24 Week Farrier Course

This course cost – $18,900.00

It includes:
GREGORY’S Textbook of Farriery- 2011 Hardcover edition

960 clock hours – This Course is designed for students who wish to obtain a skill level such that they can competently shoe a horse with therapeutic issues considering its confirmation, therapeutic problems and do so within two hours, make a pair of handmade therapeutic shoes from beginning to end within an hour and a half to a specific pattern, correctly identify and have a firm grasp of the many different foot diseases, injuries, and conformation problems, and begin work as an independent farrier, though apprenticeship is still recommended.

This course builds upon everything that the sixteen-week course teaches plus adds time with the instructors to learn more about anatomy, forging, and shoeing.

AHSS 1000: Hot Forge 110 hrs
AHSS 2000: Trimming 260
AHSS 2100: Fitting 330
AHSS 3000: Hoof Problems and Diseases 260
Total – 960 hrs

Some topics covered in the course includes;

Introduction to Farrier Science
Horse Handling
Equine Anatomy and Physiology
Hoof Trimming and Balance
Using the Forge and Anvil
Basic Horseshoeing: Putting It All Together
Handmade Shoes
Hot Shaping
Lameness
Therapeutic Horseshoeing
Introduction to Bar Shoes
Creased bar shoes
Alternative methods of treating various lameness’s
Use of concave material in shoe building
Business Management

Graduates of the 24-week horseshoeing course are able to:

Shoe healthy horses and horses with chronic lameness issues
Handle most problems in everyday horseshoeing
Treat basic lameness issues and more advanced lameness issues
Recognize more complex problems and be able to discuss them with the owner, along with possible options for referral to another equine professional for treatment

At the end of the 24-week course, students will take a final exam that is based closely on the Farrier Certification exam of the American Farrier’s Association with a more rigorous forging requirement than the 16-week course and more in depth practical anatomy exam. This course is designed to cover all the skills a traditional farrier would need. We strongly recommend an apprenticeship and the faculty will use their network to help you find an appropriate one. We think it’s the best thing you could do to guarantee success. We promise you we’ll always be here to offer support along the way as well.

Upon successful graduation from the course you will receive a course completion certificate and will also have acquired a strong foundation with which to take the next step in your farrier career.

Administrative Notes

Course Schedule – New courses start the first Tuesday of each month
Class Schedule – Training is 5 days a week, Tuesday through Saturday starting at 8:30 am and ending at 3:30 pm (if an early day), but some days might run until 8-9 pm.
Boarding – Boarding is not included in the course fee. Separate men’s and women’s bunkhouse boarding with cable TV and WIFI is available for just $50 a month.
Tools – See below
Financial Assistance – Post-9/11 GI Bill® Veterans Benefits and VA Voc Rehab Benefits accepted. Please check with your local VA office to see if you qualify.
‘‘GI Bill® is a registered trademark of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). More information about education benefits offered by VA is available at the official U.S. government Web site at https://www.benefits.va.gov/gibill.”

Note: The $500.00 deposit is not required is using is using VA benefits.

$2500 of New Tools Provided for Your Use:

* If you graduate, Paul will even give you all of these tools to help you start your farrier business.

Tools you will use in your 8, 12, 16 or 24 week farrier course.

Forge
Anvil
Rasp & Handles (2)
Nippers
Clinchers
Crease Nail Pullers
Rounding Hammer
Driving Hammer
Pull offs
Nail Cutter
Tongs (2)
Apron
Hoof Knife
Hoof Gauge
Tool Box
Hoof Stand
Creaser (24-week course only)

Course Hours

Note: Lab time is non-classroom hands-on work with the forge, trimming, fitting, etc.

AHSS 1000 – Hot Forge

This course develops forging skills through hands on instruction and practice, by completing several hands on assignments. Students first get comfortable with the forging tools which include safety precautions and then take those skills to the next level by building custom shoes that properly fit the horse’s foot.

24 Week Course:
Introduction and safety lecture 8 hrs.
Tool Building 8 hrs.
Forge Welding Rings 8 hrs.
Forging Squares 8 hrs.
Forging Toe Bends 8 hrs.
Forging Quarter Bends 8 hrs.
Forging Heels 8 hrs.
Forging a Complete Shoe 8 hrs.
Punching Nail Holes 8 hrs.
Shaping Keg Shoes 44 hrs.
Drawing Clips 8 hrs.
Hammer Finishing Shoes 4 hrs.
Bumping Stock 8 hrs.
Forging Draft Shoes 8 hrs.
Forging Straight Bar Shoes 8 hrs.
Forging Traction Devices 8 hrs.
Forging Egg Bar Shoes 8 hrs.
Extended Heel and Trailers 8 hrs.
Forging Creases 8 hrs.
Forging Heart Bar Shoes 8 hrs.
Forging W Shoes 8 hrs.
Forging Z Bar Shoes 8 hrs.
Forging Salad Bowl Shoes 8 hrs.
Forging Slide Plates 8 hrs.
Forging Pencil Heels 8 hrs.
Jump Welding Steel 8 hrs.
Total Clock Hours 240 hrs.

AHSS 2000 – Trimming

This course develops trimmings skills through teaching the students anatomy which will allow them to properly trim the horse’s foot. They will learn how to properly balance a horse’s foot, which is necessary to performing farrier work properly.

24 Week Course:
Introductory Lecture Tools and Safety 8hrs
Horse Handling and Proper Posture 8hrs
A/P Balance 8hrs
Medial/Lateral Balance 8hrs
Sole and Frog Paring 8hrs
Rasping Technique 8hrs
Proper Nipper Technique 8hrs
Flatting Feet 12hrs
Addressing Flare 12hrs
Addressing Cracks 8hrs
Addressing Splits 8hrs
Dressing for Clip Fit 8hrs
Trimming for White Line 8hrs
Hoof Resection 8hrs
Trimming Draft Horse 10hrs
Trimming Miniature Horse 10hrs
Trimming for Laminitis Horses 10hrs
Trimming for Founder 10hrs
Trimming Non-Equid Live Stock 10hrs
Trimming for Injuries 20hrs
Trimming for Dropped Soles 10hrs
Floating Cracks 10hrs
Dealing with Abscesses 10hrs
Trimming Club Feet 10hrs
Trimming the Navicular Horse 10hrs
Total Clock Hours 240 hrs.

AHSS 2100 – Fitting

This course is an extension of the Trimming and Hot Forge. It adds to the anatomy learned from Trimming and takes the skills learned from Hot Forge and combines them to allow the student to properly trim the horse’s foot and build a custom shoe that properly fits the horse’s foot.

24 Week Course:
Lecture Introduction to Horseshoe Fit 8hrs
Setting Up the Foot 12hrs
Type A Fit (Practical) 10hrs
Type B Fit (Practical) 10hrs
Type C Fit (Practical) 10hrs
Placing and nailing shoes 88hrs
Clip Fit 10hrs
Fitting for Missing Hoof 10hrs
Fitting for Break over 10hrs
Fitting Straight Bar Shoe 8hrs
Fitting Egg Bar Shoes 8hrs
Extended Heels 8hrs
Fitting a Square Toe 8hrs
Fitting Heart Bar 10hrs
Fitting Z Bar 10hrs
Fitting W Shoes 10hrs
Fitting for Center of Articulation 10hrs
Total Clock Hours 240 hrs.

AHSS 3000 – Hoof Anatomy, Problems, & Diseases

This course develops skills that will enable the student to diagnose possible hoof problems and diseases. This course teaches students how to work with Veterinarians (such as reading x-rays) to better help the horse with foot problems and diseases.

24 Week Course:
Terminology and Hoof Structure 22hrs
Vascular System of the Foot 10hrs
Bones and Joints of the Lower Limb 10hrs
Ligaments and Tendons 30hrs
Limb Dissection 8hrs
Biomechanics 10hrs
Conformations 10hrs
Gaits 10hrs
Gait Faults 10hrs
Bruise, Abscess, and Corns 10hrs
Thrush and White Line Disease 10hrs
Cracks and Quarter Cracks 10hrs
Coffin Bone Fracture, Pedal Otitis 10hrs
Club Foot and Navicular 10hrs
Founder and Laminitis 10hrs
Bowed Tendons 10hrs
Broken Bones 10hrs
Capped Hocks and Elbows 10hrs
Ringbone 10hrs
Splints 10hrs
Stifle Lameness 10hrs
Total Hours 240 hrs.