This survey contains 20 multiple choice questions.
Click the button below to start.
Question 1 of 25
First Name
Question 2 of 25
Last Name
Question 3 of 25
Email
Question 4 of 25
Full Address (including country, city, state and postal code)
Question 5 of 25
Phone Numbers (this can include both your landline and mobile numbers)
Question 6 of 25
1. How long have you been shoeing?
Recently graduated from horseshoeing school
Less than 5 years
Between 5 - 10 years
Longer than 15 years
Question 7 of 25
2. What appeals to you most about shoeing horses?
Hard work – satisfaction from a good days work
The money
Being your own boss
Working with horses
Question 8 of 25
3. How many events a year do you attend that improve your professional development as a farrier?
0
1-2
3 or more
Attending events is a waste of time when I could be shoeing
Question 9 of 25
4. How many sensitive structures are there in the horse's foot?
45
15
10
5
Question 10 of 25
5. How do you deal with unruly horses?
Don't do them
Have customer contact vet to administer sedation
Train horse to stand
Be patient, petting the horse in to submission
Question 11 of 25
6. What do you see as benefits for certification?
Owner will pay higher price because of my certification level
More respect from the horse community
I feel more confident
I learn from the preparation before my certification
Question 12 of 25
7. When I get home from a long day of shoeing horses:
I put off doing accounting and paper work and watch television instead
I read and study to improve myself
I go right to sleep
I review the day's work, set goals to improve and work on one more thing to improve myself before going to sleep
Question 13 of 25
8. How do you feel when something has gone wrong and the responsibility of a case rests with you?
I don’t make excuses
Unfair competition scares me
I learn from my mistakes
I'd rather be a leader than a follower
Question 14 of 25
9. How do you feel about playing all of the roles in your farrier business?
I have all the business skills I need
I'm a people person. What else do I need?
I don't know what I need to know. Help!
I have most of the skills I need, and know how to find people with those I lack
Question 15 of 25
10. How do you feel when another farrier critiques your work?
I set goals so I can measure my progress
I can do it better than they can anyway
I welcome constructive criticism
I want to hear what others have to say – it is very important to me
Question 16 of 25
11. When you shape a keg shoe:
I make many trips back and forth between the anvil and the horse
I have a good image of the shape of the foot in my mind and can shape the shoe so it fits right the first time
I have trouble “seeing” or locking onto the image of the horse's foot
It takes forever to get the shoe level
Question 17 of 25
12. When presented with an opportunity to attend a farrier training clinic or seminar:
I’ll only go if it is free
I pay whatever price necessary to learn from those I know can teach me
I stay at home and read a book or magazine instead
I only go if my competitors are going
Question 18 of 25
13. How do you react when a new fad/technique comes out?
I cringe and mumble under my breath, “this will set us back another 50 years”
I become upset wondering how I will explain this to my customers
I analyze the new idea from my background. I want to know if it will indeed be beneficial to my customers and how it will affect the anatomical structures of the foot and performance of their horses
I like to try everything. If a company made the product, they must know something about shoeing horses
Question 19 of 25
14. Do you have a goal or plan when you wish to exit the farrier business?
I can’t afford to not shoe horses
I have a retirement plan set up and would like to cut my work load down so I don't have to shoe horses until I can't anymore
I have invested money in other things besides my business that will help me in the future
I wish I would of planned better in the beginning, but I am thinking about it
Question 20 of 25
15. How do you learn best?
Hearing audio CDs or tapes
Watching someone else show me how to do it
Learning by doing it myself
Watching DVDs or Videotapes
Question 21 of 25
16. In what type of teaching situation do you learn best?
One on one with mentor
In a small group, by participating
At a large clinic, by not embarrassing myself
By myself with a book
Question 22 of 25
17. When is the most effective time for you to further your professional development?
January – March
April - June
July – September
October – December
Question 23 of 25
18. Which areas do you feel you need the most help with?
Anatomy, balance, and conformation
Forging – shoe making
Specialty – breed type shoeing
Certification – test taking, practical, shoe boards
Question 24 of 25
19. What training time length would you be the most interested in?
2 or 4 days
1 week
6 weeks
Home study
Question 25 of 25
20. According to the Farrier Career Matrix found on pages 30-31 in The Principles of Horseshoeing (P3)which level would you classify yourself?
Student/Apprentice Farrier
Beginning Farrier
Working Farrier
Advanced Professional Farrier