts. I was on dial-up bulletin board systems as early as 1978, and I've been a participant/observer on web-based forums since 1996. Back in the days when I thought forums could be positive and productive, I was one of the earliest and most prolific contributors to horseshoes.com, and I only recently reached such a point of total disgust that I asked Baron Taylor to remove the old references to myself as their "Resident Farrier." Anyway, I feel that I've got a little knowledge as to how this works....

So, if the AFA is out of touch and archaic for not having a discussion forum, we're in good company. I've checked a number of equine-based breed and non-profit organizations, and I can't find a bunch of forums on their websites. The USET does not have one; the AAEP does not have one; the USDF does not have one; the AQHA does not have one, even the youngsters at the USPC don't have one.

Why could this be???!!! Why would all of these major associations not utilize public discussion forums?? Maybe because forums tend to be fraught with vitriol and negativity.... Maybe because they more effectively spread disinformation than information.... Maybe because they simply seem to attract and promote less than professional behavior.... Maybe because they're a great venue for spreading rumor and gossip.... Maybe because they're a magnet for those who are bullies (or aspire to be).... Maybe these associations don't want to be perceived as the National Enquirer of the equine community....

In any case, most of the forums I visit tend to provide the frequent posters an opportunity to ride their hobby horses, while denigrated and haranguing with those who have a different view or perspective. Some of those who engage in playing the devils' advocate and who choose argumentation as their preferred form of entertainment are honest about--e.g., Phil Armitage saying he likes to "stir the pot" or Rick Burten referring to his argumentative approach as "entertainment." But that doesn't make it better in my book.

The bottom line is that I've not visited a positive forum. Sure, when valid questions get presented, there's often a valid response offered... You simply have to be willing to wade through the mire of mud, feces, and personal attacks to look for it. Ultimately, I've got no faith in forums...

Hammer-In / Invitation

Now that we're moving into summer, I find that I actually have a few weekends at home. I'm scheduling one of those for a get-together, so mark off your calendar for a hammer-in on Saturday, July 26th. We'll get started around 10 or 10:30 and go until whenever.

I should have the paddock fence rebuilt by then... and the oak that took the fence down cut up into firewood (ugh). Pack yourself a noon lunch or snack, but don't worry about an evening meal; April and I will provide some sort of good cooking and beverages for the tee-totalers. Please give me a call if you're planning on coming, so I'll have an idea of how much to cook.

I've got a few extra forges and anvils if you don't want to bring your rig, but do bring your own hand tools. I can wreck my own punches enough without any help!

AFA Site Remodel

copyrighted image courtesy of AFA
Check out the newly updated American Farrier's Association website!! April's spent a lot of time working out the new look, and it's up and running. She'll be working with Tom Stovall (Chair, AFA Website Committee) to add new features and elements, so check back often.

Yes... I'm Alive

I've had so many irons in the fire that I somehow managed to forget that I had this blog. I was reminded of it when I saw that Andrew Elsbree, AFA President, had established one as well. If you've not checked his blog, do so! It's found at http://andrewelsbree.blogspot.com/

SFA Supports Fanguy

David Hodges, President of the Southern Farriers Association, posted a letter on the AFA Members Only discussion boards, indicating that the AFA members of the SFA publicly and proudly support Dick Fanguy's candidacy.

Hodges encourages AFA members to contact each candidate's chapter "to see what kind of team player" those candidates are and what kinds of contributions they have made to their chapter.

Interesting!

More AFA Politics...

The ever-interesting political climate of the AFA rolls on... And just in case I've been less than clear as to where I stand, I'll say it clearly: I am supporting Dick Fanguy for Vice President and Andrew Elsbree for President-Elect.

The "reform" candidates, Ron Kramedjian (VP candidate) and Rick Burten (P-E candidate) have some valid points, and they're willing to swing them around like sledge hammers. But, as Fanguy says, all of the candidates recognize the need for reform, and the real issue is the attitude this group of candidates brings to the table and how they will choose to initiate change/reform.

I've known and worked with all of these men. I've known Dick for over twenty years, and I consider him one of my best friends. I've known Rick and Andrew for over ten years, and I consider both of them as friends. I've known Ron Kramedjian for a couple of years.

I believe they are all sincere in their desire to serve the AFA. I believe that Dick and Andrew will try to build concensus and rejuvenate the AFA. I believe that Ron and Rick both have valuable insights that we should listen to and inorpoate into that rejuvenation, but I believe that both Rick and Ron have an attitude, a demeanor, and an approach that will only foster and promote a continuation--and even an elevation--of argumentation and turmoil....