USA (Midwest)

Illinois

Equine Educational Services
O’Fallon, IL, USA
618-632-7921

Contact equine74@hotmail.com for more details.

Evanston Art Center [blacksmith school]
2603 Sheridan Rd, Evanston, IL 60201, USA
847-475-5300
www.evanstonartcenter.org

The Art School at the Evanston Art Center is known for its excellence in arts programming, serving Evanston, Chicago, and the surrounding communities. At the Art Center, you will find classes and workshops for adults and youth offered in a relaxed and friendly arts environment, that will inform the beginning artist and challenge the the experienced one.

Art School – Metal Sculpture: Students will learn basic to advanced metal working techniques (forged and fabricated) to create direct metal sculpture and functional objects. The Evanston Art Center’s metal sculpture studio is equipped with gas, arc and T.I.G. welding facilities, a plasma cutting machine, as well as various cold-working equipment, and the only accessible coke forge in the area.

Fine Line Creative Arts Center [blacksmith school]
6N158 Crane Rd, St Charles, IL 60175, USA
630-584-9443
www.fineline.org

The Fine Line Creative Arts Center provides year round classes and workshops in metals and blacksmithing.

BASIC IRON FORGING & BLACKSMITHING – Learn the fine art of forge welding and techniques of blacksmithing, as well as some advanced processes and materials. This one day workshop will explore different types of metal-working processes used to produce decorative and functional items in iron. Work will focus on organic shapes in iron and copper.

BLACKSMITH TOOL MAKING & FORGING – A test for an “up and coming” blacksmith is the ability to make his/her own tools, such as hammers, tongs, chisels or punches. The ability to take basic steel and make the tools of your trade was and still is a badge of honor. Learn to make and forge your own tools, as well as heat-treating processes and tool steels. In this 2-day workshop, we will explore different forging processes used to produce functional tools. 

Midwest Horseshoeing School
1398 Horse Farm Rd, Auburn, IL 62615, USA
217-697-4899 or cell 217-899-8918 (Contact Steve Hedges, CJF)
www.midwesthorseshoeingschool.com

The Midwest Horseshoeing School was established in 1964 because of the demand for skilled, competent, well-educated horseshoers. Through the years Midwest Horseshoeing School has met the challenge of this growing trade by continually graduating seasoned professionals.

Indiana

Conner Prairie Museum [blacksmith school]
13400 Allisonville Road, Fishers, IN 46038, USA
317-776-6006 / 800-966-1836
www.connerprairie.org

At Conner Prairie our mission is to inspire curiosity and foster learning about Indiana’s past by providing engaging, individualized and unique experiences.

Melvin Lytton instructs basic and advanced blacksmithing at the Pioneer Settlement, allowing up to 20 students per class. The 10 week (evenings) classes offered typically run during January, February, and March.

Michigan

Wolverine Farrier School
3104 E Stevenson Lake Rd, Clare, MI 48617, USA
989-429-6039 or 989-386-8060
www.wfschool.com

Welcome to Wolverine Farrier School, located in the heart of Michigan’s Horse Country. Our graduates begin their careers as professionals in the field of Equine Science. Based on a solid foundation in equine anatomy, physiology and movement theory, the program emphasizes intensive training in forging techniques, shoe making, tool fabrication, and of course…Hot shoeing.

Minnesota

Guild of Metalsmiths [blacksmith school]
P.O.Box 11423 St Paul, MN 55111, USA
Metalsmith.org

The Guild of Metalsmiths exists to educate its members, and the community at large, about metalworking in general and blacksmithing in particular. This includes all forms of metalsmithing from traditional blacksmithing to contemporary art forms. The arts and trades of our members include, but are not limited to, general blacksmithing, sculpture, tinsmithing, coppersmithing, furniture making and architectural wrought iron.

The Guild accomplishes this purpose by holding six membership meetings a year on the second Wednesday of every other month starting in February of each year. Further, The Guild of Metalsmiths conducts about twelve teaching workshops each year. A good deal of knowledge and information is shared through informal networking and the quarterly publication Metalsmith.

Minnesota School of Horseshoeing
6250 Riverdale Dr NW, Mississippi National River and Recreation Area, Ramsey, MN 55303, USA
763-427-5850 or 800-257-5850 (Richard T. Duggan, Owner)
www.mnschoolofhorseshoeing.com/

The Minnesota School of Horseshoeing is committed to providing you with a professional approach to horseshoeing. You will learn the technical, practical, and business skills you will need to serve our growing horse industry. We are dedicated to advancing the farrier profession by providing you with a solid basis to build your reputation and success. The Minnesota School of Horseshoeing is a forge based program with an emphasis on balancing horses, or corrective shoeing, and therapeutic shoeing.

Missouri

Heartland Horseshoeing School
327 SW 1st Lane, Lamar, MO 64759, USA
417-682-6896 or 417-682-8484 (Chris Gregory)
heartlandhorseshoeing.com

This is a unique place in the awesome world of the farrier’s trade. HHS is a Mecca for great farriers that want to improve their abilities, and it is the birthplace of many of today’s farrier industry leaders. Perhaps you will be the next star of this amazing craft, and HHS is the best place for you to start.

Shurshod Horseshoeing School
2900 Bluebird Dr, Grovespring, MO 65662, USA
417-462-7848 or 417-531-3151
www.shurshod.net/

Shur Shod’s horseshoeing and farrier training program has been developed with the focus and attention to detail required to give beginning horseshoers the foundation of knowledge and skills required to be successful farriers. Our school can also provide experienced farriers with the training required to hone their craftsmanship. 

Nebraska

Butler Professional Farrier School
495 Table Rd, Nebraska National Forest, Crawford, NE 69339, USA
800-728-3826
butlerprofessionalfarrierschool.com

Butler Professional Farrier School offers basic horseshoeing classes as well as advanced and customized training, taught by instructors that have been in the industry for more than 45 years.

Our farrier instructors at Butler Professional Farrier School literally wrote the ultimate textbook on horseshoeing. Our instructors have a combined 65+ years of horseshoeing and teaching experience, and are eager to share what they know with you. They’ve been out in the field and know the business. From trimming and shoeing to horse anatomy, you’ll learn all aspects of the farrier business, and you’ll learn it straight from the Butler Team, including Doug Butler, internationally known farrier and teacher with more than 45 years’ teaching experience.

image 1: Hafiz Issadeen