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The Farriers Registration Council: Who are they and what do they do?

Category: General
Published on 29/04/2010 by Helen

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You may have read our article on illegal farriery which gave a brief overview into the Farriers Registration Council.

An Act of Parliament passed in 1975 (amended in 1977) was an attempt to regulate the farriery industry and to ensure certain codes of conduct are followed by all Farriers, that they are suitably qualified and accountable for their work. This is known as the Farriers (Registration) Act 1975 and states its objective:

‘Prevent and avoid suffering by and cruelty to horses arising from the shoeing of horses by unskilled persons; to promote the proper shoeing of horses; to promote the proper training of farriers and shoeing smiths; to provide for the establishment of a Farriers Registration Council to register persons engaged in farriery and the shoeing of horses; to prohibit the shoeing of horses by unqualified persons; and for the purposes connected therewith.’

The Farriers Registration Council (FRC) was set up in 1975 to ensure that all of these objectives were met.

Some of the roles of the Council include:

Standardizing the training of farriers and ensure that all registered farriers have achieved the qualifications required
Create and maintain a database of registered and therefore approved farriers and create a create peace of mind for all horse owners who engage the services of a farrier
Act upon and investigate claims of illegal farriery and where possible to bring about the prosecution of those in breach of the 1975 Act
Ensure all registered farriers work to a code of conduct and that their roles and responsibilities are defined.

Training:

The Council have set out the qualifications, training and/or experience that a registered farrier must achieve as a minimum. This is the responsibility of the visitation panel. Some farriers who were practicing before the Act came into force may also be on the register due to their vast work experience. It should be noted that many of these have voluntarily also completed one or more of the qualifications required subsequently. The Council’s website sets out some of the qualifications with a brief overview of what they are which can be found at www.farrier-reg.gov.uk . There is a link to this site on the HorseEvents link page. Some of the main farrier qualifications include:

DipWCF (Diploma of the Worshipful Company of Farriers)
FWCF (Fellowship of the Worshipful Company of Farriers
FdSc (Foundation Degree in Farriery

The Register provides details of the highest qualification of each registered farrier.

Database of Registered Farriers:

There are currently in the region of 2500 registered farriers on the Council’s database. It includes the following details of each registered farrier:

Full name and address
Date admitted onto the register
Qualifications held and date these were achieved
Telephone numbers and email addresses provided the farrier allows these to be added for the public to view.

This database can be used by the public free of charge if they are searching for a farrier in their area. You can also contact the Council via telephone to request a list of farriers registered in your area.

The database is split into 5 parts:

Part 1 can carry out farriery as a business
Part 2 can carry out farriery as a business, do not hold formal qualifications but had the experience necessary prior to the Act of 1975.
Part 3 registrations may not provide farriery services for trade or reward. They do not hold formal qualification but have the experience necessary prior to the Act of 1975
Part 4 can carry out farriery as a business and do not hold formal qualifications but had the experience necessary prior to the Act of 1975.
Part 5 are entitled to provide temporary and occasional farriery services within the UK.

All farriers registered on the database will be able to produce a registration card on request from yourself and have been given a window sticker for their vehicle. Examples of what these look like are on the Council’s website.

Farriers can be removed from the database if they fail to report illegal farriery as this may constitute aiding and abetting a criminal offence.

Act upon and investigate claims of illegal farriery:

The Council relies heavily upon the public to inform them of illegal farriery activities. This can be done online at www.farrier-reg.gov.uk by completing the illegal farriery report form or by contacting them via telephone where confidential advice can be provided on 01733 319911.

Once a report of illegal farriery or a breach of the code of conduct has been made, the Council can then investigate the claims through their Investigation Committee which was set up under s13 of the 1975 Act. At least one of the five committee members must be a qualified farrier and they decide whether the allegation and supporting evidence is enough to forward the case onto the Disciplinary Committee. This disciplinary committee comprises 8 members, at least one of whom is a qualified farrier. They look into the evidence brought to them and decide whether the case is proven or not in accordance with the current standards set in our courtrooms. If the case is proven a registered farrier can find themselves removed or suspended from the list.

The Council can also initiate criminal charges against members of the public who perform illegal farriery which can result ina max fine of £1000 plus costs and a criminal record.

Codes of Conduct:

There are codes of conduct set out by the Council for both the farrier and his clients.

As a client you are expected to:

Provide a clean, dry and well lit area for the farrier to work for health and safety purposes
Ensure that the horse is properly secured e.g. an appropriate head collar and tied securely and appropriately for the farrier to work safely
Provide competent assistance when required.

Remember: The Farrier is not responsible for catching, securing and then releasing your horse. If you expect your farrier to do this then you need to discuss this with them prior to the visit.

Your Farrier is expected to:

Respond to your requests within a reasonable timescale
Take reasonable care
Provide clear information about contact and their practices
Maintain their skills and knowledge according to current guidelines
Should not attend to your horse without prior agreement.
Not conduct any work that is outside of the remit of their training unless it is to provide emergency first aid to the animal
Let you know when you need a second opinion or to seek vetinary advice. They cannot cross over into the vetinary realm to diagnose issues or administer drugs.
Work in accordance with any advice provided by your vet – where this is not possible they should consult the vet directly
Ensure all staff working for them are properly trained and / or supervised.
Respect you and your decisions unless it conflicts with the horse’s welfare
Maintain client confidentiality
Provide itemised accounts if requested
Provide you with adequate notice periods if they want to terminate their services with you.

The Farriers Registration Council will answer any query or concern that you may have. If it is outside of their remit they will point you in the right direction of someone who can help.

To contact the Council you can do so via their

website www.farrier-reg.gov.uk or

telephone 01733 319911

fax 01733 319910

email frc@farrier-reg.gov.uk

Sources of information for this article:

www.farrier-reg.gov.uk

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