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Course Syllabus
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The program has three areas of study:
- Classroom: Lecture, video and slide presentations. 8AM to 9:30AM
Textbook: "Principles of Horseshoeing II" by Dr. Doug Butler.
The school library has over 60 books on Horseshoeing, Blacksmithing, Lameness and Conformation and over 110 trade related videos, the largest horseshoeing library in the world!.
- Forge work: Below are a list of handmade and modified keg shoes and the dates they are due for evaluation.
- Horses: Shoeing and trimming of horses. We do not bring unbroken, ill- mannered horses to the school to be 'cowboyed'. You will learn to be a professional farrier not a horse wrestler.
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WEEK 1
Classroom: Intro. to school. Basic horseshoes and nails. Working with tool steel. Hoof construction and function. Basic anatomy; bones, joints, tendons, ligaments and their function.
Forges: Assignment of tools, forge and anvil. Basic forging skills. Plain punched handmade front and hind pattern shoes.
Horses: Basic horse handling. Body positions for shoeing and trimming. Use of shoeing tools. Pulling shoes and trimming feet. You begin working on live horses on Thursday.
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WEEK 2
Classroom: Continuation of anatomy and physiology. Basic tendons, joints and ligaments. and their function. Movement as it relates to shoeing.
Forge: Rocker Toe front pattern shoe and a Blocked Heels hind patter shoe due for grade.
Horses: Shoeing and trimming of horses with clips.
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WEEK 3
Classroom: Conformation evaluations. How to recognize, trim and shoe for: Base-narrow, narrow in the front, base wide, offset knees, toed-out, toed-in, base-narrow toed out, straight pastern and slopping pastern.
Forge: Side clip shoe, front and Quarter clip, hind, shoes due for grade. Plus keg shoes modified for clips.
Horses: Shoeing and trimming of horses applying rocker toed and clipped shoes
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WEEK 4
Classroom: Conformation evaluation continued. How to recognize, trim and shoe for: bow legged, knocked-kneed, base wide toed in, standing under, camped in front, calf knee, buck knee, cut out under the knees, and tied in at knees, base wide behind, bow-legged behind, base narrow behind, narrow behind, cow hocked, sickle hocked, straight and camped behind.
Forge: Plain front shoe with borium and Square toe and trailer with quarter clips, hind pattern shoe
Horses: Shoeing and trimming of horses Assessing conformation as it relates to trimming and shoeing.
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WEEK 5
Classroom: Discussion of lameness. Definition, causes, signs, treatment and prognosis of the following types of lameness: abscess, angular limb deformities, arthritis, bog spavin, bone spavin, bowed tendon, bursitis, buttress foot, canker, capped hock, club feet, contacted heels, contracted tendons, corns, cracks, curb, epiphysitis, flares, flat feet, hoof loss, keratoma, laminitis, (reading X-rays) navicular, Osselets, P3 fractures, pedal osteitis, popped knee and quittor. Use of hoof testers.
Forge: Egg Bar, front pattern shoe and egg bar, hind pattern shoe, drilled and tapped, due for grade. Both shoes must be forged welded and fit to a foot.
Horses: Shoeing and trimming of horses.
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WEEK 6
Classroom: Discussion of lameness continues; ringbone, scratches, sesamoiditis, sheared heels, shin buck, shoe boil, sidebone, splint, stifle lameness, suspensory sprain, thoroughpin, thrush, upper fixation of the patella, weak flexor tendons, white line disease, Windpuffs, wobbles, yeast infection, white line disease.
Forge: Straight bar shoe with pad, front pattern shoe and a Lateral heel extension shoe, hind pattern due for grade.
Horses: Shoeing and trimming of horses.
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WEEK 7
Classroom: Discussion of gait faults in horses. Definition, causes, signs and treatment of the following; forging, overreaching, front limb interfering, hind limb interfering, winging out (paddling), scalping, crossfiring, toe dragging, speeding cutting, elbow hitting. Shoeing techniques for the following events; Dressage, Western Pleasure, Show Hunter, English Pleasure, Long-Distance Horses, Reining, Cutting and Working Cow Horse, Speed Events, Polo, Jumping,, Cross Country, Shoeing For the Streets, Winter Riding, Forge and Roping,
Forge: Aluminum with clip, front pattern shoe Slider shoe hind pattern due for grade
Horses: Shoeing and trimming of horses
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WEEK 8
Classroom: Bookkeeping, the tax implications of being self-employed, advertising, scheduling and rescheduling clients. How to present yourself to barns, trainers and veterinarians. Basic business practices for the self-employed. Review and preparations for the final exams. Final exams. School graduation ceremony.
Forge: final forge exam.
Horses: Shoeing and trimming of horses. Hoof reconstruction using acrylic hoof repair materials. Discussion of resections, when they are needed, and proper use of Rotor tools.
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