by Kelly Case 

Whenever I am talking to students, horse owners, or farriers one question always comes up,

“Why should I join or renew my membership in the BWFA?” The other day I found myself with

31/2 hours of windshield time and I got too pondering just that question.

Now I have to tell you years ago I had some serious issues with a trade organization when my

wife and I lived in Wisconsin where we owned and operated a small family print shop. This group turned into a very political group and ended up regulating many of the small family shops right out of business. The worst part was many of the family shops had joined this group to enhance their business, pool their knowledge, and secure their trade.

After that experience, I said there was no way any trade organization was going to get (and my wife likes to remind me of this) “One red cent from my pocket ever again!” I learned a valuable lesson, never say never. I joined the BWFA at the start of the licensing and registration movement because the BWFA was the first and only organization to say “NO, you will not regulate or control my trade!” Ralph Casey came by around this time on his cross country school tour. He looked over our school and spent time getting to know us. This impressed me. Here is the President of a national organization asking if he can come to our school and see what we are all about . . . while others were condemning the schools and trying to regulate our entire industry! Just the fact that the BWFA was working to keep our trade free was worth the $85.00 dollars in annual dues.

Now, here I am a few years down the road, and I’m still a member of the BWFA. Why am

I still a member? Good question. Let me tell you . . . before I can answer that question, I have to explain two things that my father impressed upon me when I was growing up. The first thing was my Dad’s theory on opportunity. He would tell me that the old saying “When opportunity knocks, you should open the door” was a huge crock of ----. Dad’s theory was if you waited by the door for opportunity to knock you were going to waste your life waiting by the door. He told me "When you see opportunity passing by on the street run out the door, grab it by the throat, and drag it in." Secondly, he told me, "If you want to become the best at something, you need to know what you know, know what you don’t know, and know who knows what it is that you don’t know."

First let’s look at the opportunity end of things. Through BWFA membership and the FNRC,

I have been given the opportunity to attend clinics and conventions that have enhanced my

business and made me a more profitable shoer and a better instructor. It has also given me the chance to promote new facets of my business that would have otherwise cost thousands of dollars to promote. I have had the opportunity to help start a local chapter of the BWFA here in Missouri. The chapter is becoming quite active in our state. My membership has given me the opportunity, and in many instances, motivated me to get off my butt to do a better job and raise my standards. (See Bill McDonald’s article in the 2008 winter bulletin). Through the BWFA I have gained access to an unlimited database of knowledge not just about shoeing but about running a profitable, professional business Now let’s take a look at the second thing my Dad told me, “Know who knows what it is that you don’t know.” Let’s just think about this one for a second. One of the hardest things to explain to farriers and horse owners is why they should join the BWFA. It’s not something you will see listed in the membership benefits . . . it’s not something most of us even think about . . .it’s the people!

Since I have joined the BWFA I have met people--people that have enhanced and influenced my business, and they are willing to share their knowledge and experience freely!! I kid you not! I sometimes think I have learned more, before or after the day’s events, by sitting and talking with farriers from all over the country. Here is a for instance. The last time I was at the FNRC I started chatting with Wayne Allen. Wayne has been under a few horses in his time so when Wayne and I started talking about foundered horses, his successes and failures, I shut my mouth and listened. Here is a guy that has been shoeing for 40 some years and he is giving me a free one on one seminar on foundered horses. He is openly and freely answering my questions?? It doesn’t get much better than that! The conversation with Wayne Allen is just the tip of the iceberg. I have been able too meet shoers, like Bucky Hatfield, Ken Crimmins, Scott Ledbetter, David Tuggle, Ken Moody, Bill Ainsworth, Stan Trimble, and the list just goes on and on. This is all available to you as a member for $85.00 dollars a year!! All you have to do is be motivated enough to grab this opportunity and run with it, and if you do, you will find yourself in the company of some pretty amazing people. “Who knows what it is that you don’t know?”

We all have customers that don’t want to pay for the work we do. They gripe and grouse about how we, as shoers, are priced too high. Then you look over and see the $2,500.00 saddle on

the saddle rack and you say to yourself “They’ll pay thousands for a saddle and gripe about the price of a good shoe job.” Well folks, aren’t we doing the same thing? We will pay $65.00 dollars a month for cable TV, and never bat an eye when we write the check, but we will pour over the decision as to whether or not we should renew or join an organization that is there to benefit the very business that helps us afford our cable TV. It’s all about motivation! Get motivated and get involved and you will find that the $85.00 dollars in dues is some of the best money you ever spent, and you might just find that with what you learn you can drop the customers that complain about your prices.

 

 

BWFA

14013 East Hwy 136

LaFayette, GA 30728

(706)397-8047

email: info@bwfa.net

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