The Farrier Project

UK final assessment, DipWCF vs QFS - George Dey and Connor Thomas

Hosts Jay Tovey and Mark Trussler interview newly qualified farriers Connor (South Wales, trained by his father, represented Wales) and George (Yorkshire, trained by Gary Harland, England team reserve) about their backgrounds, competitive mindset, and training support networks. The core discussion compares Connor’s new VetSkills EPA route with George’s final Worshipful Company of Farriers Diploma: Connor describes limited clarity on syllabus/marking, an appealed written question that was overturned and refunded, vague extra-time rules, and inconsistent guidance in the barefoot trim element; George reports strong college preparation and syllabus clarity but recounts being kicked and concussed during the practical, then completing and passing the next day with a doctor’s note. They discuss professional respect, client payment/timekeeping issues, information access via phones, and views on post-nominals and celebration, then end with tips to stay open-minded and accept advice.

Simon Moore - What is going on with Farriery in the UK? Part 2

In part two of The Farrier Project interview, Simon Moore explains how the Worshipful Company of Farriers (WCF) lost FRC approval in 2023 to run the EPA after an IT supplier change left insufficient exam software support, and says FRC also removed approval for the AWCF to count toward Approved Training Farrier status without a council vote, prompting his resignation. He outlines how EPAO’s are approved, why farriery likely supports only one EPAO commercially, and why exam fees rose as costs increased and the WCF aims to break even. Simon describes the Trailblazer/EPA steering group’s origins, unpaid workload, and current review led by David Hall, including debate over shoemaking in the final assessment. He clarifies FRC’s role as a public-and-horse regulator, discusses temporary licenses and barriers for overseas farriers, and links low apprentice/ATF numbers to unsustainably low UK pricing, urging better business practices and boundaries.

Simon Moore - What is going on with Farriery in the UK? Part 1

Hosts Jay Tovey and Mark Trussler introduce The Farriery Project and interview farrier Simon Moore FWCF about his background and professional journey. Simon grew up in Hertfordshire UK with a lion-tamer father, lived on a circus as a child, and later entered farriery through horses bred at his father’s yard, first learning from Mick Williams and then serving his apprenticeship under Paul Atkins, qualifying in 1993 after studying at Hereford School of Farriery. He initially built a business in Essex, before moving to Cornwall in 1998, and later formed a decade-long partnership with Paul Martin, training apprentices with structured forge nights and homework. Simon pursued Worshipful Company of Farriers exams, completing both the Associate and Fellowship, then took on roles with the Farriery Registration Council and the WCF exam board, becoming its chair; he explains WCF structure, the new Certificate exam, examiner training, and evolving policies including ethics, AI, and plagiarism, before teasing a discussion on WCF losing UK EPA approval in part two.

Henrik Jansson - Pedal bone (PIII) fractures

Hosts Jay Tovey and Mark Trussler introduce The Farrier Project and interview Swedish farrier Henrik Jansson, their first international guest. Henrik describes entering farriery after early work as a carpenter, completing Swedish farrier school and exams, and later pursuing UK Worshipful Company of Farriers qualifications to the Fellowship level. Since 2007 he has worked at a Swedish university animal hospital in Uppsala doing predominantly remedial shoeing, teaching, and contributing to research, and he co-runs SweHoof, a small supply and education hub that supports community events and forging practice. He explains rewriting Sweden’s master farrier exam to include more theory and biomechanics. Henrik discusses his Fellowship research on type 2 and 3 P3 fractures, comparing surgery with a standardized non-surgical protocol using box rest, a straight bar shoe with four strategically placed clips, and an initial 360° hoof cast, improving return-to-work outcomes to about 90%, and outlines fracture types, imaging, and rehabilitation timelines.

Mac Head - Farriery Past, Present and the Future

Journey through farriery's evolution with Mac Head, Fellow and past master of the Worshipful Company of Farriers. In this extensive conversation, Mac shares his remarkable career spanning from a 1963 apprenticeship with his blacksmith father through to founding MNC Horseshoes. He offers candid insights on how farriery transformed from a "joke" and "dead trade" in the 1960s to today's profession, explores the challenges of pricing and volume work, and discusses the critical lack of competent horsemanship in modern equestrian culture. The discussion covers manufacturing horseshoes and nails, the transition from handmade to factory shoes, the importance of pitch and fit, training apprentices versus postgraduates, and working relationships between farriers and veterinarians. Mac also shares fascinating historical perspectives on shoe styles from Fitzwygram to Chapman's heart bar, the barefoot movement and "Dr. Green," and why every farrier should always jog horses up after shoeing. A must-listen for farriers at any career stage seeking wisdom from someone who's witnessed and shaped the industry's transformation over six decades.