Start it the right way.

Shadow.

The first, and arguably most important, step is to find established farriers in your area and ride along in their truck while they work. This is not a paid position and chances are you won’t even put hands on a horse, but what it will do is give you an idea of your day-to-day in the industry. Try to shadow more than one farrier and ideally farriers with specialized discipline and multi-discipline practices to help guide your direction. Use your time to ask the farrier questions about their experience in this profession, give yourself the best chance to choose if this trade is right for you.

Study.

Although currently farriery is an unregulated trade, the EOFA strongly recommends attending a farrier school. A farrier program can be as short as 16 weeks and up to one year, and are only available as a full-time course load. The cost to attend can vary from a few thousand to upwards of $40k. You can anticipate in any farrier program to study Anatomy, Theory, Shoeing Pathologies, Forging Techniques, and both Cadaver and Live Shoeing. The following farrier schools are recommended by the EOFA for their academic prowess and producing knowledgable and prepared students : Cornell University Farrier Program (Ithaca, New York), Five Star Horseshoeing School (Minco, Oklahoma), Heartland Horseshoeing School (Lamar, Missouri), OLDS College Farrier Science Program (Olds, Alberta, Canada), and Kentucky Horseshoeing School (Richmond, Kentucky).

Apprentice.

The EOFA will be launching a brand new mentorship program Spring 2024. Applying to the mentorship program will pair you in an established farrier in your area of interest in a paid position. More traditionally you can apply to a farrier of your choice directly and request an apprenticeship. Both mentorship and apprenticeship allow you to apply your new knowledge in a hands-on fashion.