- CF here means Certified Farrier, the entry certification level of the American Farrier's Association (AFA).
- The exam has three required parts: a written test, practical horseshoeing, and a shoe-display/oral assessment.
- Written prep follows seven subjects, from Bones and Joints through Conformation, Gaits, and Physiology.
- Candidates need at least one year of horseshoeing experience before testing.
What CF Means Here: Certified Farrier
The letters "CF" are shared by several unrelated credentials in different industries. On this page, CF means one thing only: Certified Farrier, the first certification tier in the American Farrier's Association program for people who trim and shoe horses. If you arrived looking for a finance, fundraising, or other professional designation that happens to abbreviate to CF, this is not that credential.
A Certified Farrier has demonstrated, in front of AFA-authorized examiners, that they can answer written questions about equine anatomy and hoof care, shoe a horse to a professional standard, and present and explain their own forged work. It is a skills-and-knowledge credential rather than a classroom diploma. For quick definitions of the abbreviation itself, see What Does CF Stand For? and CF Meaning.
Who Runs the Certification
The American Farrier's Association administers the program. Testing is delivered through AFA examiners and testers, and exams are typically held at host events, meaning the organization that hosts the event handles local logistics. That structure has practical consequences:
- Exams are in-person. The written portion is described in the AFA tester manual as a supervised, closed-book paper assessment, and the skills work is hands-on.
- Local hosts may add their own charges on top of AFA fees.
- Rules are set by AFA documents (the candidate guide and the tester manual), not by a third-party testing center.
The Three Exam Components
The Certified Farrier exam is not a single test. It has three required components, and passing one does not substitute for another.
1. The written examination
A closed-book paper test supervised by an AFA tester. It covers the seven study subjects described below. The AFA publishes a 60-question multiple-choice practice test, but that practice instrument is not proof of how long the live written exam is. The live question count, the scored versus unscored split, the complete mix of item types, and the numerical written cutoff are not publicly verified. Anyone quoting you a precise live-exam length or passing percentage is guessing unless they are citing the current AFA guide.
2. Practical horseshoeing
You shoe a horse in front of examiners. This is where years of forge and anvil work show. Written knowledge supports it, since you must understand why you are making a given shoe or trimming a given foot, but it cannot cover for poor hands-on work.
3. Shoe display and oral assessment
You present horseshoes you have made and answer questions about them. Expect to justify design choices in terms of the hoof structure, the horse's conformation and gait, and the job the shoe has to do. The tester manual describes certified-level practical and display scoring around a 7, and it describes a "mulligan" provision for CF candidates. Because those details come from a manual with mixed effective dates, confirm the current scoring and retake rules in the 2025 candidate guide.
| Component | Format | What it tests |
|---|---|---|
| Written | Supervised, closed-book paper | Anatomy, hoof structure, pathology, shoe knowledge, conformation and gaits |
| Practical horseshoeing | In-person, on a live horse | Trimming, shoe fitting, application, safe handling |
| Shoe display / oral | In-person presentation and questions | Forging quality, design reasoning, ability to explain your work |
For a realistic read on how demanding this combination is, see How Hard Is the CF Exam? and the discussion of scoring in CF Passing Score.
The Seven Written Study Subjects
The AFA's 2022 Certified Farrier guide organizes written preparation into seven subjects. These are unweighted study headings. No official percentage weights or "largest domain" have been verified, so don't let any resource tell you to spend a fixed share of your time on one area. Here is what each subject asks of you.
Domain 1: Bones and Joints
The skeletal framework of the lower limb and how it moves and bears load.
- Names and positions of the bones from the knee or hock down to the coffin bone
- How joints articulate and where they flex, and how that affects trimming angles
- The navicular bone and its relationship to the deep digital flexor tendon
Domain 2: Hoof Structure
The anatomy of the hoof capsule and the living tissue inside it.
- Wall, sole, frog, bars, white line, and coronary band, and what each does
- Sensitive versus insensitive structures, and why that matters for nailing
- Hoof growth, horn quality, and how the foot responds to trimming
Domain 3: Tendons and Ligaments
The soft-tissue supports that stabilize the limb and transmit force.
- Flexor and extensor tendons and their paths down the leg
- Suspensory apparatus and the collateral ligaments of the joints
- How shoeing and trimming choices change strain on these structures
Domain 4: Blood Circulation
How blood reaches and leaves the foot, and why that matters to hoof health.
- Major arteries and veins supplying the lower limb and foot
- The role of the frog and hoof mechanism in circulation
- Signs of compromised blood flow, such as heat and pulses
Domain 5: Pathology
Conditions of the foot and lower limb that a farrier will meet and must recognize.
- Laminitis and founder, thrush, abscesses, quarter cracks, and similar problems
- Navicular syndrome and other lameness conditions
- When a case is a shoeing problem and when it requires a veterinarian
Domain 6: Horseshoes
The tools of the trade, from materials to design to application.
- Shoe types and their purposes, including therapeutic and corrective options
- Fitting principles, nail selection, and clinching
- Metals and forging basics that connect to your display work
Domain 7: Conformation, Gaits, and Physiology
Reading the whole horse so the shoe fits the animal rather than only the foot.
- Common conformation faults and how they influence foot balance
- Gaits, breakover, and how the limb travels
- Basic equine physiology as it relates to hoof and limb health
These subjects overlap, and the exam does not treat them as sealed boxes. A single question might ask how a pathology, a conformation fault, and a shoe choice interact. For a deeper look at how they relate, read CF Exam Domains: Complete Guide to All 7 Content Areas.
Fees, Registration, and What Is Unverified
This is the area where candidates most often get bad information, so it is worth being direct.
- Current exam fee: not verified for 2026. A tester manual lists $100 for members and $250 for nonmembers, but that schedule is explicitly dated March 2016 and is a historical figure, not a current quote.
- Host charges: may apply on top of AFA fees, depending on the event.
- Study guide: the official 2025 guide was listed at $15.95. That is the price of a publication, not an exam fee.
- Validity period, renewal fee, and continuing-education total: not verified.
- Calculator policy and remote or adaptive testing: not verified. The manual describes in-person, supervised testing.
Likewise, the AFA does not publicly disclose a current national pass rate, so any specific percentage you see should be treated with suspicion. The honest overview is on the CF pass rate page, and scheduling questions are covered in CF Exam Dates.
Eligibility and Experience
The one verified prerequisite is at least one year of horseshoeing experience. Additional education, logged hours, or reference requirements were not verified in the sources reviewed, so check the current candidate guide rather than assuming there are none. A fuller walk-through is in CF Requirements.
One year is a floor, not a recommendation. The practical and display components reward polish that usually takes longer to build than the minimum allows. Many candidates spend a good while shoeing under supervision or in a busy practice before presenting themselves for testing.
Where CF Fits in a Farrier Career
Farriery is largely self-employed, and clients choose a farrier based on reputation and results. A certification doesn't create demand by itself, but it gives owners, trainers, and veterinarians a recognizable signal that your work has been evaluated against a published standard. That signal tends to matter most in a few situations:
- Building a client base: newer farriers use certification to establish credibility where they have no track record yet.
- Working with veterinarians: clinics and equine hospitals value farriers who can speak fluently about anatomy and pathology, which is exactly what the written exam rehearses.
- Barns, stables, and training operations: managers often prefer or request certified farriers for horses in valuable programs.
- Continuing up the AFA ladder: CF is the first tier, and higher certification levels exist for farriers who want to keep progressing.
We haven't verified specific earnings figures for Certified Farriers, and income varies enormously with region, discipline, and how full your book is. For a qualitative discussion rather than invented numbers, see CF Salary Guide and CF Jobs.
Sequencing Your Preparation
The only study framework worth using is one that respects how the seven subjects build on each other. Start with the structures and work toward application. The sequence below is a suggested order, not an official curriculum.
Build the anatomy base
- Bones and Joints, then Hoof Structure: learn names and positions until you can sketch them from memory
- Pair every structure with the question "what does shoeing change here?"
Add the supporting systems
- Tendons and Ligaments, then Blood Circulation
- Trace paths down the limb rather than memorizing isolated terms
Move to application
- Pathology and Horseshoes: link each condition to the shoeing response and to the point where a vet is needed
- Rehearse explaining your display shoes aloud
Integrate and test
- Conformation, Gaits, and Physiology tie everything together
- Take mixed practice questions and review every miss against the AFA guide
Keep your hands-on work running alongside this reading. The written subjects only pay off if you can connect them to what you do at the anvil and under the horse. For a full plan, see the CF Study Guide, the one-page CF Cheat Sheet, and the broader overview of CF training options. When you want to check recall under exam-style pressure, you can try the CF practice test.
Key Takeaway
Do not let written study crowd out forge and shoeing time. Three components are required, and a strong written result does not rescue a weak practical or display. Divide your preparation across all three.
Frequently Asked Questions
CF stands for Certified Farrier, the entry-level certification in the American Farrier's Association program. It is unrelated to other credentials that share the same abbreviation. See What Is CF Certification? for more.
There are three required components: a supervised closed-book written examination, a practical horseshoeing assessment, and a shoe-display/oral assessment. Passing the written portion does not replace the other two.
A current 2026 fee has not been verified. A tester manual lists $100 for members and $250 for nonmembers, but that is a March 2016 historical schedule, and host charges may also apply. Confirm current pricing directly with the AFA.
At least one year of horseshoeing experience is the verified minimum. Other requirements, if any, should be confirmed in the current AFA candidate guide, with details collected in CF Requirements.
Preparation follows seven subjects: Bones and Joints, Hoof Structure, Tendons and Ligaments, Blood Circulation, Pathology, Horseshoes, and Conformation, Gaits, and Physiology. These are unweighted study headings, and no official percentage weights have been verified.
CF is a hands-on credential, so your preparation should be too. Learn the seven written subjects thoroughly, keep your practical and display skills sharp, and rely on the AFA's current guide for every rule, fee, and score. For a plain-language companion to this overview, see What Is CF? and What Is A CF?.