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FARRIERY
Declining farrier numbers prove a cause for concern
A farriery crisis could be on the horizon as numbers of farriers drop across the country. Farriers Registration Council (FRC) figures show that there were 2,686 registered farriers in the UK at the end of 2023, 162 fewer than in December 2019. The situation in Scotland is particularly dire, with around 160 covering the entire country.
An FRC spokesman said: “Equine owners should be able to access farriery services throughout Great Britain. However, those in some areas of Scotland may experience difficulty due to geography and demographics.”
He added that the Scottish situation is being made worse because there is no public funding for farriery students, making it expensive to serve an apprenticeship.
The lack of farriers is due to
