5 Courses to choose from, 2 days to 18 weeks!

If you are comparing schools:

Students are welcome to bring their own horses to trim & shoe during their training, however this must be discussed beforehand!! We do not have the space to board horses for more than the 2-day trim class. We do have a couple of individuals we work with who can provide boarding. Boarding is between the person providing it and the student. We can provide you with a phone number for this.

However, we keep a continuous clientele of horses for the 2-week, 6-week, 12-week, and 6-week advanced courses. You will work on plenty of live horses while here!

All courses:
70% Live Shoeing
15% Shop - Forging/Blacksmithing
(Hot, Cold, & Corrective)
15% Classroom Discussions & Lectures ***Sometimes includes Guest Farriers

Horseshoeing I: 2 Weeks (10 Days) = 90 Hours

****Beginning January 08, 2024, the two week course must be taken consecutively. There will no longer be an option for part-time for the two week course.****

These are the first 2 weeks of all our courses. We begin with safety first, handling and being underneath horses. Whether you are a horse owner with a few horses, barn manager with a herd, or maybe considering making this a career, these first two weeks are crucial in understanding the REASON and PURPOSE of trimming, shoeing, overall hoof care, and safety! We train by shoeing live horses and learning the necessary shoe shaping. The intent of this course is only for personal use such as: losing a shoe on the trail or in the arena and/or tacking a shoe back on just until your farrier can come out. You should always seek a professional certified farrier for the best care of your horse.

(This course is NOT intended for you to go out and shoe for the public and not VA approved.)
A 2-week course is like getting your learners license!
You’re on the road, but not ready to drive solo!

Horseshoeing II: 6 Weeks (30 Days) = 270 Hours

You will be part of an in-depth study of the horse anatomy related to proper balance and shoeing of all horse breeds and disciplines. You will learn how to change the horse's mode of travel caused by poor leg and hoof conformation or previous improper shoeing, and how to recognize, prevent and correct lameness. You will learn to handle spoiled horses, learn basic horse psychology, how to set up your own business and shoeing rig, receive BUSINESS STRATEGY LECTURES, classroom time, forging, and extensive live shoeing.

***If considering taking the 6-week course part time, the first two weeks must be taken consecutively and then part time can be discussed.

Tools: $1,700.00 package & school manual

Horseshoeing III  12 Weeks (60 Days) = 540 Hours

This course prepares the student further to be a professional farrier. After the six-week course you will concentrate your time on perfecting your techniques. You will work with professional farriers in the UFA. You will learn more about corrective shoes. You will learn advanced shoeing techniques for lameness of the leg, hoof repair along with continuous live shoeing, classroom, and forging each day. This course includes the Equine Flexion Therapy 3-day class.

***If considering taking the 12-week course part time, the first two weeks must be taken consecutively and then part time can be discussed.

Tools: $1,700.00 package, school manual, The EFT course and book

Horseshoeing IV  Advanced Course            Additional 6 Weeks (30 DAYS) 270 HOURS

You must complete the 12-week course before enrolling in this continuing education course.

This course is accepted by the Veterans Post 9/11 Funding.

The intent is to provide Specialty Shoeing Courses on a more professional level to provide a higher paying self-employment for these men and women. At the completion of this course, the farrier can apply for a higher level of certification. 

Course Curriculum 

We have designed easy to understand terms with diagrams along with our own experiences and documented cases.
1) Leg Length
2) Hoof Capsule Length
3) Lateral and Medial Balance
4) Symmetrical
5) Natural Angle
6) AP Balance

• Horsemanship & Horse Psychology

• Variety of Equine Breeds available

• Aging the horse

• Evaluating, safety rules

• Anatomy of the whole horse

• Bones of the front and hind Limb

• Hoof Structures

• Using and choosing your tools

• Shoe and nail sizes, name brands, and styles

• Serious hoof problems of all types

• Correctly driving nails

• Clinching nails, finishing

• Evaluating Lameness of the Hoof & Horse

• Traveling Problems and Correction

• Correct arising problems: Cracks, Splits, Hoof Loss, Bonding, Pads, Glue-on, keeping up with progress, Choosing and using the hand tools

Shop: Gas Forge work & Blacksmithing
(referred to as Hot, cold, corrective and hand made shoes)

• Every shoe is  “fit to the foot.”

• Flattening, mounting, centering, punching, tricks with heat

• Handmade shoes of most popular styles used, steel and aluminum

• Cold - shaping and modifying (keg) factory-made shoes on the anvil

• Hot Shoeing refers to forge work when shaping the shoe while hot using propane gas forges and coal forges. Hot shoeing refers to ensuring a level flat hoof. We modify factory-made (keg) shoes into corrective shoe shapes and make hand made shoes from bar stock for corrective shoeing. We use arc welding and other industrial equipment to aid and improve our skills.
  

TESTING: Written, oral, and one-on-one during your schooling to prepare for successful graduation. All will be determined upon the length of course you attend.

Horsemanship and SAFETY: We highly promote and teach safety measures handling horses to avoid injuries to students or horses. Students and owners are asked to sign a liability release form.

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