I wanted to start this episode off with a term we use in my practice. Unfortunately, we don't get to use it often, but it is always exciting when we do, let me explain. A brief career as a sound and lighting engineer doing live acts followed by a career hammering metal and using all the power tools a non- purest farrier does, has led to some hearing loss for me and I often don't hear what people say properly and my creative brain fills in the rest. Often, this leads to some pretty funny misinterpretations of what people say. One day, two of my shoeing compatriots were talking as I came into the barn and one of them, a highly-skilled chap from England named Pete, was talking about getting the fit on the first burn. What I thought he had exclaimed was Portuguese touchdown. Two words that probably have never been uttered in conjunction with each other in any language ever, but they stuck and became our triumphant call whenever someone got the fit on the first burn. My guest today probably has more Portuguese touchdowns than most, but I suspect he wouldn't settle for less than perfect before he proclaimed it.

This will become clear from his favourite Bob Marsh quote, Minnesota farrier, Mark Thorkildson CJF AWCF is my guest today. I have had him on my hit list since the podcast started. Mark was an examiner when I did both my CF and CJF exams down in the Heartland and as you will hear, he was key in helping all of us to settle a bit once he gave us his introductory talk.

I wanted to have an episode to explain the process of the various levels of certification with the AFA, but it was hard to peg someone down to do it. Mark graciously agreed to take on the task and I hope it helps some of you to understand it a little bit better and inspires you to go down the certification path. Mark was awesome, inspiring, and full of wisdom as I knew he would be. I hope you enjoy the conversation as much as I did.