Freedom of Choice in Education
Private horseshoeing schools across the country have been delivering
high quality, leading edge education to farrier and horseshoeing students
for many years. Their programs have been of such high quality that some
of these private educators have taken on key roles in developing the
curriculums of colleges and universities that offer horseshoeing courses.
Unfortunately there is a move by some organizations and individuals to
develop a single, homogenized system under the control of one organization
and that is the reason the Private Horseshoeing Schools of America has
been formed, to stand up for the right of students to choose the education
they want, in the manner they want it, from the educators they want to
learn from.
As private educators we know that not every student that attends a horseshoeing
school plans to be farrier, just as every student that attends an accounting
course doesn't plan to be an accountant. Our students range from those
interesting in horseshoeing skills to better care and maintain their
own skills, to those who attend the courses just out of a love for learning
new things, to those who are committed to the ongoing learning process
required to be a competent farrier. Private educators also know that
not ll students learn the same way and we have the distinct advantage
of being able to structure our training and education to meet the needs
of our students unlike a single homogenized system where the students
must meet the needs of the system.
Private horseshoeing schools also know that simply attending a horseshoeing
school, whether the program offered is two months long or two years long,
does not make you a farrier. That is why we encourage participation in
the farrier certification programs such as those offered by the Brotherhood
of Working Farriers as well as ongoing continuing education.
New Private Horseshoeing Schools of America President
Max Williams, owner and educator of Shur
Shod Horseshoeing School has been elected President of the Private
Horseshoeing Schools of America. Max has a long horseshoeing history
(almost 50 years) and comes with some of the highes credentials in
the industry. In addition to being one of only two people in the world
with a Masters in Equine Science with a focus on Horseshoeing (and
the only one of the two still practicing horseshoeing), Max is a BWFA
Master Farrier, a BWFA Master Farrier Educator, has an AS degree in
Animal Sciences and a BS degree in Industrials Arts, Vocational Agriculture,
and Teacher Education.
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AFA Moves Against Private Schools
in Secret What has now infamously come to be known as the
"Walt Taylor Manifesto" was a move by the AFA conducted in complete
secrecy. This secret process outlined plans, complete with a
timeline to take over the farrier education system, move to licensing
farriers, and more. Fortunately the plan was fortunately revealed
by someone and the content can be found here.
It is this kind of back room plotting and lack of involvement
by those affected the most that creates a need for groups such
as the Private Horseshoeing Schools of America.
New Horseshoeing & Hoof Care Forum
Launched Hoofchat.com has launched a new hoof care and horseshoeing
forum. While there are already similar forums online the
designer of this forum, Hoof & Woof Inc., launched this site
as he saw a need for a forum in which individuals could discuss
matters freely without everything getting down to a political
debate over AFA vx BWFA vx Guild. Another major concern was the
fact that individual horseshoeing schools and educators seemed
to be getting run down without any facts and no moderator involvement.
HoofChat.com has been set up as a moderated forum and, because
ongoing farrier education is important ot Hoof and Woof Inc., horseshoeing
schools are being provided their own forum board which can be set
so students and affiliates only can access the particular board,
or it can be left open to guests as well. This provides the schools
with their own forums without having to deal with the administration
and costs of managing the forum on their own site. |
Mike Miller Report - Distorted Information
Based On Century Old Information In 2005 an report was presented
to the AFA Board of Directors by the Farrier Education/Registration
Task Force (now the Professional Standards Task Force) by Mike
Miller. The report (which
can be fournd here) was based in large
part on a 1910 report about the paractice of medicine in the
United states by Simon
Flexnor. Mr. Miller simply substituted or dropped in the
words farrier, horseshoeing, and equine as he saw fit to support
his position. The report notably excluded comments in Flexnors
reports that would not support Mr. Miller's (and we assume the
AFA's) position such as Flexnors statement in his follow-up report
that "the imposition of rigid standards by accrediting groups
was making the medical curriculum a monstrosity" with medical
students moving through it with "little time to stop, read,
work or think."
Also notably missing from the Miller report was the fact that,
while changes were made to a standardized education system of doctors
that system put a medical education out of reach of all but middle
class white males. The report also failed to acknowledge that many
of the medical teachings and practices related to alternative medicines
were virtually eliminated and that now, almost a hundred years
later, many of those alternative practices are growing and being
integrated into common medical practice, many years behind other
countries who that did not adobt the methods perscribed in the
Flexnor report.
When Flexnor prepared his original report he had never visited
a medical school before his investigation. In addition his aggressive
schedule barely allowed him a whole day each for the evaluation
of some schools. His efforts were closely linked with the American
Medical Association, who provided resources. An AMA official accompanied
Flexner throughout most of this period.The
comparisons of medical schools were mades based on John Hopkins,
an institution Flenor considered ideal.
Unfortunately the Miller report contains many of the same flaws.
It was prepared under the influences of the AFA and their committees.
The report was prepared without sufficient evaluation of the current
farrier schools (otherwise why would he have to recommend that
"the AFA should underate a survey of every farrier school in North
America, documenting the quality of instruction, instructor qualifications,
physical facilities, costs, admission requirements, student retention,
and curriculum.
What the Miller report amounts to is a position statement rather
than an objective report. The content is based on unobjective,
flawed data and assumptions. Following the positions put forward
in this report would lead to fewer farriers (of which there is
already a shortage) and fewer advances in the practice of horseshoeing.
Is this what we really need? |
AFA Questions Need For Horseshoeing School Association
After a recent letter inviting horseshoeing schools, regardless of affiliation,
to join the Private Horseshoeing Schools of America, the President of the
AFA felt a need to point out that we had included erroneous information
in the invitation. While we will not make the letter from the President
of the AFA public without his permission, the response of Max Williams,
PHOA's President is below.
Dear Mr. Ferguson,
Thank you for your response to our invitation to be a part of the Private
Horseshoeing Schools of America. Your support for “farrier educators” is
great to see however, I find is disturbing and frustrating that while you
are willing to state support for farrier educators you seem to avoid stating
support for private horseshoeing schools, which is the topic our invitation
specifically dealt with.
With regards to the perceived erroneous statements, we have reviewed our
letter very carefully and can find none. You refer to “actions
taken in the last year by the officers of the AFA” and state
that there will be no reference to the schools in the AFA minutes. If you
review our original letter, we did not state that there has been. In
fact, we specifically stated, “private schools have fallen off the
agenda of the AFA.” That being said, there has historically
been a take control, phase out, approach to private horseshoeing schools
taken by the AFA. While the boards open minutes may not address the schools
issue over the past year, a single year does not set the direction for
the AFA (and if it did, reviewing the past operational year of the AFA
it would be questionable if the AFA could become a functional organization).
It should also be noted that, while not on the official, open records
of the AFA Board meetings, leaders and representatives openly make strong
statements against the private horseshoeing school system, against some
of the schools and their programs, and freely disperse ongoing anti-school
rhetoric. You only have to go as far as online forums and clinics to see
and hear these statements. I do not expect the AFA to control their
representatives opinions (and would find it objectionable if they tried
to) however, given the historical approach to private horseshoeing schools
and educators by the AFA and the fact that at no time has the AFA been
willing to take a stand openly and publicly in support of private horseshoeing
schools, the AFA’s support for these derisive statements by their
leaders and representatives is strongly implied making the AFA complicit
in the process of defaming the private horseshoeing schools and system.
With regards to AFEC and their approach to the exit exam there are those
who were part of AFEC exit exam process who made it clear that they felt
there was a need to broker a deal and appease to the AFA and designed the
exam as it is for that particular reason. The end result left a
sour taste in many private educators mouths as they saw a group that was
supposed to be supporting them sell out to an organization that has actively
taken a stance in opposition to our schools. Therefore, this statement
was as well not erroneous.
You state, “you have yet to receive a formal request from AFEC
or anyone else for that matter regarding statements made by the former
administration.” I don’t know how much more formal than
a one-on-one conversation regarding the entire issue, as you and I had
in Georgia, we can get. As a lifetime member, and one of the longest
serving members of the AFA, you as an AFA director and President had
a responsibility to bring my concerns forward to the board. I must assume
that my concerns and opinions were viewed as having no value by you since,
as you stated, the AFA Board has not discussed the schools in the past
year. As one of educational institutions that actively trains
and provides direction to farriers, you as a director and President of
the AFA had a responsibility to the AFA to inform the board that our
school is not supporting the AFA and actively promoting this position
to our students. Again, since schools have not been discussed over the
past year by the AFA Board I must assume that this matter is of no concern
to the AFA.
That being said and because the value of my words alone do not seem sufficient
and formal enough for you, I will make this formal request in writing.
On behalf of the Private Horseshoeing Schools of America,
our member schools, and private horseshoeing educators, I am formally
requesting that the Board of Directors of the American Farriers Association
actively take a stance in opposition to the previous positions and
approaches by the AFA towards private horseshoeing schools and educators,
and make amends and move forward in a cooperative relationship by doing
the following;
- An apology for, and retraction of, the Mike Miller report
(which is still referred to by many as a report based on fact) published
in ALL of the journals and magazines in which is originally appeared
including No Foot No Horse, The Professional Farrier Magazine, The
American Farriers Journal, and The Horse Magazine. (A
simple statement saying that the Mike Miller report was not based
on fact, was filled with errors, and does not represent the official
view of the AFA, and that the AFA apologizes for maligning private
educators by publishing this report and are sorry for any harm it
has caused.)
- An official position taken by the AFA Board of Directors
and published stating that the AFA supports private horseshoeing
educators and the private horseshoeing education system and statements
made otherwise by AFA members and representatives do not reflect
the position of the AFA.
By taking the above actions the AFA will have demonstrated a true reversal
of direction and a willingness to work with, and support for private
horseshoeing educators and schools. By taking no action we must
assume that the AFA intends to continue in the direction it has in the
past.
Regardless of how the AFA Board of Directors sees fit to act on the above
formal request, we will continue to expand and develop the Professional
Horseshoeing Schools of America from our current base of 10 schools. While
you suggest that rather than “forming another organization” we
schedule a meeting, I must point out that numerous meetings, phone calls,
emails, and letters, have done little to resolve this matter to date. It
must also be recognized that educational institutions (private and public)
in all fields are members of independent educational organizations that
allow them to share their concerns, advance their own knowledge and skills,
improve on the professionalism of their institutions, and allow them to
focus on their work – educating students – while their position
is put forward by their organization. Horseshoeing education is perhaps
one of the last fields in which this has not been done, so we will continue
moving forward.
I look forward to you joining the Private Horseshoeing Schools of America
and participating in the advancement of private farrier education.
Max Williams
p.s. After providing you sufficient time to review this letter we
will be posting it on the PHOA website so that our members and the public
at large can be made fully aware of our stance and approach to the issues
at large and there is no need for backroom dealing or questions about our
motivations and positions.
