Do you do CPD? Continued Profesional Development

Time is money, and in today's fast paced world many are finding it difficult to justify parting with either money or time. In the world of hoof care this has never been more true. Whenever the economy suffers it is those industries that serve the nonessential that are hit most and we have to face the truth, horses are no longer essential to survival for most. Ouch, that hurts. The horse is essential to those of us that make our living caring for them. But the facts remain, the horse industry pulls harder on its purse strings than many other industries when times are tough. As a result, as professional care providers we are forced to work more hours, do more horses, and spend less time away doing things that are not putting money in the bank. Where does continuing education fit in? A few years ago I was asked by the publisher of the American Farrier Journal to comment on how our graduates, and our school was coping with the down turned economy. Here is the short response I sent them.

Flash Back

Dealing with the Down turned Economy

Implementing Aggressive Business Strategies

In an effort to ride out the current economy, we have had to integrate into our curriculum, new education on strong, ethical business practices and professional communication. To better support our graduates and students we succeeded in becoming an approved provider of continuing education for the American Association of Veterinary State Boards. Our programs represent from 15 to 60 hours of continuing education. Our new programs include on-line modules on team building and communication.

KC La Pierre lectures at 2006 IHS Ohio

It has become clear that today's horse owner is more likely to be proactive in their approach to hoof care, and as a result actively seek out those hoof care providers that participate in continuing education. At the Institute we actively promote those graduates that meet the Institute's yearly CPD requirement of (40 hours). Promotion consists of web site promotion, articles distribution, presence at major equine events worldwide and television exposure.

We have found that those graduates that have developed the communication skills necessary to work closely with veterinarians are excelling in business, even during this economic turmoil.

I believe it can be summed up by saying that today's hoof care provider has to have good communication skills, and the knowledge to support those skills. In today's economy the hoof care provider needs to be a hoof care professional that cannot only talk the talk, but also walk the walk; today's horse owner demands it. 

Teaching anatomy (Cambridge University, UK 2003)

Remember ... Sound Reasoning - Sound Horses 

Today

Having seen a recent post on face book in a popular farrier group asking what farriers did for CPD inspired me to write this blog post. 

Comments in that group ranged from ride along with vets and more experienced farriers to attending conferences. But what I found interesting was that there was no cohesiveness to those post. Most of the farriers that were doing ride alongs were relatively inexperienced and could spend the time, as they did not have a huge demanding clientele. Conference attendance did not appear to be yearly, and workshop or clinic attendance was limited to "when there is one close enough". 

It remains that CPD is not a requirement for the farrier, and that is okay. Why is that okay? When CPD is not a requirement those that seek out CPD are those that benefit most from it. Continuing Professional Development is not simply about staying current, it is about staying ahead. 

That being said, it is fact that attendance to many of the farrier and veterinary conference has shown huge declines in recent years. Is it simply the economy? It could be, but it may also be that potential attendees are not convinced that what conferences offer for CPD has value. CPD needs to offer the kind of information that will help the attendee help more horses, offer ideas that will ultimately save the attendee time and money. CPD must be viewed as a tool that will pay for itself in the long run. Those that do offer CPD are competing for the attendees time and money. There is only so much of either available to the prospective attendee. There are hundreds of CPD opportunities available to today's farrier, but which one too choose? That really comes down to the goals they set for themselves. 

Are you looking to expand on your knowledge of anatomy or bio mechanics, improve your tools skills, or perhaps your communication skills ? Some farriers simply enjoy the social aspect of the event, still others go with specific questions in mind that they seek answers for. What ever the reason is for attending a conference or workshop, choose one that speaks to your individual needs. Don't simply go with the flow because its easier to move with the crowd than to stay ahead of it. Spend your time and money wisely, it is no longer a matter of simply checking the attendance box. Your clients are well educated and you need to be as well. 

We are upping the number of CPD offerings to our graduates, farriers, and veterinarians. There will be over 12 courses and workshops offered in the USA in 2015 and 8 offered abroad. We are adding several "Balance" workshops to our calendar this year, one day workshops offered to certified farriers, DAEP, and Veterinarians. In this course emphasis is placed on ways to achieve consistent and repeatable dynamic balance of the hoof. 

After nearly 15 years of teaching Applied Equine Podiatry I understand that it is not for everyone, but for those interested in keeping ahead of the curve in this every changing industry adding an AEP workshop to your CPD list may prove to be beneficial. A recent Connecticut court decision involving the practice of podiatry and veterinary medicine stated that Equine Podiatry is an evolution of the Farrier trade, are you game for change?