French ATE qualification (equestrian)

[samanthac]

My family are hoping to run trekking holidays in Normandy and i have been advised to take the 'ATE' to be qualified and able to advertise using the tourisme offices. Can anyone tell me who to contact to find out more information on this and if sessions are run locally in France or just in one area and also cost and approx. how long the course is.

If anyone also has any information on blacksmiths in France i would appreciate it. Approx.cost would be great and if they are more reliable than in the u..k and also if there are more of them than in the u.k.

Any other information than anyone has and may be of use to us would be greatfully received.

Thanks

Samantha[8-)]

[Danny]

Hello,

Can't help with the 'ATE' (whatever it is!). If you know what area you are going to be in then you could try telephoning the local tourist office and asking what the requirements are. They will tell you with whom you need to be registered. Failing that, just telephone any french riding school (anywhere in Normandy - it doesn't have to be an immediate rival company) and I'm sure someone can put you straight. For blacksmiths (marechal-ferrant) - do a search on line with Pages Jaunes for your particular department to find out how numerous they are. For recommendations, again, just call around some local riding schools.

I am presuming you speak french, as I guess the 'ATE' would require at least a basic level? If not then get starting - even if the qualification is purely practical and you are only doing trekking holidays for english speakers I doubt very much you are going to find an english-speaking blacksmith locally, who is reasonable, and comes recommended!

It sounds like a fab way to make a living and good luck with it all,

Jane

[Mlonghurst]

Hi cannot help with the ATE side of life as we are registered horse and llamas breeders (farmers) so different setup.

With regards to farriers. Good farriers can be extreemly difficult to find and particularly english speaking farriers (nice to know what they are saying about your horse).  We used a french farrier when we first arrived and it quickly became apparent that he did not have a clue what he was doing and almost gave himself a heart attack trying to trim our Clydesdale Stallion.  In the end we told him to stop as he was going to end up badly damaging the horses hoof (no hoof no horse) and himself.  We now have a dutch farrier who is excellent and knows what he is doing.

We do not shoe our horses and we pay 100 Euros for 5 Clydesdales to be trimmed (properly).  When he did our freinds horse he charged 60 Euros to trim and shoe (percheron X).

If you go to www.equineonline.net you may get some answers there as a few of them run trekking and horse riding centres.

Hope this helps

Rgds,  Mike L

 

 

 

 

[cooperlola]

You want www.ffe.com which will give you all the information you need about qualifications etc. (Re the above, it will soon show you if your command of French horsey terms is up to scratch!  Quite a technical site but full of info' and local contacts who can help you.

[hoverfrog]

what has stuck me over here in france is that most horse owners do cold shoeing. Until I came here it was something that I'd heard of but never seen!

Yes there are farriers, and some of them are really good, but experienced owners cold shoe regardless - and nothing about corrective shoes or anything else that might be 'compilcated'.

As was asked before, what is 'ATE'? Is it something that my daughter with a Bsc in animal science could do? Or even something that my other daughter with a Bsc in equine science could do?

[cooperlola]

Go to the site mentioned above (www.ffe.com ), Click on Info, then formation, then professionelles.  This tells you about a whole range of educational options in the equestrian field.  For gite owners, follow the above steps then click on "tourisme" - this tells you all the legalities about equestrian establishments etc.  Doesn't solve the ATE problem but as this is the French equivalent of the BHS, I assume the exams approved by them fit the bill!

 

As for farriers, the first I found did hot shoeing but refused to use the fullered shoes I had brought from the UK for my flat-foot pony.  I changed to another, recommended by a friend, who is more than happy to do remedial shoing but will only cold shoe!  However, he is prepared to listen to me and discuss the problems my little mare has so I've stuck with him. My vet says that many of the best farriers around here (the Sarthe) work in conjunction with big equestrian centres and poney clubs so unless you are prepared to transport your animals to the site where they're working, the travelling "cold shoe" blacksmith is often the only option.  Having said that, I'm delighted with my current blacksmith and the cold shoeing does not seem to have been a problem.

 

Samanthac, whereabouts in Normandy are you referring to as my farrier is based in the Orne.  If this suits, his name is Daniel Valet 02 33 83 57 49.  You will always get the answerphone as he is VERY busy but he does always call back.  He doen't speak much English though.