FRC - Getting to know you - Meet the members of the FRC Council

Chris Nixon was appointed to FRC Council in June 2004 having been the BHS Scotland representative for two years in the 1990s). He is the Scottish Enterprise nomination on Council, and hopes that his experience in training and education can help future generations of farriers fulfil their ambitions. He is the current chairman of the Visitation Panel, and has served on the Disciplinary Committee and on the management board of the National Farrier Training Agency.
Chris explains: 'Having been brought up on a family farm, we kept two shire horses for drill work and as a boy I eventually graduated to taking them to the local smithy for shoeing. The noise, the smell and the sight of a bar of metal being made into a horse shoe has always been a fascination. Later in life my interest in horses developed through my work and at home.'
His small family mixed farm in Cheshire was consumed as part of the new town of Runcorn, which lead to his career change into training and education. He has worked at three Agricultural Colleges in Cumbria, East Yorkshire and finally at Oatridge in Scotland. While acknowledging the need for high academic standards, business management, science and technological advancement, during his time in the Colleges, Chris was especially interested in allowing students the opportunity to develop craft skills – he feels one should never belittle the importance of those who choose to follow a more practical career.
As Principal at Oatridge, he was responsible for the expansion of the College portfolio from the traditional agricultural and horticultural courses to include equine, conservation, landscape construction and the establishment of the Scottish School of Farriery (sadly now no longer operating).
In 2001, he retired from Oatridge and established a road haulage business and developed the livery side of the equine interest and now spends his time between the livery business (offering full livery and DIY), his flock of hebridean sheep and restoring vintage tractors.
For the past 25 years his interest in horses has developed from the children’s pony to preparing ponies for working hunter and show hunter competition throughout the UK, as well as breeding hunters and Welsh section B ponies. He has developed and organised a BHS one-day event and is involved in local horse shows.

Chris Nixon

 

Paul Stilgoe is a Regional Superintendent with the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (RSPCA). He was promoted to this role in 2007, after spending 14 years as a Chief inspector in North Yorkshire. His 'day job' is to look after the uniformed officers who are based in the South East of England and London – a busy role. His last prosecution for the RSPCA was against a horse owner who had kept an aged bay mare locked in a shed behind a hotel for years. 'She was emaciated and her feet were so overgrown that the hooves on the front curled around like a rams horns, one of which was trimmed shorter by the use of a hack saw. The RSPCA prosecuted the owner who was fined and banned from keeping horses. Sadly the horse had to be destroyed.'
Most of the work done by the RSPCA in its early years concerned the welfare of the horse, the very first RSPCA prosecution in the early 1800’s was for cruelty to a donkey. Historically, the Society has had close links with the Farriers Registration Council, in fact the RSPCA played an important part in campaigning for the Farriers Registration Act; it is enshrined in the Act that the RSPCA should have a representation on the Council. The Act is an animal welfare act, its main purpose is concerned with the welfare of the horse, and knowing about the role of the farrier is part of the training of any RSPCA officer, and for which the Society invites a farrier to train its student Inspectors. Displayed in its training school is a silver trophy, a Challenge Cup, presented to the RSPCA in 1920 by the Amalgamated Society Of Farriers.
Over 25 years ago, Paul spent some time at Melton Mowbray in the Army forge and since he has been on Council has has been out with some well-respected farriers on their rounds to gain a further understanding of the complexities of the job.
He thoroughly enjoys his work with the Council and being a part of the Investigating and Registration Committees – 'although it takes a while to work out all the acronyms, and if I ever miss a meeting I have to play catch up'. One of the strengths of the Council and its committees is the variety in professions that work together for the welfare of the horse. Obviously for the technical concerns that are raised Paul says he always takes advice from the Farriers that sit in the committees, but as someone who has investigated allegations of cruelty for over 25 years, he feels that he brings a slightly different perspective to the decisions that are made.
'Farriery is fascinating work, and it is so important to ensure that horses are well cared for, I really do enjoy it and consider it a privilage that I can contribute to the work of the Council and help to make a difference.'

 

Mr B Nunn prosecuted for illegal farriery
On 24 February 2011 the Sunderland Magistrates Court found Mr Barry Nunn of North Lizard Riding School, Lizard Lane, Marsden, South Shields, guilty of having carried out unlawful farriery.
Under the Farriers (Registration) Act 1975 (as amended) it is a criminal offence for anyone other than a Registered Farrier, approved farriery apprentice or veterinary surgeon to shoe a horse, or otherwise carry out farriery. Mr B Nunn is neither a Registered Farrier nor an approved apprentice under the Farriers Registration Act. The allegation against Mr Nunn was that on Sunday 14 September 2010 he undertook farriery on two horses at a farm in Whitburn, Tyne and Wear.
Mr B Nunn pleaded guilty to the charges against him and the Magistrates Court imposed a conditional discharge in respect of each offence for a period of six months and ordered Mr Nunn to make a contribution towards prosecution costs of £500.
Unregistered persons engaging in farriery are breaking the law. Any horse owner choosing to use an unregistered person may compromise the welfare of their horse and could incur additional shoeing bills to correct the effects of poor workmanship. They would invalidate their insurance if an unregistered person lames or otherwise injures their horse. An unregistered person will not have professional indemnity insurance and therefore it would be very difficult to achieve redress not only for poor workmanship but also for accidental damage of any kind on a yard. If a horse owner knowingly uses an unregistered person he or she is aiding and abetting a criminal act, which is also an offence in law.
The Council will take out prosecutions against unregistered persons when the evidence is sufficient to do so. If you have any information regarding any alleged illegal farriery activity then please report it to the Council.

 

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