A new wind is blowing in the field of farriery! Connected, feminized, or even users of new communication tools, the new generations trained in farriery combine traditional craftsmanship with the codes of modernity. Marion Chassagne, an apprentice farrier in the first year of the French diploma BTM in farriery, is the perfect illustration of this. Sparkling and dynamic, Marion gives us her vision of the training of farriers made in 2022!
Ekico: Marion, to begin with, can you tell us a bit more about your relationship with the world of horses and why you chose farriery?
Marion : « I started riding at the age of four and haven't stopped since. I wanted to do a job related to horses but which allowed me to earn a decent living. So I learned about the profession of farrier then, during my school holidays, I did internships with different farriers in my region. I fell in love with the job right away! »
Ekico : Which school did you choose to train you? Why did you choose the establishment in question?
Marion : «I followed my CAPA training as well as that of BTM in Saint-Chély-d'Apcher, in Lozère (France). I chose this school because it is close to my home and the teachers of technical subjects are renowned there. My hippology teacher is Antoine Seguin, a well-known veterinarian in the field of equestrian endurance. And the blacksmith teachers are Pierre Jean Lafitte and Mathieu Delcroix (best worker in France).»
Based in the french department of Lozère (48) in the Occitanie region, the LEGTPA of Saint-Chély trains its students in general, technological and professional agricultural education. The core businesses of this establishment are agricultural trades, cattle and horse breeding, horse riding, farriery, and the environment.
Ekico : Who says apprenticeship training says apprentice master. How did you choose your boss to train you?
Marion : “I was lucky to have a boss in my region (Mister Jérôme Roussel), not too far from my parents, who is interested in blacksmithing. It stuck right away! »
Ekico : On the teaching side, how is the french diploma CAPA farrier training and then the BTM training made up? Why did you continue on a BTM?
Marion :“In summary, in France, the CAPA (Certificate of Professional Agricultural Aptitude) Farriery aims to train us to know how to shoe a horse and forge simple shoes in a given time. The BTM (Technical Trades Certificate) Farriery brings a technical side much It allows you to see the different orthopedic horseshoes, but also the management of a company or even hippology, which allows you to have additional knowledge on the horse as a whole. So I continued on a BTM to gain more knowledge and gain more experience.”
Ekico : From your point of view, what improvements could be made to the training of farriery students? Would you have any advice for young people who are thinking about taking up the profession of farrier?
Marion : “The training is well done, in my opinion. Maybe a little short to have time to see everything… it’s intense!
I don’t think you should choose this job out of spite because it’s a difficult job and above all a job of passion, it’s complicated to improve if you’re not really motivated! It’s a very beautiful job but it requires sacrifices, so you have to think carefully before starting. And I highly recommend apprenticeship training for that.”
Ekico : And, more specifically, what advice(s) would you give to girls who wish to take this path?
Marion : “I think that today the profession and mentalities have changed a lot; if a girl is motivated, she will have her place in the same way as the men in this training.
It remains a manual and physical job, which is therefore more difficult for a woman, but far from being out of reach! With motivation you can do it very well, you just think differently to save as much as possible.”
