ELPO Farrier School - Requirements

Student Prerequisites & Requirements

Prerequisites for Acceptance:

Each prospective student will be interviewed by the instructor before acceptance in to the program. Applicants who lack enough horse experience will not be accepted. Farriers have to understand horses and be able to work around them safely in order to get the job done. Although horsemanship skills that apply to horse shoeing will be included in class, a complete lack of basic experience with horses coming into the course will seriously hinder the student. We cannot teach you to be a horseman during the eight weeks. Most beginning farriers who fail, do so because they lack horsemanship skills. Just being able to ride a horse is not enough. Students must have enough practical field experience working with horses to be able to read a horse’s moods and know his reactions. They must also know how to catch, halter, tie, and work around a variety of horses in a safe manner. It is also helpful to have knowledge of common various breeds and show disciplines.

Physical requirements:

Because horse shoeing is a physically demanding endeavor and is somewhat hazardous in the best of conditions, students MUST be physically fit, able to lift heavy objects, bend, twist, use both hands and legs. You will be required to bend into crouched, twisted positions to work under horses. Therefore, very overweight or extremely tall students or students with pre existing back, knee or hip injuries will find this very difficult if not impossible.

Students need a basic ability to use common hand tool such as hammers, drills, saws, and small power tools.

Expectations for injuries:

We try to provide the safest working environment possible. However due to the size and nature of horses even in the best of conditions, injuries both minor and serious can occur, especially when providing hoofcare. Expect small injuries such as scrapes, cuts and bruises. It is part of the everyday life of any farrier and something all farriers just get used to.

Serious injuries can occasionally occur when trimming or shoeing horses, including broken limbs or worse, and every student will be required to sign a waver of liability that states they understand this inherent risk.

Students must have their own health insurance. We will require a copy of your insurance card to have on file in case you are incapacitated in an accident and we must supply it to the attending medical personnel.

Students are recommended to be up to date on their tetanus vaccinations, however it is not required. Consult with your doctor for vaccination information.

Attendance:

Classes start promptly at 9 A.M. each day and end at 5 P.M. or when we get finished with horses. Students are expected to be in the classroom and ready to go AT 9 A.M. Students are expected to attend at least 90% of classes.

Frequent absence or tardiness will not be tolerated.

Evaluations, Quizzes, and Tests:

The instructor will use quizzes ands tests throughout the course to help determine the advancement of each student. These do not count toward the final completion score, but are to help the student advance in areas they need to work on more.

Student Conduct:

Students are expected to show up on time.

Students are required to supply their own transportation to ranch locations, and insurance, and if arrangements are made for shared transportation between the students it will be strictly under private arrangement.

Students are working to the goal of being a professional therefore are expected to behave in a clean and professional manner at all times. This means no drunkenness, no drugs, and no smoking in class. Anyone who shows up in class and is suspected to be under the influence of any alcohol or drugs will be immediately asked to leave. Illegal behavior in or out of class such as arrest, the use of illegal drugs, DUI, assault, etc. will be cause for immediate expulsion.

Dress is expected to be business like, neat and clean attire of a professional farrier. No profane pictures or sayings on T-shirts, etc.

Steel toe boots or shoes are required.

We do not allow discussion of religion, politics, race, sex, etc. in class and there will be no tolerance of harassment of any student by another.

Any student’s disruptive behavior in class will be discussed by the ELPO board of directors and that student may be asked to leave the school. Students who are sharing the bunkhouse must behave in a respectful manner to the other students there, and to the surrounding residents. Students who disrupt the other bunkhouse residents, smoke inside, or use illegal drugs will be asked to leave.

Requirements for certificate:

Upon successful completion of the course, each passing student will receive a “Certificate of Completion”. This will state that the student fulfilled the requirements of the course and has shown competent entry level farrier skills. There is no guarantee that every student will get a certificate. Students must pass all three phases of the final exams to receive the completion certificate.

Requirements for passing the course:

Students must pass three elements. Elements are not averaged together.

Element 1) Required Forging Shoe Samples: Students will be given a list of required handmade shoes and shoe modifications which they must complete before the end of class. These can be made at any time during class or during personal forging practice time.

Element 2) Written Test: The written test covers functional anatomy, conformation, breeds, gaits, various lameness and therapeutic shoeing, shoeing basics, modern shoeing materials, and ELPO principles in both everyday and lameness treatment. Passing grade is 70%.

Element 3) Practical Test: Student must perform a live shoeing within a time frame. The grading forms for the practical test will be given to students the first day of class so they can study the requirements and know what goals to work toward. Student will have 4 hours to shoe one horse. Shoeing must include: one pair of pads, one pair of shoes must be clipped, and one pair must be handmade at the time of the test. Pads, clips and handmade elements can be in any combination in the shoes. (front or hind handmade shoes are allowed)

What the completion certificate means:

This course is designed to direct you toward your eventual ELPO certification. The “Completion Certificate” of the newly graduated student is independent of the ELPO certifications.

Successful completion of the eight week course will make the graduate immediately eligible to take the next available ELPO Level 2 certification test, (CBT, Certified Barefoot Trimmer).

The next levels of ELPO certifications are for professional, working farriers. Therefore after one year working in the trade the graduate farrier is eligible to take the ELPO Level 3 farrier certification test.

After several more years as a professional, then a farrier is eligible to take the ELPO Level 4 test (CLS, Certified Lameness Specialist).

One of the ELPO’s goals is to raise the bar of professionalism in the trade. Therefore the ELPO takes pride in the fact that the ELPO certifications are truly a certificate for professional hoofcare providers and not given out lightly.

The graduate student can look forward to the fact that he or she has a certification goal to work toward in the next year or two, as they develop their professional skills in the field.

Once a working farrier earns that ELPO Farrier certification, they can be proud to know that they built a business, continued to develop their skills and worked hard to achieve that goal. Then they can set their sights on the next level, the CLS certification, remembering that a true professional is never finished learning.

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