Farrier Certificate
Hoof care and forge work taught on live horses, under someone who has shod for a living.
No horse is better than its feet
Good farriers are scarce, booked out, and in demand everywhere horses work. The trade rewards patience, hand skill, and a willingness to keep learning from the horse in front of you.
Instruction follows the same model as every H.O.L.L.S. program: classroom and forge theory, instructor demonstration, then supervised practice on real animals with time and repetition assigned by the instructor. Progression is competency-based, verified by observable performance.
Students finish with the hand skills, the anatomy, and the professional habits of a first-year apprentice ready to work under a journeyman.
Shop, horse, rig
Modules are in development and will be finalized with the program's clock-hour submission. Sequence and hours are subject to revision.
Lower limb structure, hoof capsule, blood supply, and how conformation and movement show up in the foot.
Assessment, balance, trimming, and the maintenance cycle that keeps a working horse sound.
Forge safety, fire management, hammer control, drawing and shaping stock, and building a shoe from bar.
Fitting, nailing, clinching, and finishing on live horses under direct instructor supervision.
Safe restraint, reading behavior, lameness awareness, and knowing when the call belongs to a veterinarian.
Traction, terrain, seasonal wear, and what a ranch horse's feet endure across rock, snow, and long miles.
Rotations on the school herd and cooperating outfits, working the way a first-year apprentice works.
Rig setup, tool care, scheduling, pricing, client communication, and the business of a farrier practice.
Tuition of $12,000 includes a standard farrier tools kit.
Work this prepares you for
- Farrier apprentice under a journeyman
- Ranch and barn hoof care support
- Equine facility maintenance staff
- Shop and forge assistant
- 01Safely restrain, handle, and position a horse for hoof work.
- 02Evaluate hoof balance and identify common pathologies for referral.
- 03Perform a correct maintenance trim on a sound working horse.
- 04Build, shape, and fit a shoe from bar stock at the forge.
- 05Nail, clinch, and finish a shoe cleanly with instructor verification.
- 06Maintain tools, forge, and a mobile rig to a professional standard.
- 07Communicate findings clearly to owners, trainers, and veterinarians.
Get on the list for the first cohort
Tuition is $12,000 and includes a standard farrier tools kit. Clock hours and start dates will be published as approvals are granted. Veterans: ask us about VR&E eligibility for this program.