Farrier Courses at Arkansas Horseshoeing School
Arkansas Horseshoeing School offers a full range of traditional and advanced farrier training, from 8 week introductory courses to a 24 week Modern Materials and Advanced Forging program. Classes are mostly hands on, with students under horses, in the forge, and working toward real world farrier careers. Need to learn more about starting a farrier career path?
Students who want to compare course lengths can also read more about farrier training at Arkansas Horseshoeing School before choosing a duration.
Duration: 8 to 24 weeks (traditional farrier courses)
Start dates: classes start the first Tuesday of each month
Housing: optional bunkhouse boarding available at the school
Location: Dardanelle, Arkansas
Class Schedule And Training Hours
Classes start the first Tuesday of each month.
Observed holidays: New Year’s Day, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving Day, and Christmas Day. If school will be closed, students receive advance notice.
Farrier classes run 5 days a week, Tuesday through Saturday, starting at 8:30 am. Most days finish around 3:30 pm, but some days may go until 8 to 9 pm. In simple terms, students are done when the horses are done. Paul wants you to get as much time under horses as possible so you are better trained when you graduate.
Sep 2025- August 2026 Class Dates
Farrier Classes: See our school calendar for each course beginning and ending dates by month.
Grading System
In order to receive a Certificate of Completion from AHS, a student must pass with a minimum of 70% in 4 categories.
These are:
- Forge Projects
- Written Tests
- Final Horse
- Attendance and Participation
The written tests are graded on a 0-100 scale, with 70% considered a pass. All of the other categories are graded on a pass/fail system. Work that does not meet the minimum standard will be failed.
Student Testimonials
See what previous students have to say about the school and courses – testimonials.
Specialty Courses
- Therapeutic Specialty Course (2.5 weeks) – $4,600
90 hours of training – approach to different methods of dealing with common lameness.
*Not an introductory course, for experienced farriers only. Bring your own tools.
Traditional Courses
Farrier Eight-Week Course
320 clock hours
Course cost – $11,900.00
Review the 8 week farrier course for full course details, training structure, and enrollment information.
This course is designed for students who wish to obtain a skill level such that they can competently shoe a horse with keg shoes given the horse’s conformation and usual work within two hours.
- AHSS 1000: Hot Forge – 80 hrs
- AHSS 2000: Trimming – 80 hrs
- AHSS 2100: Fitting – 120 hrs
- AHSS 3000: Hoof Problems and Diseases – 40 hrs
Farrier Twelve-Week Course
480 clock hours
Course cost – $12,900.00
Review the 12 week farrier course for full course details, training structure, and enrollment information.
This course includes everything in the 8 week course and builds on that foundation with more advanced work in therapeutic horseshoeing, handmade therapeutic shoes, hoof problems and diseases, injuries, and conformation issues. It is intended for students who want a deeper training path before independent farrier work, with apprenticeship still recommended.
- AHSS 1000: Hot Forge – 80 hrs
- AHSS 2000: Trimming – 80 hrs
- AHSS 2100: Fitting – 240 hrs
- AHSS 3000: Hoof Problems and Diseases – 80 hrs
Farrier Sixteen-Week Course
640 clock hours
Course cost – $13,900.00
Review the 16 week farrier course for full course details, training structure, and enrollment information.
This course builds on the 12 week course with additional instructor time in anatomy, forging, shoeing, bar shoes, therapeutic hoof issues, foot diseases, injuries, and conformation problems. It is intended for students who want more time under instruction before working independently, with apprenticeship still recommended.
- AHSS 1000: Hot Forge – 95 hrs
- AHSS 2000: Trimming – 140 hrs
- AHSS 2100: Fitting – 250 hrs
- AHSS 3000: Hoof Problems and Diseases – 155 hrs
Farrier Twenty-Four Week Course
960 hours
Course cost – $20,900.00
Review the 24 week farrier course for full course details, training structure, and enrollment information.
This course builds on the 16 week course with additional instructor time in anatomy, forging, shoeing, therapeutic hoof issues, lameness concerns, foot diseases, injuries, and conformation problems. Students also work on handmade therapeutic shoes, creased bar shoes, and heart bar shoes. It is intended for students who want the most complete traditional course before working independently, with apprenticeship still recommended.
- AHSS 1000: Hot Forge – 110 hrs
- AHSS 2000: Trimming – 260 hrs
- AHSS 2100: Fitting – 330 hrs
- AHSS 3000: Hoof Problems and Diseases – 260 hrs
Advanced Course
Our 24 week Modern Materials and Advanced Forging Course
960 clock hours
Course cost – $21,900
Review the 24 week Modern Materials and Advanced Forging Course for full course details, training structure, and enrollment information.
This is AHS’s advanced program focused on therapeutic farriery using modern materials and advanced shoe designs. It is different from the Traditional 24‑Week course.
Traditional 24‑Week (contrast): Develops full‑spectrum farriery skills—trim/balance, keg and handmade shoes (including bar and heart‑bar builds), foundational therapeutic approaches, and recognition/triage of complex cases.
- AHSS 4000: Advanced Hot Forge – 110 hrs
- AHSS 5000: Advanced Trimming – 260 hrs
- AHSS 5100: Advance Fitting – 330 hrs
- AHSS 6000: Modern Materials – 260 hrs
*To enroll in this course, students must complete a prior course of up to 12 weeks, have one year of prior shoeing experience or be able to demonstrate sufficient skill level to the director.
Course Descriptions
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.
8 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 8 hrs.
Total Clock Hours 80 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.
8 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 8hrs
- Addressing Flare 8hrs
- Addressing Cracks 8hrs
Total Clock Hours 80 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.
8 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 30hrs
Total Clock Hours 80 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.
8 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
Total Hours 80 hrs.
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.
12 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 20 hrs.
- Drawing Clips 8 hrs.
- Hammer Finishing Shoes 4 hrs.
- Bumping Stock 8 hrs.
- Forging Draft Shoes 8 hrs.
Total Clock Hours 120 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.
12 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
Total Clock Hours 120 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.
12 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 40hrs
- Clip Fit 10hrs
- Fitting for Missing Hoof 10hrs
- Fitting for Break over 10hrs
Total Clock Hours 120 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.
12 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
Total Hours 120 hrs.
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.
16 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 28 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.
Total Clock Hours 160 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.
16 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
Total Clock Hours 160 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.
16 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 48hrs
- 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
Total Clock Hours 160 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.
16 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
Total Hours 160 hrs.
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.
AHSS 4000 – Advanced Hot Forge
This course better develops forging skills through hands on instruction and practice. Students will learn how to forge more advanced therapeutic shoes by completing several hands on assignments.
24 Week Modern Materials and Advanced Forging Course – There are 10 Clock hours of Classroom time and 100 Clock hours of Lab time for a total of 110 Clock hours for this course.
AHSS 5000 – Advanced Trimming
This course better develops trimming skills through teaching the students more advanced anatomy which will allow them to properly trim the horses foot for special therapeutic cases.
24 Week Modern Materials and Advanced Forging Course – There are 60 Clock hours of Classroom time and 200 Clock hours of Lab time for a total of 260 Clock hours for this course.
AHSS 5100 – Advanced Fitting
This course is an extension of the Advanced Trimming and Advanced Hot Forge. It adds to the anatomy learned from Advanced Trimming and takes the skills learned from Advanced 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 Modern Materials and Advanced Forging Course – There are 60 Clock hours of Classroom time and 270 Clock hours of Lab time for a total of 330 Clock hours for this course.
AHSS 6000 – Modern Materials
This course teaches farriers how to use more modern materials besides traditional blacksmithing techniques. Student will learn how to successfully use materials such as glue and epoxy as well as using plastic shoes and impression material.
24 Week Modern Materials and Advanced Forging Course – There are 60 Clock hours of Classroom time and 200 Clock hours of Lab time for a total of 260 Clock hours for this course.
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