I read the new letter from Walt Taylor on his “Farriery Initiative” and the comments online. I agree 100% with my fellow farriers and fellow horse owners.
My response to the new letter is simple.
If you tried (apparently for decades) to change the opinion of your fellow tradesmen then you might be in the wrong trade.
I did use tradesmen instead of farriers because it sounds to me like he thinks the word trade is a dirty word. I am proud to be a trades-woman. It would have been unimaginable a hundred years ago for a respectable woman to practice in this wonderful trade.
This brings up another point he mentioned in his latest letter: “Farriers will continue to be defined as tradesmen, lacking respect, appreciation, and professional status by other horse-care professionals." I do very much feel the respect from my fellow horse-care professionals and their appreciation. Often it depends on how you treat them back and how you conduct your business. I have never met Mr. Taylor and I do not know how he treats others or conducts his business.
In one of the letters he wrote last year (2015) he sounded to me like he wanted to be in charge of the whole process of licensing. According to his letter, he already has a group of people working on a curriculum.
Also Mr. Taylor wrote in 2015, that horse owners should be exempt from licensing. In his new letter (January 2016), his stance has changed already. How often will he change his mind?
After the AFA refused, according to Mr. Taylor, to go through with the licensing, he created the World Farrier Association in cooperation with the British and the Japanese. That is quite impressive, but at the same time, very sad. He created a democratic based association and because he didn't like the majority’s opinion he left. At least that’s what I got out of the letter he wrote.
The opportunities we have in this great country are being dwindled down by people with their own agenda pretending to have serious concerns. Peace by peace our freedoms are being taken and restricted.
Regarding gaited horses that have been soared, Mr. Taylor states in a letter to the human society “I did a limited amount of that kind of work many years ago. My reasoning was “If I don’t do it, somebody else will and I won’t earn the money that goes with it.” My reasoning has ALWAYS been this: If you refuse to be involved with unethical practices by declining the work, people might actually think there is something wrong with what they are doing. My clients appreciate being educated and informed about their animals’ conditions. Pointing out things I have noticed and concerns I might have about their animal's health has made a difference in my line of work. I have learned they want to know and I have made it my goal not to work for horse owners that don’t care. I understand if you’re unaware of a situation or had no previous knowledge, but you have the right to say no.
YES… You can say NO.
• NO to expanding the government.
• NO to burdening the taxpayers more.
• NO to creating another domino effect that might make it impossible for the middle class to keep horses.
• NO to stealing a peace of the American dream.
• NO to licensing.