Who Are We?
The Cattle Hoof Care Standards Board (CHCSB) was established in 2016 following the identified need for the development of a robust set of Standards for professional cattle hoof trimming, against which hoof trimmers can be robustly audited.
The CHCSB is a self-funding, non-profit organisation entirely free from commercial bias. The transparent membership structure of the CHCSB, allows all interested parties to easily identify the level of qualification and assessment outcomes of a member. The aim of the CHCSB is that its members not only achieve an accepted standard, but maintain this, to ensure the continued provision of improved health, welfare and mobility of the national herd.
The Standards not only encompass hoof trimming but also the professionalism, biosecurity, health and safety awareness along with the record keeping provisions of the hoof trimmer. The Standards have drawn on the available evidence-base for cattle hoof trimming and are regularly reviewed and updated so that they represent the latest best practice.
Members are assessed against the Standards during an unannounced field (or work based) audit, allowing a thorough assessment of their working practices. This method of auditing deters those being assessed from altering their working practices in order to hide bad practices. Research from the medical field has shown that when observed under normal working practice, it is habitual rather than selective behaviours that are assessed and it therefore a truer representation of a person’s work. A field based audit also allows assessment of how workplace challenges are recognised and addressed, which are important aspects of professionalism.