Advertise on podcast: The Lockdown Farriery Podcast

Send us Fan Mail The Booksmith an aid to MTD Welcome to the Lockdown Farriery Podcast. In today's episode, we're talking about something that affects every farrier in business: bookkeeping, accounts, and the dreaded Making Tax Digital.   I'm joined by Mark Barnard, a fellow farrier and AWCF, along with Charlie and John, the creators of The Booksmith. Together, they've developed a solution specifically designed for farriers to manage their finances and stay compliant with MTD requirements.   If you've ever struggled with paperwork, bookkeeping, or understanding what HMRC actually wants from you, this conversation is going to be invaluable. And if you want to find out more after the episode, head over to www.thebooksmith.co.uk.   Let's dive in. Support the show

Send us Fan Mail Podcast - Episode 57: Wayne Preece FWCF on Health, Veterinary Reform, and UK Farrier RegulationEpisode Description Wayne Preece FWCF returns to the Lockdown Farriery Podcast for an in-depth conversation about his recent health challenges, the state of farrier regulation in the UK, and the upcoming European Championships. Wayne, a Fellow of the Worshipful Company of Farriers, experienced educator, and international clinician, has been instrumental in shaping farrier standards across Europe through his work with the European Farriers Association (EFA). He's helped develop certification programs in multiple countries and continues to push the profession forward despite facing significant health setbacks. In this extended conversation, Wayne and the host discuss: Wayne's recovery from total knee replacement and upcoming hip surgeryHis ongoing work with the Polish and Italian farrier associations on EFA certification programsThe complexities of organizing the European Championships and improvements to competition standardsThe controversial UK veterinary reform consultation and what it could mean for farrier regulationThe confusion between the FRC, WCF, and BFBA - and why understanding these bodies mattersProfessional pricing challenges in the UK compared to other countriesThe future of farrier education and the apprenticeship systemThis is a frank, unfiltered discussion about the realities of being a farrier professional in 2025, covering everything from health challenges to regulatory debates to the business side of the trade. Key Topics & Timestamps Health Update & Recovery (0:00 - 12:00) Wayne's total knee replacement in OctoberUpcoming hip replacement surgeryThe physical toll of farriery and recovery challengesMaintaining work through injury via computer-based projectsInternational Work & EFA Programs (12:00 - 30:00) Work with VFT Denmark and Polish Farriers FederationDevelopment of Certified Euro Farrier and Master Euro Farrier programsEducational support for European associationsUpcoming presentation at North American Equine Practitioners conferenceEuropean Championships Organization (30:00 - 50:00) Formation of EFA subcommittee to improve competition standardsChallenges from the 2023 Spanish championshipsNew rule book development and standardization effortsDanny's consultancy role for the upcoming Dutch championshipsThe importance of learning from mistakes in competition organizationUK Farrier Bodies: FRC, WCF & BFBA (50:00 - 1:10:00) Clarifying the roles: FRC (regulation), WCF (heritage/recognition), BFBA (professional support)Social media confusion and misinformationWhy the FRC exists to protect the public, not farriersThe value of BFBA membership and professional networkingFarrier Regulation & Professionalism (1:10:00 - 1:30:00) The UK as the only country with statutory regulationDisciplinary processes and the FRC BulletinComparing regulatory standards with other professionsThe evolution of the FRC since 2017 reformsWhy farriers wanted teeth in regulation - and now have itThe Horse Industry & Pricing Challenges (1:30:00 - 1:50:00) Why UK farriers are among the cheapest globallyThe cultural expectation of affordable horse ownership in the UKThe rise of "people with horses" vs traditional "horse people"Working-class roots of the profession affecting pricing mindsetThe welfare dilemma: charging properly vs ensuring horses get care Support the show

Send us Fan Mail Hello everyone, and welcome back to The Lockdown Farriery Podcast. This is Episode 56, and today we’re diving into a topic that every farrier — student, qualified, or aspiring — needs to understand.”  “I’m joined by a brilliant guest for this episode: Freya Ceen. Freya runs Vital Accounts, working and advising big and small business, including some farriery businesses. Her connection with farriery does not just end there. Many years ago before retraining to be an accountant she was in fact a Farrier apprentice. That combination of real world farriery experience and financial expertise makes her the perfect person to help us unpick today’s topics.” “We’ll be talking about the Level 3 Farriery Business and IT module — what knowledge apprentices really need, how to prepare effectively, and what assessors are looking for when it comes to passing the End Point Assessment (EPA).”  “Then we’re moving on to something affecting every UK farrier who operates as a sole trader: the upcoming rollout of Making Tax Digital (MTD). From 6 April 2026, HMRC will require sole traders with income over £50,000 to keep digital records and submit quarterly updates using recognised software — these aren’t extra tax returns, but short summaries designed to keep you organised throughout the year. This rollout is being phased in, with thresholds dropping to £30,000 in 2027 and £20,000 in 2028.” “Freya and I break down what that means for farriers, how to get ready, what software options are available, and why preparing early can save a lot of stress — and potentially money.”  “So, whether you’re revising for your Business and IT module, navigating your first year of self employment, or trying to make sense of the new digital tax rules, this episode has you covered.” This Episode will also link in to an upcoming episode with a new solution for farriers facing the transition to digital Tax, so keep your eyes open over the couple of weeks for that one. As always thank you to the sponsors The Shoeing Lab Silverback Chaps – silverbackchaps.com Support the show

Send us Fan Mail Farriery text books are few and far between, and modern up to date ones are even rarer. Dr Simon Curtis one of our generations most prolific writers has teamed up with Jay Tovey FWCF and Mark Trussler FWCF to produce Farriery Skills and Knowledge a new Farriery text book. In this podcast we talk about the journey to produce it and the story behind it. Check it out at Farrier Focus! Thanks to the Sponsors The Shoeing Lab Silverback Chaps Support the show

Send us Fan Mail In this episode I chat to an out of action farrier buddy of mine Stephen Hill FWCF. This is just one of those farrier chit chats that goes around the houses and can give a little insight of how we think and deal with the rigorous of shoeing and trimming horses and especially in this episode, the toll it takes on our bodies. Thanks to the sponsors  The Shoeing Lab Silverback Chaps Support the show

Send us Fan Mail In this episode I chat to Lisa Nealen. Lisa is a highly qualified Hospital Theatre Nurse who has done a lot of research in to the effects of surgical smoke plume. With this knowledge and as an horse owner concerned about the health of her own farrier, she has started Equismoke to help raise awareness to the risks and help reduce the long term impact on our health.  Farriery is a high risk job. We know this when we start. If anything this and the impact on our long term health should be more reflective in our pricing? Food for thought! Support the show

Send us Fan Mail In this episode I talk to Genevieve Joyce. Gen is an equine osteopath but has recently developed an App to help equine professionals save time in the management of their businesses by taking care of the large amount of organisation and admin we incur especially as a small one person business.  Equigate is an app for ANYONE who works with animals. It handles the day-to-day running of your business, allowing you to spend more time with hands on animals, and less time on admin and paperwork. Whether you’re and Equine massage therapist, bodyworker, physiotherapist, chiropractor, farrier, dentist, saddle fitter, bit fitter, podiatrist, nutritionist, riding coach, groom etc etc…..(you get the picture), then Equigate is here to help your business thrive. The app handles your client management, all of your client communication, your record keeping, your diary and your invoicing, plus everything in between. Work in the sticks? No problem, Equigate even works offline with no signal. Gone are the days of paper diaries, the folders and folders full of past paper treatment reports, and all the manual work of keeping your clients informed and updated about their appointments, as Equigate handles it all, right from your smartphone and a lot of it on auto pilot! Listen out for the discount code in the episode for 20% off subscriptions. Support our Sponsors  www.silverbackchaps.com www.theshoeinglab.com Support the show

Send us Fan Mail Last month saw the passing of a dear, farrier, educator, mentor, friend and all round legend. David “Slim” Symons FWCF Hons lead a very interesting Farriery career and put so much back in to the industry and those in it. This is a great loss to the UK Farriery industry, his family and his friends.  This is an edited re touched for quality, tribute of a conversation I had with Slim the other year. Rest in peace Sir Support the show

Send us Fan Mail Recently there has been a lot of discussions and social media debate about the apparent crisis within the farriery profession. This has centred around the economy of farriery as a profession and the lack of training providers and people coming into the profession. Like all farriery rants on social media, we all shared it on our feed so no doubt your customers can see it and feel sorry for you! Id like to add at this point “they don’t care”. I have personally thought for some time in the UK that we are most of the time subsidising their hobby and their want to own a horse compared to the prices with the rest of the developed world. To fix this it will take more than farriers sharing a well written post by another farrier on their social media. We need to get in a room together discover how we got in this situation in the first place, work on strategies to improve our value and to raise the price of farriery and go up together. Up until this point apart from moaning no one has proactively done anything to resolve this situation until now. Tom Smith FWCF, an experienced farrier who has been in the business since 2006, discusses his career journey, the challenges faced by the farrier industry, and the need for change.  He highlights the potential lack of farriers in the future, the struggle with proper pricing, and the undervaluation of their work.  Tom introduces 'Forge Smart,' a 10-month program designed to help farriers improve their business acumen, raise their prices collectively, and enhance the professionalism of the industry.    The discussion covers the importance of community, professional development, and re-evaluating traditional practices to ensure the sustainability and growth of the farrier profession. www.forgesmart.co.uk Thank you to the Podcast Sponsors www.silverbackchaps.com www.theshoeinglab.com Support the show

Send us Fan Mail I was recently asked to do a webinar on be half of the British Farriers & Blacksmiths Association explaining the concept of social license to operate in the equine sector. This is a term which has been banded around for a few years now and there have been many who have misunderstood what this actually means. This is about public approval, for us to carry on doing what we do. Although this is mainly aimed at the equestrian world, we do play a part in it, and with out it we have no job. Thank you to the BFBA for asking me to do this and for allowing me to publish the audio here to share. This recording is of me talking via a online webinar, of which there were a few technical problems of which I have done my best to edit out. If you are not a BFBA member please check out their web site to see the members benefits available and sign up.  Support the show

Send us Fan Mail This discussion is about a recent article in the Forge magazine. It is not about imposing rules but it is about protecting ourselves and all those involved (including the equine) at farriery competitions and forging best practice for future generations. What is Social License to Operate (SLO)  Social license is increasingly important in horse sport and leisure. This is the general public’s interpretation of equine welfare and professionalism. We must be seen to be always putting equine welfare FIRST. When a social license is lost, this is when the general public’s opinion decides that the activity we are doing falls below their expectations of animal welfare and/ or professionalism. This means that the welfare of the horse must be put first, and be seen to be put first, all the time. It is the responsibility of everyone involved with equines to demonstrate this. Sometimes, mistakes will be made. However, if all of those involved in horse sport and leisure can learn from these mistakes and demonstrate that they are always striving to do right by their horses, wider society is more likely to trust that equine welfare is genuinely being put first and it is more likely that equestrianism’s social license will be maintained. We have all seen the potential damage one video can make to a sport. During the build up to the 2024 Olympics, one video of one person connected to a sport, made headline news leading to a large swing in public opinion. This in turn reignited the question - should equestrianism be included as an Olympic sport? Worryingly, one public vote resulted in 49% of the voters being against. This is concerning and is evidence of what damage one viral video can do. The equestrian world needs to maintain and strengthen its social license for it to have a future.  Horseshoeing Competitions  As a competition, we must treat this activity as a sport utilizing the equine, and where live equines are used, their welfare MUST be the primary concern. Most horseshoeing competitions held within the UK are organised in conjunction with a bigger event, such as a county show. These are very public facing events and due to the nature of the spectacle provided, they are a huge crowd pulling part of the event. We are exposed to many members of the public that may have little or no knowledge of what they are watching. Some of these spectators may also be members of organisations or have opinions opposed to the use of horses in sport and may be looking to publicly evidence this. To this end, we as organisers and competitors need to utilise this industry spotlight to educate, communicate, and actively promote best practice and professionalism. The competition environment can be stressful for both equines and competitors due to several different factors, but with proper organisation, contingency planning and common sense, this can be kept to a minimum  Support the show

Send us Fan Mail It’s been a while…… Today me and my friend and fellow podcaster Brian Mullins reflect and breakdown his recent experience facing the AWCF exam for the first time, we talk about the journey he took and navigate his personal voyage of discovery. Brian has lots of priceless nuggets of information for anyone considering this journey for this exam or any certification the world over. Thanks to the sponsors The Shoeing Lab Silverback Chaps – silverbackchaps.com Support the show

Send us Fan Mail Since Lockdown we have seen a rise in online and other forms of farriery education....  This is a good thing! To put this on takes a lot of time, effort and of course money. One of these people throwing his hat in the ring is todays guest Connor Morison DipWCF. Connor is an Ex-Army farriery instructor who currently works at the Warwickshire college school of farriery, and like many of us has a passion for education. He has recently set up Farrier Scholar an Online farriery education platform, to help farriers on their educational journey. Thanks to the sponsors The Shoeing Lab Silverback Chaps – silverbackchaps.com Support the show

Send us Fan Mail David Gulley FWCF     On the 2nd of May 2024 we received the sad news of the passing of David Gulley FWCF. Born on the 4th of August 1939 in Plymouth Devon, David grew up with an obsession for horses, his mother once telling him of his fascination of the Shire horses working in the streets Plymouth. When David reached the age of 15 due to the lack of farriery apprenticeships being available due to mechanisation, David took on a 4-year apprenticeship in Blacksmithing and Engineering.  On completion of his apprenticeship in 1960 he was called up for National Service into the British Army. As he signed up, he asked about the possibility of being an Army Farrier, of which the ill-informed Army recruiting Sergeant replied, “there was not such a thing anymore”. David then opted to become a Driver.  Whilst in basic training Davids unit was visited by a recruiting officer from the Royal Army Veterinary Corps (RAVC), looking for recruits. David asked the officer did they have Farriers? The officer replied “yes”. At that point David told the officer that if he could transfer to the forge, he would instantly sign up for 22 years’ service, the maximum engagement you can sign up for. In late 1960 David moved to Melton Mowbray and started working at the Remount Depot, now known as the Defence Animal Training Regiment, and started his life as an Army Farrier Apprentice at the old Army School of Farriery (ASF).  Coincidently David joined the school 1 day after another farriery legend and lifelong friend David “Slim” Symons FWCF (hons). David was lucky enough to be taken under the wing of Jock Green a very well-regarded Army farrier instructor who pushed David to excel through hard work and determination. David managed to achieve the uncompressible feat of becoming a B1 Army farriery instructor and the rank of full Corporal in under 2 years. After 9 years of being based at the ASF teaching and competing David took the decision to leave the army and set up his own business. These were the days pre regulation, which would not become an act of parliament for a few years. At the time there was a lack of good farriers in the Leicestershire area servicing the fledgling equine leisure industry, with many untrained farriers cold shoeing applying shoes poorly. David was lucky enough to get the opportunity to repurpose a disused cattle shed into a forge, which is where he remained for the rest of his life in Thorpe Satchville, Leicestershire with his partner Judy.  It wasn’t long before David had built a busy business and the requirement for more manpower, so started his long list of successful apprentices. The first of which was Andrew Speck RSS, which went on to include the likes of Cecil Swan, Gary Darlow, Kevin Green, Joe Bryan and Andrew James. He went on to train 24 apprentices in total and was always proud of the achievements of all he trained and had said countless times that his proudest achievement was training his own son Micheal. On retirement he was presented a “Family Tree”, by some of his ex-apprentices, starting with David, his apprentices, their apprentices and so on. To this date there are 5 generations of farriers with lineage back to David, over time this will grow and will remain one of Davids Legacies.    After leaving the Army David’s involvement with the National Association of Farriers, Blacksmiths and Agricultural Engineers (now known as BFBA) began. Joining his local branch, Leicestershire, David became an active member and very quickly rising to the position of chairman. With the registration act looming on the horizon, David was proactive in putting on training and testing for farriers in the area to achieve their Registered Shoeing Smiths (RSS) exams. In Davids own words this was all about trying to make farriers better. David always held horse welfare as the most important part of farriery. He went on to sit t Support the show

Send us Fan Mail I’ve just got back from a very busy summer period. Back to school for me now! Last week I spent the week in Canada with my awesome friend Brian Mullins CJF. Week spent the week fine tuning and preparing for his upcoming AWCF exams. I met Brian back in lockdown through our respective podcast passion projects. As we were together we decided to chat with microphones and this is the results. Check out Brian’s podcast if you haven’t already as it is the best one out there. That’s not to say all the Farriery podcasts are all awesome. Check out the podcasts amazing sponsors  https://silverbackchaps.com/ https://theshoeinglab.com/ Support the show