Horseshoeing School vs. Farrier Courses

Deciding whether to go to a horseshoeing school or to just take farrier courses is a fairly straightforward decision that boils down to whether you want to learn the farrier trade or just want to learn a little so that you can do the basics.

Horseshoeing school

Horseshoeing school is for people interested in becoming a professional farrier. Intensive programs are intended to immerse students in the life of a farrier and to provide them with a fully-stocked tool belt of abilities to draw on over the course of a career. The training covers such fundamentals as trimming, forging, shoeing and sometimes includes an apprenticeship as part of the curriculum.

Farrier courses

Farrier courses can be as simple as a daylong workshop or a couple of weeks in length. Though taking individual courses can help you learn specific aspects of farriery, they cannot possibly provide you with the full range of skills that an intensive program at a horseshoeing school would provide.

If you’re a horse owner who wants to just learn the basics to take care of your own horse, taking a farrier course would be a wise choice. After all, why go through the expense of time and money to learn more than you need to know.

Farrier courses are also a good choice for someone who isn’t quite sure whether farriery is right for them and wants to test the waters first. It makes sense to try something out for a few days before committing for several months or years.

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image 1: Sterling College