ELPO Farrier School- Weekly Schedule

Week-by-Week Course Outline

This is a general description of the course as it will develop over the eight weeks. Due to the changing availability of particular horses and the availability of guest speakers and instructors, occasionally a horse will be unexpectedly presented during a class, a planned working field trip may be changed, or a skill set will be taught on a slightly different time during the course.

Lectures and PowerPoint will be accompanied by printed hand-outs to build your own secondary notebook to accompany the textbook and DVD’s.
Students will be expected to be prompt to class and turn in required projects on time. This will be an intense 8 weeks with lots of information and hard work. Expect to study hard. Quizzes will be given throughout the class to help evaluate your progress.
The system of the final practical exam grading will be covered in detail the first day of class.
Students must pass the final practical test with an overall score of 75% or higher, the written final exam with a score of 70% or higher, and turn in all of the acceptable required shoe specimens in order to receive a completion certificate.
Most days will be part classroom and part shop work (i.e. forging or working on horses).
Required Textbook and DVD’s: “Natural Balance Hoof Care”

Week 1:

Introduction to requirements of the course and grading system.
Get to know the facilities and equipment, and cover safety rules.
Discuss the required shoes and modifications to be forged throughout the course.
Discuss tools used for hoof trimming and forging.
Discuss the history of horse shoeing and the history of Natural Balance. (Chapter 1 of the Textbook) Begin learning anatomy of the lower leg and foot. (Chapter 2 of the textbook, pages 22 – 33)
Learn to evaluate hoof distortion. Learn to differentiate a healthy foot from an unhealthy one. (Lectures, Discussion, Power Points, Textbook Chapters 7 and 8.)
Evaluate, map and trim cadaver (dead) hooves.
Learn positions to get under horses and exercises to help develop your muscles for this. (Lecture, Demonstrations, Textbook Chapter 4 , pages 49 - 52 and DVD)
Trim at least one hoof on a live horse.
Begin basic forge skills. Learn to properly use forges, tongs, hammers, and anvils (will be part of most days throughout the week). Make a hoof pick.
Required projects: Straighten out a used horse shoe in the forge and re-bend it to a level, useable shape without closing up any of the nail holes. Make a hoof pick from an old horse shoe.

WEEK 2:

Begin learning the breeds and different gaits of horses. (Lecture, Power Point)
Learn horse’s basic upper body anatomy, parts of horse, conformation, and conformation faults. (Lectures, Power Point, Discussion, and Textbook Chapter 2; pages 15 - 21, and Chapter 6)
Learn to read a horse’s resting stance, expressions and what it means.
Horsemanship (Textbook Chapter 5), discussion, and on live horses
Trim more live horses in teams. (Barefoot trims).
Continue forge work, learn basic shoe making from scratch and plain nail hole punching. Begin making basic horse shoes from bar stock to natural balance parameters.
Required project: one useable plain stamped horse shoe from bar stock, to fit a pattern.

WEEK 3:

Learn the basic steps for trimming/preparing a foot for shoes.
Learn the basic steps to shoe. (Power Point, Lecture, Textbook Chapter 10; pages 101 - 109.)
Learn to shape shoes to the foot. (Textbook Chapter 9)
Study common variations in hooves including club feet and ‘negative palmer angles’. (Textbook Chapter 7)
Shoe cadaver hooves using factory shoes and hand made shoes.
Continue to barefoot trim live horses as available.
Begin to shoe live horses in teams, as available.

WEEK 4

Shoeing live horses throughout the week, modifying various factory shoes to fit Natural Balance guidelines.
Study foal development and developmental issues. Power point, lectures. (Textbook Chapter 3)
Discuss foal limb deformities and corrections.
Study different shoe types and materials as they apply to various disciplines and conditions.
Learn about pads and packing materials.
Forge practice; make a pritchel from bar stock.
Learn to use a fullering tool to crease a shoe.
Begin to make clips on shoes.

WEEK 5

Evaluate and Shoe live horses throughout the week.
Begin studying common lameness problems, prevention and shoeing treatments.
Discuss veterinarian -farrier relationships.
Continue practice on clips, shoe modifications and hand made shoes.
Begin simple forging modifications on Aluminum shoes.
PROJECT: Successful pair of clips, and punch a useable nail hole in an aluminum shoe.

WEEK 6

Study laminitis, its various causes and goals of treatment. (Chapter 11; pages 114 – 120)
Study how to evaluate hoof pain and other lameness. (Lectures, PowerPoint, Textbook Chapter 11; pages 121-130)
Begin to discuss business practices.
Continue shoeing live horses, using both Natural Balance shoes and some other factory shoes, begin applying clips, pads and packing on some cases.
Project: Shoe at least one pair of live hooves with handmade shoes.

WEEK 7

Continue lameness studies. Continue to discuss Business practices.
Discuss bar shoes and other forged treatment type shoes pros and cons.
Forge welding, make bar shoes out of factory shoes.
Shoe and trim live horses throughout the week.
Project: Forge weld heels of a factory shoe into a straight bar shoe to fit a pattern.

WEEK 8

Shoe live horses for pre test practice early in the week.
Review, discussions, tune up skills for final exams.
Forging on your own to complete and turn in required shoe specimens.
WEDNESDAY: Final written test.
THURSDAY OR FRIDAY: Final practical exams, clean up shop.
FRIDAY Afternoon and Evening: Families invited to attend barbeque and graduation.

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