GENERAL INFORMATION

During our eight week Apprentice Course, E. W. will teach you step by step horseshoeing, from basic tool care to cold shoeing. He will teach you “corrective” shoeing, in that E.W. believes corrective shoeing is doing no more, nor less than what the horse needs. Each horse is different. Each foot is different. E.W. will teach you how to correctly balance and shoe each hoof, to get the best movement from the horse.

Apprenticeship programs have a lot to offer, and we are well aware of the drawbacks. During our research to start our program, we looked at several other courses being offered and talked with a lot of people. What we discovered is most programs are designed to simulate a school environment – well, they are schools, so it fits. Sitting in a classroom has its place – not so much here at Southern States.

Learning-by-doing comes more naturally for folks with life-experience skills. What better way to learn about horse handling, trimming and shoeing then by getting out there and getting your hands dirty? Each horse is different, each hoof is different. Learning-by-doing offers you an opportunity to see the horses in the real world.

E.W. believes you should learn all aspects of being a farrier. He will not ask you to do anything he is not prepared to do. He will teach you how to set up tools and put tools away – along with everything in between.

Sometimes people get set in their ways of doing things. As old as the art of farriery is, E.W. recognizes and encourages learning about new techniques and latest advances.

You will be working side-by-side with E.W. The more comfortable you get, the more he will expect from you. You will have good days and you will have bad days – just like the rest of us.

You should be comfortable asking questions. The more you put in to learning, the more you will get out of the program. The more you offer to do, the more you will get to do.

We are fortunate to have strong customer support for this program! E.W. is very particular when it comes to trimming and shoeing. His customers know the high standards by which he operates. However, they also understand the importance of having 'real' horses for you to work on. Mistakes may be made (it's part of the learning process), but E.W.'s customers acknowledge the importance of you getting out there and doing it. How else are you going to learn?

This is by no means an easy program. It will challenge you. You will need to be dedicated, ambitious, willing to put in the time, and open to hard work. E.W. will be putting a lot of effort into seeing that you succeed. He will expect you to do just that!

All your hard work and extra effort will pay off when you get under that first horse belonging to your first client...

REQUIREMENTS TO ATTEND

The only restriction we have to become part of our apprentice program is age. You must be 18 years of age or older. Anyone under age 18 wanting to become part of our program must have written consent from a parent and then admittance is decided on a case-by-case basis.

Motivation and self-discipline

Come expecting hard work

Previous horseshoeing and trimming experience is not necessary. E.W. will teach you as much as he can in the time he has.

Your progress will depend on your previous experience.

You do not need a high school diploma, GED, or college degree.

A horsemanship background would come in handy. We need you to feel comfortable working around and under horses for you to complete the program.

Your physical ability plays an important role in learning this trade.

TUITION

Please call for the current tuition cost.  Tools, resource materials and lodging are in addition to tuition.

We accept personal checks, cash, money orders, and cashiers checks. We also accept on-line payments with Visa, MasterCard and debit cards with an additional 3% processing fee.

SSES does not discriminate on the basis of sex, race, ethnic origin or religion.