Tom Burch R.S.S.
 的 have been a farrier for 34 years. I served my
apprenticeship at Faversham in Kent. On completion of my
apprenticeship I spent some time as a blacksmith before I
started working for the Metropolitan Police Mounted Branch
in 1979 based at Bow Road Police Station, East London, where
I am still employed.
的 am the senior farrier, during my 27 years at Bow I have
been on duty at all the big state occasions including The
State opening of Parliament, State visits, Trooping the
Colour and The Lord Mayor痴 Show. I was also on duty at the
funerals of Diana Princess of Wales and Queen Elizabeth the
Queen mother. More recently I travelled to Scotland with the
Mounted Branch which was part of the security at the G8
summit.
的 shoe some 49 horses stabled at Great Scotland Yard,
Lewisham and Bow Road. These horses are used on general
patrol work, crowd control at football matches and events
requiring high visibility policing. I have to ensure that
these horses are shod correctly for their work. I often
liaise with veterinary surgeons, working together we decide
on the best approach when dealing with any problems that may
arise.
I have served on the Farrier痴 Registration Council for
sixteen years and in 1994 I became a Freeman of the City of
London and a liveryman of The Worshipful Company of Farriers,
one of the oldest livery companies in the City of London.
的 started working for the ILPH approximately eight years
ago using my annual leave time to travel to the various
countries. My first country was Kenya. It was the experience
I acquired in Kenya combined with knowledge gained during my
time on the Farriers Registration Council Training Committee
that enabled me to propose a student training scheme for the
ILPH.
We have adopted a two course, four module system, spread
over five years, which is used for training farriers and
saddlers. I presented a paper on this training system to the
4th Colloquium on Working Equines in Syria in 2001.
鄭t present I am the longest serving consultant farrier to
the ILPH. I have worked in Kenya, El Salvador, Mexico and
South Africa. I have also visited Pakistan and Egypt (at the
request of the ILPH.) for the Brook Hospital for Animals.
的 am due to begin a new training programme in Romania which
will be very challenging. In fact I think the farriery
aspect it will be the most difficult programme the ILPH has
ever undertaken.
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