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12 week Basic Course (480 Hours)

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16 week Professional Course (640 Hours)

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24 week Certified Course (960 Hours)

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42 week Journeyman Course (1,920 Hours)

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Week 1

Orientation.

Introduction to horseshoeing.

Horsemanship 101: safety, positioning yourself under the horse, practice on a live horse.

Hoof Pick demo (homework: make a Hoof Pick) due Wednesday.

Pritchel demo (homework: make a Pritchel) due Friday of week 2.

Front Pattern shoe demo. 

Forging demo, getting acquainted with the anvil: parts of the anvil and how to use it.

Pair of front shoes due the end of week 1.

Measuring feet for hand made shoes.

Classroom: the horse hoof (sensitive and insensitive structures).

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Week 2

Hind shoe demo (homework: make a pair of hind shoes) due end of day Friday week 2.

Live shoeing demo.

Tool maintenance (Pritchel, Forepunch, Hoof Knife etc.).

Live shoeing.

Classroom: bones, ligaments, tendons, joints and lameness's with each breed.

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Week 3

Front shoe with toe clip and hind shoe with quarter clips demo.

Forging: Pair of front shoes with toe clips and hind shoes with quarter clips (homework: pair of hind shoes with quarter clips) due end of day Friday week 3.

Live shoeing.

Classroom: Lameness's of the equine limb.

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Week 4

Front rolled toe shoe and front rocker toe shoe demo.

Forging: front rolled toe shoe and front rocker toe shoe (homework: front rolled toe shoe and rocker toe shoe) due end of day Friday week 4.

Live shoeing.

Classroom: Lameness's of the equine limb continued.

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Week 5

Hind shoe with extended heels and hind shoe with trailer demo.

Forging: hind shoe with extended heels and hind shoe with trailer (homework: hind shoe with extended heels and hind shoe with trailer) due end of day Friday week 5.

Live shoeing.

Classroom: Lameness's of the equine limb continued.

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Week 6

Square toe hind shoe with traction device and plain stamp hind shoe with traction device demo.

Forging: square toe hind shoe with traction device and plain stamp hind shoe with traction device (homework: both of the aforementioned shoes) due end of day Friday week 6.

Shoe selection for different breeds and their job.

Drill Tec demo.

Live shoeing.

Classroom: Lameness's of the equine limb continued.

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Week 7

Shoe to raise the angle of the foot, either with a pad or a swelled heel shoe demo.

Fullering shoes demo.

Forging: open heeled shoe with a pad attached and a swelled heel shoe (homework: both of the aforementioned shoes) due end of day Friday week 7.

Live shoeing.

Classroom: Gait faults and choosing shoe modifications for a specific gait fault.

 

Week 8

Forge welding and bar shoe demo.

Hammer clinching demo.

Forging: bar shoe (homework: bar shoe) due end of day Friday week 8.

Live shoeing (practice hammer clinching).

Classroom: Gait faults, first aid for horses and injuries determining when to call the vet.

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Week 9

Pair of front shoes fullered with a toe clip and modifying keg shoes for everyday work demo.

Forging: pair of front shoes fullered with a toe clip and modified keg shoes (homework: the aforementioned shoes) due end of day Friday week 9.

Evaluating your own work.

offsite to a Vet clinic.

Practical exam for first 8 weeks: shoe 2 feet for evaluation, student chooses front or hind handmade shoes, 2 hours is the time limit for this test.

Live shoeing.

Classroom: shoeing for lameness's.

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Week 10

Forging: Pair of hind shoes fullered with quarter clips (homework: pair of hind shoes fullered with quarter clips) due end of day Friday week 10.

How to use hoof testers, checking digital pulse, live lameness evaluation.

Live shoeing.

Classroom: Overview of first 10 weeks, introduction to starting and running your Farrier business.

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Week 11

Fullered bar shoe demo.

Forging: fullered bar shoe (homework: fullered bar shoe) due end of day Friday week 11.

Live shoeing. 

Classroom: review for final exam, running a Farrier business continued.

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Week 12

Final exams on all previous week's classroom for the 12 week students.

All shoes to be completed and graded with a minimum passing score of 70.

Final practical exam for 12 week students on live horse: shoe all 4 feet in 3 hours with handmade front shoes, keg shoes on hind, all feet are required to have clips, this test will be judged using AFA certification practical exam sheets for 12 week students.

Live shoeing.

Classroom: review and prepare for final exams.

Final exam.

Graduation!

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Week 13

Different ways to make lateral support shoes demo.

Forging: lateral support shoes, hind (homework: lateral support shoes) due end of day Friday week 13.

Forging: make a Forepunch (homework: Forepunch) due end of day Friday week 14.

Live shoeing.

Classroom: recognizing lameness's in the front limb.

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Week 14

Pair of egg bar plain stamped demo.

Forging: pair of egg bar plain stamped (homework: pair of egg bar plain stamped) due end of day Friday week 14.

Live shoeing.

Classroom: recognizing lameness's in the front limb continued.

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Week 15

No demo.

Forging: work on shoes for final grade. 

Live shoeing/practice for final exam.

Overview of AFA evaluation sheet.

Classroom: recognizing lameness's in the hind limb, Vet/Farrier relationships.

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Week 16

Fullered shoe with clips demo.

Forging: fullered shoes with clips, pair (homework: fullered shoes clipped) due end of day Friday week 16.

Live shoeing practical exam 3 hours, shoe 4 feet, plain stamped shoes with clips.

We will have live horses to practice for final practical exam.

Classroom: review for final exam.

Final exam.

Graduation! 

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Week 17

No demo.

Forging: being efficient in the forge. 

Speed forging: 1 pair of the previous 16 weeks shoes.

Adjusting/repairing tongs.

Live shoeing.

Evaluating your work.

Classroom: Anatomy and physiology/locomotion.

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Week 18

Introduction to brazing demo.

Forging: 2 shoes brazed on caulks (2 shoes brazed on caulks) due end of day Friday of week 18.

Drilling and tapping shoes.

live shoeing.

Test: shoe 2 feet with kegs, 1 hour time limit.

Classroom: Gait and lameness evaluation.

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Week 19

fitting rocker toes demo.

Speed forging: any pair of the previous 18 weeks of shoes.

Properly fitting pads to shoes.

Classroom: gait and lameness evaluation continued/review sensitive and insensitive structures of the equine foot.

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Week 20

Discussing the difference in static/dynamic shoeing.

Discussing different types of fit.

Speed forging/friendly contest between students of a pair of the previous 19 weeks shoes.

Leg dissection.

Classroom: Review previous 19 weeks classroom studies. 

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Week 21

Shoeing demo: steps for CF examination, how to be efficient to pass the test.

Modern materials discussion.

Live shoeing: focus on efficiency for speed.

Classroom: quiz on previous weeks classroom studies.

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Week 22

Forging aluminum demo.

Forging: aluminum shoes (homework, pair of aluminum shoes) due end of day week 22.

Shoeing the padded horse.

Shoeing timed exercise: 1 hour to shoe 2 feet with keg shoes, no clips.

Discuss AFA evaluation sheet.

Classroom: review quiz from week 21, review previous weeks studies.

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Week 23

Bumping and drawing bar stock demo.

Speed forging: 2 shoes in 30 minutes.

1 hour shoeing: keg shoes, no clips.

Live shoeing: students can use this time to practice for their final practical exam.

Classroom: review for final exam.

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Week 24

Speed forging: 2 shoes in 30 minutes.

Live shoeing: students can use this time to practice for their live shoeing practical exam.

Turn in shoe boards and shoes to be graded.

Final exams.

Graduation!

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Weeks 25-42

The following are additional requirements and learning opportunities for our 42-week course. 

• Shoe board with all 12 AFA modifications to fit pattern

• Hand forge and fit to a pattern the following shoes 

1. Lateral Support Shoe​

2. Suspensory Shoe

3. Sidebone Shoe

• Make a Bar Shoe fit to a pattern in 45 minutes​

• Choose 6 shoes from The Book Of Shoes to hand forge, and have them completed and turned in the day before graduation

• ​Shoe a horse with hand forged shoes

       2 shoes to be fullered​

       2 shoes to be plain stamped

       Toe clips on front shoes

       Quarter clips on hind shoes

       Complete in 3 hours

• ​Shoe 2 front feet with hand forged Bar Shoes with rolled or rocker toe to be determined by student assessment of the horse​

• Complete all written exams on Anatomy and Biomechanics

• Written essay on any topic related to horseshoeing

 

Each student that completes our 42-week course successfully and receives their diploma will be awarded a 100-LB. Scott anvil from Bluegrass Horseshoeing School

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