- What This Cheat Sheet Covers (and What It Cannot)
- The Verified Facts at a Glance
- Three Parts, One Credential: Written, Shoeing, Display
- The Seven Written Study Subjects
- Must-Know Highlights by Subject
- Fees and Registration: What to Confirm Before You Budget
- Scoring, Retests, and the "Mulligan"
- What Is Not Publicly Verified
- A Subject-by-Subject Study Sequence
- Where the Credential Fits in a Farrier Career
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Certified Farrier (CF) is administered by the American Farrier's Association and has three required parts: written, practical horseshoeing, and shoe...
- The AFA's 2022 CF guide organizes written prep into seven study subjects, from Bones and Joints to Conformation, Gaits, and Physiology.
- Candidates need at least one year of horseshoeing experience before testing.
- The 2025 candidate guide is the latest located; the $100/$250 fee in the tester manual is a 2016 historical schedule.
What This Cheat Sheet Covers (and What It Cannot)
This is a one-page-style review for the Certified Farrier (CF) credential offered through the American Farrier's Association (AFA). Everything here is specific to the farrier credential. If you are still sorting out what the letters mean, start with What Is CF Certification? and then come back.
A cheat sheet is only useful if it is honest about its limits. The AFA does not publish a weighted exam blueprint, a current national pass rate, or a numerical written cutoff in the public materials reviewed for this article. Where the facts are verified, this sheet states them plainly. Where they are not, it says so and tells you where to confirm them. That is more useful than a tidy table of invented numbers, and it will keep you from budgeting or scheduling around a figure that turns out to be wrong.
The Verified Facts at a Glance
| Item | What the public sources support |
|---|---|
| Issuing body | American Farrier's Association (AFA), with AFA examiners/testers and host-event administration |
| Required components | Written exam, practical horseshoeing, and shoe display/oral |
| Experience prerequisite | At least one year of horseshoeing experience |
| Written study structure | Seven written-examination study subjects in the AFA 2022 Certified Farrier guide |
| Latest candidate guide located | 2025 (tester manual updated December 17, 2024, with some older effective dates) |
| Written exam setting | Supervised, closed-book paper assessment (per the tester manual) |
| Practical work | In-person skills assessment |
| Historical fee schedule | $100 member / $250 nonmember, from a March 2016 schedule, not a current quote |
| 2025 official guide price | $15.95 (a publication price, not an exam fee) |
Notice what is absent: the live written question count, the scored/unscored split, current national time limits, renewal fees, and validity period are all not verified in the sources reviewed. Do not fill those gaps with numbers from other sites. For the broader picture of what the process asks of you, see CF Requirements: Eligibility, Prerequisites & How to Qualify.
Three Parts, One Credential: Written, Shoeing, Display
The single most important structural fact about the CF is that it is a performance credential, not just a written test. Three components are required, and they test different things.
Written examination
A supervised, closed-book paper assessment per the tester manual. It tests your command of the seven study subjects below.
- Prepared from the AFA Certified Farrier guide's study subjects
- Live question count and numerical cutoff are not publicly verified
- The official 60-question multiple-choice practice test is practice material, not proof of live-exam length
Practical horseshoeing
An in-person assessment of your hands-on shoeing work.
- Conducted with AFA examiners/testers
- Cannot be replaced by written knowledge
- Certified-level scoring is described in the tester manual as around 7, subject to confirmation in the current guide
Shoe display and oral
You present horseshoes you have made and answer questions about them.
- Rewards forging, fitting, and the ability to explain your reasoning
- Overlaps heavily with the Horseshoes and Hoof Structure subjects
- Scoring is described around 7 for certified level in the tester manual, pending current-guide confirmation
Because the written content directly supports what you will be asked to explain at the display, studying anatomy and shoeing theory is never wasted effort. But the reverse is also true: a candidate with excellent forge skills and weak anatomy knowledge can stumble on the paper. For a frank look at how these pieces combine, read How Hard Is the CF Exam?
The Seven Written Study Subjects
The AFA's 2022 Certified Farrier guide frames written preparation around seven subjects. These are unweighted study headings. The AFA has not published verified percentages, a "largest domain," or a 2026 weighted blueprint, so do not trust any source that claims to know how many questions each subject carries. Allocate study time by your own weak spots instead.
- Bones and Joints
- Hoof Structure
- Tendons and Ligaments
- Blood Circulation
- Pathology
- Horseshoes
- Conformation, Gaits, and Physiology
The first five are the anatomical and clinical foundation; the last two connect that foundation to the work you do at the anvil and in the field. For a deeper subject-by-subject walkthrough, see CF Exam Domains: Complete Guide to All 7 Content Areas.
Must-Know Highlights by Subject
The lists below are study prompts, drawn from the standard body of knowledge a working farrier is expected to carry. Use them to test yourself: if you cannot explain an item out loud, that is where to study.
1. Bones and Joints
The skeletal framework of the lower limb and how it moves.
- Name and locate the bones of the distal limb, from the cannon bone down through the pastern bones, coffin bone, and navicular bone
- Distinguish joint types and what each joint does in the stride
- Explain how the coffin bone's position inside the hoof capsule matters for trimming and shoeing decisions
2. Hoof Structure
The external and internal anatomy you trim and shoe every day.
- Identify wall, sole, frog, bars, white line, and periople, and explain each one's function
- Describe the sensitive and insensitive structures and why the distinction matters when driving nails
- Explain how hoof growth, wear, and moisture affect trimming approach
3. Tendons and Ligaments
The soft-tissue support and motion system.
- Distinguish tendons from ligaments by function and attachment
- Identify the major flexor tendons and suspensory structures of the lower limb
- Connect how hoof balance and shoeing changes alter the load carried by these structures
4. Blood Circulation
How blood supply keeps the hoof alive and healthy.
- Trace the general path of blood supply into the foot
- Explain why circulation matters for hoof growth and tissue health
- Describe how the hoof assists venous return during weight bearing
5. Pathology
Recognizing disease and deciding what is yours to manage versus what belongs to a veterinarian.
- Recognize common hoof conditions such as thrush, abscesses, white line disease, cracks, and laminitis
- Know the signs that call for veterinary involvement and how to work within that boundary
- Explain how corrective trimming and shoeing support a veterinary treatment plan
6. Horseshoes
Materials, design, fitting, and purpose.
- Know the parts of a shoe and common shoe types and their purposes
- Explain how shoe design, fit, and nail placement affect the hoof
- Describe the reasoning behind therapeutic and corrective modifications
7. Conformation, Gaits, and Physiology
Reading the whole horse, not just the foot.
- Evaluate limb conformation and relate deviations to hoof wear and flight pattern
- Distinguish the gaits and how foot flight reveals imbalance
- Connect basic equine physiology to how a horse responds to trimming and shoeing
Key Takeaway
The subjects interlock. A question about a shoe modification can really be an anatomy question in disguise. Study each subject by asking "what does this change in the foot, and why?" rather than memorizing isolated terms.
Fees and Registration: What to Confirm Before You Budget
Fee mechanics are where candidates most often get misled, so read this section carefully.
- The $100 member / $250 nonmember figures appear in the tester manual but are explicitly a March 2016 historical schedule, not a current quote. Do not budget from them.
- The $15.95 price attached to the official 2025 guide is the cost of the publication, not an exam fee.
- Host charges may apply, because exams are run through AFA examiners and host-event administration. A host site can add its own costs on top of any AFA fee.
- The current 2026 member and nonmember exam fee is not verified in the public sources reviewed.
For timing and scheduling questions, the AFA certification page and your local host are the sources of record; CF Exam Dates: Testing Windows, Deadlines & Scheduling explains how to track them down.
Scoring, Retests, and the "Mulligan"
The tester manual describes certified-level scoring for the practical and display components at around 7, and it also describes a CF "mulligan." Both are labeled here with the same caution the manual itself deserves: they are subject to confirmation in the current candidate guide, because the manual was updated December 17, 2024, and carries some older effective dates.
What is not publicly established:
- A numerical cutoff for the written exam
- The scored versus unscored item split
- The current national pass rate, which is not publicly disclosed
That means any page quoting a precise written passing percentage or a national pass rate for the CF is not backed by the sources reviewed. For the honest version of what is and is not known, read CF Passing Score: Exactly What You Need to Pass and CF Pass Rate: What the Data Shows.
What Is Not Publicly Verified
Keep this list handy so you know which questions to bring to the AFA directly.
| Question | Status | Where to confirm |
|---|---|---|
| Current exam fee (member/nonmember) | Not verified for 2026 | AFA certification page or host-event administrator |
| Number of live written questions | Not verified | Current candidate guide / examiner |
| Written time limit and national component limits | Not verified | Current candidate guide |
| Numerical written cutoff | Not verified | Current candidate guide |
| Calculator policy; remote or adaptive testing | Not verified | Examiner / host |
| Credential validity, renewal fee, continuing education | Not verified | AFA certification materials |
| Weighted domain percentages | Not published | Not publicly available; the seven subjects are unweighted headings |
| Additional education or hour/reference requirements | Not verified beyond one year of experience | Current candidate guide |
One more distinction worth remembering: the written, practical, and display parts are assessment components, not weighted content domains. Do not confuse "three components" with "three weighted areas of content."
A Subject-by-Subject Study Sequence
Because the AFA does not publish weights, a sensible plan builds from the anatomy up to the applied material, then weaves in forge and display practice. This is the only scheduling section in this sheet, and it is tied directly to the seven subjects. For a fuller plan, see the CF Study Guide: How to Pass on Your First Attempt.
Bones and Joints; Hoof Structure
- Label the distal limb and hoof from memory
- Learn the foundation first, since every later subject builds on it
Tendons and Ligaments; Blood Circulation
- Connect soft-tissue structures to the bones you already know
- Trace circulation through the foot and tie it to hoof health
Pathology; Horseshoes
- Match each condition to its recognition signs and shoeing response
- Rehearse explaining shoe design choices aloud, which doubles as display practice
Conformation, Gaits, and Physiology; full review
- Tie limb conformation and gait to hoof wear and shoeing decisions
- Take timed practice sets and revisit your weakest subject
Throughout all four weeks, keep your hands working. Time at the forge and the shoeing stand is not optional enrichment; it is half the exam. When you are ready to test your recall under pressure, the CF Exam Prep practice tests are built around these same seven subjects.
Where the Credential Fits in a Farrier Career
Certification is a way to demonstrate tested competence to horse owners, trainers, and veterinarians who rely on a farrier's judgment. It does not guarantee a particular income, and no figure should be assumed from the credential alone. Farriers typically work independently, serving private horse owners, training barns, boarding stables, and performance disciplines, and some work alongside veterinarians on therapeutic cases. A recognized credential can help with trust and referrals, but results vary with location, client base, and skill.
If you are weighing whether the effort is worthwhile, look at both sides. Is the CF Certification Worth It? works through the return on investment, CF Salary Guide covers earnings, and the practical side of finding work is in CF Jobs.
Frequently Asked Questions
On this site, CF means Certified Farrier, the credential offered through the American Farrier's Association. It has nothing to do with other credentials that happen to share the same letters. See What Does CF Stand For? for more.
Three required components: a written examination, a practical horseshoeing assessment, and a shoe display/oral component. Written preparation does not substitute for the two hands-on parts.
The public sources verify at least one year of horseshoeing experience. Whether additional education, hour, or reference requirements apply is not verified, so check the current AFA candidate guide. Details are in CF Requirements.
The current 2026 fee is not verified. The $100 member and $250 nonmember amounts in the tester manual are a March 2016 historical schedule, the $15.95 figure is the 2025 guide's price rather than an exam fee, and host charges may apply. Confirm the current amount with the AFA or your host.
The AFA's 2022 Certified Farrier guide organizes written prep into seven subjects: Bones and Joints, Hoof Structure, Tendons and Ligaments, Blood Circulation, Pathology, Horseshoes, and Conformation, Gaits, and Physiology. They are unweighted headings, so study to your weak spots rather than to assumed percentages.