Can you tell me a little about your program and school?
The Texas Horseshoeing School was started in 1988 and has been in business for 24 years. It’s different from other schools because we really specialize in individualized instruction. Also, the student’s begin shoeing and trimming horses the very first day they’re here.
Who does the instructing and can you tell me about the instructors’ experience?
John Burgin is the owner/instructor. He’s been shoeing for the public since 1976. He’s been under more than 10,000 head of horses. He also shoes for professional calf ropers and has a written endorsement from Roy Cooper, a world champion cowboy. John also holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Vocational Agriculture and taught in the public schools for 30 years.
What is the student-to-instructor ratio?
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| John Burgin with horse |
Class size is limited to 10 students. If the class is full and John deems it necessary, he will bring in another professional horseshoer to help out.
How many hours of instruction is the program?
There are three courses, all of which are from Monday to Friday, at least 40 hours a week. The first course is Introduction to Farrier Science, which is an 80-hour two-week course. The second course is Intermediate Farrier Science, which is a 160-hour four-week course. The third and final course is Advanced Farrier Science, which is a 240-hour six-week course. Bunk houses are included in the tuition. If a student lives far away, he’s welcome to stay in the bunk houses on the weekends.
Do you track what percentage of graduates end up working as farriers? If not, do you have an estimate?
For 2011, the 80-hour/two-week course has a 100 percent employment rate; the 160-hour/four-week course has a 75 percent employment rate; and the 240-hour/six-week course has a 87.5 percent employment rate. We could not reach some of our former students to find out if they were shoeing or not, so the percentages could actually be slightly higher. Some of these students are also shoeing part-time, or in addition to other jobs.
Are supplies included in the cost of tuition and if so, do students get to keep the supplies?
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| Farrier instruction at the Texas Horseshoeing School |
Students are given the tools to work with while they are here. They do not get to keep the tools they use, however, we do have a supply store where the students can purchase their own tools if they choose to do so.
Does your program follow a standard curriculum set out by a farrier association that’s designed to help students achieve certification upon graduation?
Yes, the curriculum comes from The Principles of Horseshoeing text book.
For more information on Texas Horseshoeing School, visit texashorseshoeingschool.com.
If you have experience in shoeing horses but want to get your license how could one go about it?