Tuesday, 1 August 2023

Farriery education

Georgie PURCELL (Northern Victoria) (19:44): (327) My adjournment matter this evening is for the Minister for Training and Skills, and the action that I seek is for the certificate IV in farriery to be added to the free TAFE list. On 1 September 2020 I was contacted about a 40-year-old donkey in a desperate situation and in need of rescue. When I met Duncan, it was clear his hooves had not been trimmed in years, while the other equines I share my backyard with see my local farrier every six weeks. There is a drastic shortage of farriers across Victoria, yet equine hoof care is one of the most frequently needed services. It is also an ageing profession, meaning qualified farriers are retiring without replacement. A recent skills impact equine industry survey report found that all equine services are significantly more difficult to identify and arrange in regional, rural and remote areas, and many are of questionable quality. There are urgent skills needed in equine-related industries, especially for horse care and welfare, with farriers being one of the most used and in demand services. Hauling, for a farrier, can be stressful, knowing that they are few and far between. The certificate IV in farriery is only available at one location in Victoria.

Over the winter break my beautiful 43-year-old Duncan passed away peacefully in his sleep. He enjoyed his twilight years immensely, recovering from his past loneliness with horses and sheep and braying when he saw me carrying his warm gumnut porridge to him each night. He has left a big, awkward donkey-shaped hole in my heart and will be so very missed. I will always remember that after years of struggling to even move he enjoyed trotting around on his well-cared-for hooves once he came to me. In his memory I hope the minister will ensure that all equines across Victoria have access to safe qualified farrier services.