Hey folks,

I'm really really interested in getting into the farrier profession and I'm just wondering what yall think of OSHS (Oklahoma State Horseshoeing School). Just askin as I have had a journeyman ferrier suggest this school, please feel free to say what you think, just would like to make a more seriuous well informed decision

Look into Mesalands Community College while you're a looking. It's in Tucumcari, NM which is between Amarillo, TX and Albuquerque, NM. A real pit of a town but a great small school and the equine sciences teacher Eddy Mardis is a great guy. He also teaches engraving and spur making to help the farrier make extra money by selling fancy geegaws for the horse and rider. http://www.mesalands.edu/
They have two ways of doing things, a two year degree program or a one year certificate program, your choice.

Also in Tucumcari, NM is Jim Keith! He is tops in the field and does siminars all over the U.S. I'm not sure if he does any teaching at Mesalands tho.

I would highly reccomend Heartland Horseshoeing School in Lamar, Missouri. Chris Gregory is the owner and instructor, and both Chris and his son Cody are very accomplished farriers. You should check them out! Their Email address or web site is www.heartlandhorseshoeing.com

Google Kentucky Horseshoeing School - Mitch Taylor. Ranks right up there with Heartland and Chris Gregory. Can't fault either school.

As an addendum, OSHS only lists "qualified instructors". I'm much more comfortable with a place like Heartland or KHS where Mitch and Chris put their name out front.

I would only go if the instructors were very experinced. I mean 15-20 yrs. Some schools use just graduated students as instructors. I normally expect a new farrier to not be able to see medial/lateral balance or imbalance for about 4 years I would not expect someone with less time than that to be able to teach. Although they may know how the nail will travel, and some of those types of things. You are investing both time and money in your future do it right.

although it is difficult to get into, cornell university in ithaca ny has a shoeing school attached right to the vet college. I went there and it was great.

Chris Gregory is an old Turley Forge grad, so he has both blacksmithing and farriery as a background. He is well respected and recently demoed for the big farriers' get-together in central Texas.

Some good suggestions so far but here are two more schools to consider.

Doug Butler

Danny Ward

Remember, in Farrier school you learn the basics. Find yourself an experienced professional Farrier and spend time riding with them before you go off to school and then apprentice with them when you come back. Make a point to spend time with different Farriers if you can because you will learn from each of them even if it is HOW NOT to do it, run a business or treat clients and horses.

Any other questions feel free to ask.

my helper just took a 12 week course there , don't waste your money , there are far better schools as others have said.

look into doug butler. hes the best in my book .

doug started at cornell and has progressed more than any farrier i have heard of. he realy has his act together. i had one of his early books and it was great. when i quit shoeing my wife sold it on ebay. as dk forge said earlier, you have to work with several before you can learn much. i had been shoeing for about 7 years before i went to cornell and it made all the difference in the world. thats when you find out what you dont know and what you want to learn. good luck

The Oklahoma school used to be pretty good. Two friends of mine graduated from there in the late 1970's and went on to earn good livings. One shod horses on the race circuit, the other worked on cow horses but I don't know anyone who went through it in the last 15 years or so.

I would agree with the others and recommend you should go work with a farrier for a while. It seems very few people can do it more than 10-15 years on a daily basis; although I've noticed short people tend to last longer because they don't have to bend over as far.

One of my sons is a professional trainer and has been on horses almost every day since he was 8 years old; we've had farriers around for the last 20 years. Although I have no problem working at the anvil all day, I would never take up the farrier trade - it's just too xxxx hard on the body.

I've been retired from farriery for many years,but my friend Michael Waldorf,who has been shoeing for over ten,just took a refresher course from a school in Missouri to prepare for his Certification test. The instructor there has just written the BEST book I've seen and has a very good school. Senile citizen status just took the name off the tip of my tongue but please contact Michael at: [email protected] and ask him about the school he just attended. Mention my name if you'd like. Eric Sprado

Whoops-just read the other posts and see that Chris is the fellow who wrote the new text.. GREAT book!!!!!!

Ok Thank you all but i have a back up plan as i was looking at going there for the bare minimum and then come back to canada and then go to Olds College in Olds, Alberta where they give you a 2 year course

A cousin of mine is a farrier in Merritt, BC. He used to be a cowboy at the Nicola Valley Ranch before he started shoeing. I believe he took his farrier course in Langley or Surrey, BC. That's fairly close to you.

The course is offered at Kwantlen College in Langley BC.

I attended OKSHS, and I'm afraid I can't recommend it.

Charles may I ask why you say you are afraid you can't recommend it? As its been recommended to me by a farrier as a great school, and my husband knows someone who sent his kid to OSHS.

Course if you come out this way (New Mexico, USA); you could also take Frank Turley's blacksmithing course and so be ahead of the game in that area!

Ive heard and read nothing but good about the Kentucky horseshoeing school..