Previous Farrier Focus Conferences 8th Annual 2007 Farrier Focus® Sharpened Observation Skills Farriers from across the country gathered September 21- 22 at Butler Professional Farrier School in northwest Nebraska for a two-day conference to sharpen their technical and business skills. Many participants were former students and previous conference attendees who have returned year after year since the Farrier Focus® Business Conference began in 2000. The theme for the 2007 Farrier Focus® Conference was "Sharpening Observation Skills." With nearly 100 horses available for student use at the School, animals were selected that illustrated a wide variety of problems that farriers have seen or will encounter in their businesses. Horses with various problems were observed and critiqued by the group, and then a specific lesson was taught regarding each observed problem. Group discussion gave input on how each of these situations could be handled. Current problems that affect a farrier's ability to be successful were discussed. How to deal with a "victimhood society" was the theme of one presentation. Another was on how to deal with various client scenarios that may come up and lead to a potential misunderstanding. Later, the value of forming a business entity and questions to ask when interviewing potential business "partners" were discussed. The last presentation Friday morning dealt with the Mustang Myth -- the so-called mustang problem in America -- and what to do about it, which is the subject of many programs in the media today. Facts and figures with recommendations for possible solutions were considered. (In addition to donated and auction horses, the School has purchased and adopted Mustangs to help teach students.) After lunch, Pete Butler gave a presentation on catching, handling and training a Mustang for shoeing using tried-and-true traditional methods. He discussed the origin and history of these methods. Many attendees said they had never seen these techniques demonstrated and were very impressed with how well they worked. Since Mustangs have the instinctive traits of all horses "a little closer to the surface," much horsemanship can be learned by working with them. Next, participants paired up to dissect horses' legs. The Butlers circulated and made sure everyone could find and identify the principle structures of the leg. People who had never done a dissection themselves expressed gratitude at having the opportunity. While a business discussion was taking place in the classroom, Jacob Butler set up an anatomy test in the lab area using the dissected specimens. Upon completion of the test, everyone agreed that these were things that all farriers should know. Saturday started with an eagle-eye shoe fitting exercise. Participants drew for a specimen foot. Then, after looking at the foot and taking width measurements, each person was allowed 10 minutes to shape a keg shoe to the pattern they visualized in their mind. When time was called, the shoes were held to the feet and evaluated. Many learned that what they created was not what they thought they had seen. Following this valuable exercise, Doug Butler taught techniques to help everyone utilize the visualization power of the right brain more effectively to see hoof shape when fitting. After demonstrating some ideas on arranging our work so we can be more efficient, everyone took the farrier competency exam prepared by Dr. Butler. There were five questions set up at each of 20 stations for a total of 100 questions. Each participant had 90 seconds to answer the five questions before moving to the next station. There were questions on all areas of the farrier's craft. The questions had to be answered much like they would be to an owner in one or only a few words. All gained a new appreciation for the need to study more so they can truly master their craft. After lunch, Doug Butler interviewed a recent client and discussed the progress in treating her foundered Paso Fino horse. She expressed appreciation for all that had been done to save her horse and gave valuable hints for involving the owner in the horse's treatment. Radiographs showing the position of the coffin bone before and after treatment were viewed. Before leaving the classroom, Dr. Butler gave a presentation illustrating what to look for in a properly made and fit heart bar shoe. He also discussed Cushing's disease and its relationship to founder. The horse was then reset while all observed. A badly foundered pony recently acquired by the school was used for the next demonstration on treating founder. This was an older pony that had been neglected for many years. After proper care and shoeing, the mare is doing much better and is expected to make a full recovery. Everyone could see the importance of opening abscesses and seromas from the front after the shoe is applied. Opening from the bottom through the sole often causes exuberant granulation tissue that is difficult and time-consuming to clear up. Read “Crippled Foundered Pony” story. The popular Farrier Focus® Forum at the end of the day gave participants the opportunity to share life-changing experiences they've gained from attending the Farrier Focus® Conference over the past eight years. Many revealed that they had doubled their income as a result of applying the information they have learned at the conference. One person said he had tripled his income as a direct result of attending the conference, and that he had bought and completely paid for his first home with the increase. Another man who has attended nearly every conference told how overwhelmed he was the first time with so much content presented, but how by this year's conference everything was fitting into place for him. Others acknowledged how much they felt they had missed when they were unable to attend. The general consensus was, "Yes, it's a long drive, but it was worth every mile to get here!" The conference closed with Doug Butler relating the famous story of Attorney Daniel Webster and "The Blacksmith's Fee." According to the story, even though a poor blacksmith couldn't afford his normal fee, Mr. Webster diligently researched and defended the man for only one dollar. Years later when the attorney was hired to defend a wealthy railroad owner in a similar case, he received a handsome fee for his services. The story emphasized the importance of diligent preparation, regardless of the immediate reward. All left determined to be the best they can be and thereby better serve their equine and human clients. For over four decades, Doug Butler has been the farrier's advocate in helping him or her increase in understanding and, ultimately, business success in the farrier industry. Farrier Focus® Conference 2007 was a strong reminder of this important advocacy that Doug, Jacob and Peter Butler are providing for farriers and horse professionals today. 2006 Farrier Focus® Conference a Success With Time-Tested Principles The 7th annual Farrier Focus® Business Conference was held in November 2006 at Centaur Forge in Burlington, Wisconsin. Thank you to our hosts, Bill and Nancy O’Neill, who did a great job in setting up the conference! Enthusiastic attendees learned valuable information that will help them Raise the Standard in the farrier industry, grow their businesses, provide better care for their horses through improved skills and valuable nutrition, as well as how to be better communicators. They also enjoyed some great networking, entertainment and food. Doug Butler opened the conference by explaining that Farrier Focus® Business Conference has three purposes. These have remained unchanged since we began in 2000.
A recent national survey done by the University of Tennessee indicates that the public perceives that 50 percent of those representing themselves as farriers are incompetent. There is much misunderstanding of what is involved for one to become a competent farrier. Competency is made up of both skill and character. The mission of Farrier Focus® is to raise the standard. Jacob Butler, director of Butler Professional Farrier School in Crawford, Nebraska, led off this year’s conference with a presentation on mastering the language of the ABC’s of horseshoeing: Anatomy, Balance and Conformation. He discussed three factors under each of these topics that must be understood by farriers so they can better educate their clients. The American Farriers Journal November 2006 business practices survey indicated that Client Education was the No. 1 headache for farriers. Those who attended Farrier Focus® were able to see it as their biggest opportunity. Bill O’Neill, an experienced farrier from Marengo, Illinois, discussed the ten factors that beginning farriers neglect when building a business. He cited many examples and lessons from his own experience of working with and pleasing clients that has led him to the place he is today. His use of shoeing time and efficiency of operation was most impressive. Jacob then followed with a review of ways to improve client communication. His presentation reinforced what Bill had shared and discussed why clients fire farriers and when farriers should fire clients. Doug and Pete Butler discussed how to read horses and stressed horsemanship. They related stories of horses they have known that illustrate the nature of the horse’s psychological makeup. They told of the origin of modern “horse whispering” and its positive and negative effects on today’s clients. They stressed that although horses are unpredictable, they have a predicable nature that we can learn to read. Safety and longevity in the business are directly affected by how well one can learn to read horses. Jacob reviewed forelimb anatomy, stressing position and biomechanical features with his specimen that he made using bones, wire, and leather. He demonstrated the stay apparatus and movement. The next day he related anatomy to the position and severity of common limb unsoundnesses. Last year he did the same thing with the hind limb. It takes many hours of study and assembly work to make these models. Learning the terms and position of structures is much like learning a foreign language. Jake is fluent in the German language as well as in the language of anatomy. Doug discussed how to choose and use the anvil. Centaur Forge provided examples of the various types of anvils available. Doug discussed the features of each and demonstrated the most efficient way to use them in conjunction with the hammer and tongs. The presentation on the use of the horn for shaping hot shoes was especially valuable. Doug wrote and publishes The Cowboy Code, a book about the importance of displaying good character at our work and in our homes. He expressed the hope that everyone will see the value of applying these principles in their own family and business. Living by a Code establishes trust in clients and family members. The final event of the day was a performance by one of America’s greatest cowboy singing groups, KG and the Ranger. Karen and Rick have been performing cowboy music for many years in an effort to keep the music of their cowboy heroes alive. Along with great harmony, they teach good character as exemplified by the early-day singing cowboy heroes. They have won the western music national championship competition three times. They put on a great show! The next day Doug discussed how to calculate the cost of doing business. He applied that information to building a sustainable and vibrant business. He showed how to select and appreciate customers that make a business grow and be a pleasure to work in. Later he discussed how to apply biomechanical solutions to the front limb unsoundnesses Jacob had identified earlier. Brian Jones of Life Data Labs in Cherokee, Alabama, gave a presentation on Hoof Nutrition. As a part of his presentation, he detailed the research of Dr. Frank Gravlee by showing how the feed supplement Farrier’s Formula® was developed. It was most impressive as it became obvious that Dr. Gravlee has done more in-depth nutritional research on the horse’s foot than anyone. Indeed, most of the two dozen hoof supplements on the market are either copies of his product or built by guesswork and calculation, not by solid blood sampling research. Dr. Butler and Dr. Gravlee discussed how farriers and vets can better work together to solve a horse’s problems, especially those that cause laminitis and founder. Each must be respected and work in his or her strong specialty area to have the greatest positive effect. The objective is a solution that is satisfactory to the client, the farrier, the veterinarian, and the horse. Recognizing you can’t work with everyone, you must choose who you can work with that will make it a pleasant and rewarding experience for all. Laminitis & Founder: Prevention and Treatment for the Greatest Chance of Success, a new book written by these two foot experts, focuses on the prevention and treatment of laminitis and founder and will be released by the end of the year. They gave a preview of its contents. The differences between and the severity of the two diseases was discussed. The reason why all hoof care professionals do not agree on the causes and treatment can be traced back to faulty theories and teachings. These have caused much unnecessary pain and suffering. Dr. Gravlee went into great detail, yet made it easy for all to understand how laminitis progresses to founder. He illustrated why many prescribed medical treatments are wrong and lead to the premature death of horses. For example, he showed how “sole support” becomes sole pressure and causes tissue necrosis or death. Use of an anti-inflammatory coupled with an analgesic such as Bute work against the healing process and may contribute to further laminar damage. He discussed the relationship of diet to founder and internal hoof repair after an animal is foundered. Dr. Butler then showed why the use of the heart bar shoe is the preferred mechanical treatment until the horse grows a new healthy hoof. Because the attendance is limited at Farrier Focus® there is time for each person to have their questions answered and to have personal time with each of the presenters. There were people there such as Art Miner, from Mt. Carroll, Illinois, who has built a very successful business using Farrier Focus® principles. Those who are new to the craft were able “pick their brains” to learn how to succeed faster. 2004 Farrier Focus Conference Debuts New P3 Book During the conference Doug and Jacob Butler presented the first copy of the new edition of their book, The Principles of Horseshoeing (P3) to Lee and Alma Liles, who hosted the conference. Each of the 75 participants took home at least one copy of this ultimate textbook of farrier science and craftsmanship for the 21st century. The first day of the conference was devoted to teaching the horseshoeing craft. A teacher’s guide prepared by Jacob Butler, Instructor of Horseshoeing at Mesalands Community College, in Tucumcari, New Mexico, was distributed to each participant. The book Life Matters by John Maxwell was recommended at the 2004 meeting. Recommended books for previous years have been: Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill, The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen Covey, The New Psycho- Cybernetics by Maxwell Maltz and Dan Kennedy, and the Rich Dad Poor Dad series by Robert Kiyosaki. History revolving around each of the tools used by the farrier was covered by Lee Liles, who is without a doubt the most knowledgeable man living today on the history of this fascinating craft. Lee has put together the finest collection of horseshoeing tools anywhere. Dr. Doug Butler presented insights gained from teaching the farrier’s craft for the past 40 years. He taught the secrets of hammer and anvil work. He demonstrated the process of shoemaking and shoe shaping with an emphasis on the position of the tongs and the use of the anvil horn. Jacob Butler discussed the fine points of teaching anatomy to students and clients. He demonstrated the use of drawing, explanation, and models to teach your horseshoeing clients. He stressed that knowledge of anatomy, and the vocabulary that goes with it, increases a farrier’s confidence as well as his or her competence. Chris Minick, of Mill Valley, California, demonstrated the power of technology in the farrier business. He showed how to increase your bottom line and free up more time for after-work activities by effectively using your computer to do accounting and tax preparation, scheduling appointments, managing a data base, invoicing and itemizing prices, credit card processing, and getting directions to client’s property using global positioning devices. Randy Fisher, of Greeley, Colorado, showed the value of recognizing a client’s social style to help farriers succeed in business. When we learn to recognize the behavior of clients and how to positively react to their personalities, we are more successful in obtaining and keeping long-term customers. Tom Parris, of Woodbine, Maryland, discussed how to select apprentices and create rules for success in a multi-farrier practice. Tom, who runs one of the most successful farrier businesses in America, shared traits unique to successful people in this business. Selecting and retaining good employees is essential to business success. He also showed how to use a video camera to solve horse conformation and movement problems using bench-kneed horses as an example. Doug Butler Enterprises, Inc. provides this conference as a resource to help farriers raise the standard as they forge firm foundations on horses, in business and for life. |
