Making a complaint against a Registered Farrier

If you are unable to resolve your complaint directly with your farrier, you may make a complaint to the Farriers Registration Council. The booklet entitled Making a Complaint gives details of the Council's complaints procedure and the roles of the Investigating and Disciplinary Committees.

The Farriers Registration Council may consider a complaint relating to a farrier’s workmanship or conduct. Please note, no financial redress or compensation is available.     

Complaints are considered in the first instance by the Council’s Investigating Committee which decides, on the evidence provided in the complaint form and the farrier’s response, whether the facts are likely to be found proved by the Disciplinary Committee, and whether there is a real prospect of a finding of serious professional misconduct against the farrier.

Where a case is referred to the Disciplinary Committee a hearing will be convened at which the evidence can be tested. Complainants and any witnesses may be required to attend the hearing to answer questions. The farrier will be given the opportunity to make their case to the Committee.

The Disciplinary Committee has a range of sanctions open to it when deciding a case, these include taking no action, postponement, the award of a reprimand or warning, a suspension or removal of a farrier from the Register.