Self-education is critical to the acquisition of adequate clinical knowledge and skills to begin using farriery as a tool in daily practice. The demands of a basic veterinary education do not allow sufficient time or depth of learning to discover more than the most basic principles of podiatry from which to start. Fortunately, there are many venues which allow one to begin down the path to clinical knowledge. Days spent pulling shoes and dressing feet as a farrier's apprentice can be expanded into hours of study of gait and function. Veterinarians are well schooled in both self-teaching and Platonic learning of many subjects, so the basics are there for advanced learning. Computer programs are available to analyze the angles and structural aspects of the foot while trained eyes and hands are necessary to look closely at hoof health.
Compare this with the often very short, intense and anecdotal learning on most farrier curriculums, heavy on the hammer, short on physiology and minimal hands-on experience. This is often followed by an apprenticeship consisting of long, hard hours of repetitive learning at the hands of variably skilled instructors with lots of trial and error. The extremes in variability of their exposure in learning their craft makes it surprising that there are so many good farriers. The good ones prosper and have much to offer us in the practical application of their skill, knowledge and talents to our patients.
Client education is still the key to ultimate success, as they drive the demand for services and ultimately pay the bills. With Internet education, how-to horse magazines and the information boom upon us, there are ready tools out there that can be the backbone of and promote a good foot health program.