If contests are a judge of farrier qualifications... and if a contestant damages a horse while competing...... can he or she be held liable? If a everyday ironhanger damages a clients horse can he or she be held liable? If Tiger Woods while playing in a contest, hits a ball into the gallery and it paralyzes a person who paid to watch.. can he be held liable? If Joe or Josephine Magillicuddy, or both , while shoeing a horse somehow loose control of said horse and it backs into someone, and paralyzes them.. can Joe or Josephine be held liable? and we have not even mentioned if the horse walked of in a satisfactory manner! just thoughts Ray
Not in oklahoma...we have an "equine law"(statute) that states that equine activities are inherently dangerous and as a result of participating, even by just being present, means you are giving your consent to the danger...therefore you are liable for your own self. http://www.animallaw.info/statutes/stusokst_t76_50_1.htm
Only if the horse doesn't matter. A quote comes to mind; "The horse gets in the way. . ." - Danvers Childs In order for a contest to be judged objectively and fairly, every competitor must shoe the exact same horse with the exact same shoes fit the exact same way in the prescribed time limit. Since no two horses are identical and no pair of feet are identical there is no way (at least not in any contest I've ever seen or heard about) for a contest to measure a farrier's judgement in regards to identifying the needs of the horse. The contest has its own "needs," which take precedence over the needs of the horse. As such, the challenge of a horseshoeing contest is one of physical skills in executing tasks to an exact set of criteria. As traditionally conducted, horseshoeing contests are devoid of intellectual challenge. The contest, not the farrier, determines the shoeing criteria. The farrier doesn't get to practice or exercise judgement in regards to the horse when preparing for a contest, which makes for a mindless pursuit. But then, so is fine single malt scotch . . .
I'll drag my post over from the other thread so we can keep kicking this turd... Said it before, will say it again. All the theoretical pragmatism in the world is worthless without the skill to create and apply the package (whether it is a unclipped keg shoe or a 3/4 fullered, hand made straight bar, deep seated, toes rockered, clipped, etc.). You can read all the books, attend all the lectures, and pass all the written tests, but until you can get it on the foot, as accurately and precisely as you planned, you failed your plan. Anyone can argue the theory, but it is hard to argue the skill. If you can consistently fit a shoe with a dime's width expansion and extension, you can consistently fit one with a half inch of both...or however you so desire. The 'standard' is arbitrary. Being able to produce it (or whatever you determine beneficial) reflects your skill level. Therein lies the benefit of contests...skill development. How one chooses to wield those skills, on a foot to foot basis, is part and parcel to his/her own convictions...and convictions are like distal sphincters, we all have em'.
Sans the exact same horse qualification, which is where luck of the draw plays into the equation, a contest is exactly as you describe. Until the day comes where we can use our intellectual prowess to just think a shoe onto a foot, we still need competent and proficient manual dexterity to get it on there. When that day comes that we can imagine it and it just appears on the foot, perhaps then we can abandon the physical skill requirement and just have a highly opinionated academic bowl.
The thing about contests is that no mater the criteria, inclusion of, or lack of, intellectual considerations as to needs of the horse, when it's all over and the forges get turned off and everyone steps back, some of the jobs look better than others. As to the relativity to the whole of Farriery and horse care, contests are probably not a high priority, but if you just won a contest, they are probably the most relative thing in the world, at least for that weekend.
You dont just win a contest, least not in the UK and I expect not any where.Hours of practice refining forging skills, developing hand and eye co ordination, developing speed and accuracy. Those skills are not forgotten every Monday morning, something about people who have that mindset dont settle for average rasp marked rubbish, and then on Sat win a competition. All my working life I have heard about the professional argument but thats how it goes. Make no mistake I have no regard for the posturing film star status one or two think they have earned, or the brand that we call the tool chucker's , they seem to launch there gear at the floor from waist height every time they have finished with it. But on the whole I wish I was good enough to win one.
The physical skill comes not from a competition, rather it comes from us doing our job day in and day out and at times, working with others who can further our development. Its not something we do so that we can win some meaningless competition, rather the competition of life and daily survival. ymmv
The practice and preparation for the competition most certainly develops the physical skills...the more we put in, the more we get out. Absolutely. I have learned much from the clinicians at contests and by watching other competitors compete. Everyone does things a little differently. We pick up and leave out what we choose. Going to a contest can be like riding with 20+ different farriers, all in one weekend. Meaningless is in the eye of the beholder. The skills we learn, regardless of the venue one chooses to learn them, aid us in the competition of life and daily survival. A contest, clinic, hammer in, ride-along, seminar, video, magazine article, book, etc. are all perfectly valid venues. I haven't competed in 8-9 years, but the skills that I learned there are still in use in my daily practice. How to use the horn for a die instead of a giant turning cam, tong position, hammer control, body position, using a fuller, a punch, a pritchel, tool maintenance, etc...all learned at a contest...all help me with either proficiency and/or self preservation. My opinion from my experience...YMMV.
Competence and skill comes from practicing the entire package including analysis and problem solving. One does not master problem solving skills by reading about strategy and tactics. You've got to get your hands dirty and you've got to make a lot of mistakes to get experience and proficiency.
Sure you can. Look how cool I've become by reading here. The fun part about contests is figuring out how to cheat right in front of everyone, and making it work.
Ya mean like having a perfect specimine hiding in your quench bucket? My luck it would be for the wrong foot. LOL!
It's not against the rules, but if you are the last guy in line to look at the foot in the Eagle Eye, you just walk over to your anvil and start, with out having to stand around overthinking.
So? what's the Eagle eye, Bill? and you and ray REALLY need an avatar . . .. *smile* then there's Brian who ALSO should have one . . . . *grin*
Dana, some would say that your avatar would suffice as a picture of me. The Eagle Eye is a contest where the judge trims and preps a foot to shoe. Then the contestants line up and are shown the foot for five seconds each. After the last person sees the foot, they all start to shape a shoe for that foot in an allotted amount of time. The shoe that fits the foot the best wins.
