02/07/2025
Hoofcare Schooling/Education
Lately I’ve been seeing a lot of posts (locally and in global groups) of people asking for advice on where to go to school to learn hoofcare.
As we all know, there are so many options. When I was starting in my hoofcare journey, I was overwhelmed at where to look. It took me a while to figure out where to start. So I thought I’d give some advice for those looking to dip their toes in the hoofcare world.
⭐️Think about WHAT you want to focus on and what direction you’re most passionate about. For some, that’s learning to forge. For some it might be glue on shoeing. For some it might be growing a healthy hoof/exploring barefoot options. Some might want to just work on their own horse’s feet, and some want to eventually get into rehab cases and corrective care.
And obviously for some, you might not even know what you might want to do- and that’s okay too! If you’re starting from square one, I recommend riding along with a variety of hoofcare providers and even veterinarians and see what kind of cases you like and what sort of approaches interest you.
⭐️Once you know what avenue of hoofcare you are more passionate about, hone in on options that offer that. Ask farrier groups for advice on which schools/approaches will help you get to where you want to be. Make a list of programs that seem to be tailored to your end goals. That might change down the line, but it’s a good start.
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Now - a side note off of the last point - there is a caveat with asking for school recommendations. Not all schools/educational programs are created equal! And some people might not realize that there are gaps in a school’s curriculum.
So when deciding on a program, some things to consider include:
⭐️Find a program that includes lots of hands on hours on a variety of horses/cases.
This might be controversial, but I truly believe you cannot learn a hands-on trade all online. Not only do you have to learn how to properly handle and work with the horses in front of you in a variety of comfort levels, but learning how to properly handle tools for your safety is important. On top of that, many hoofcare decisions are made at the horse - based on their comfort level, posture, conformation, movement/biomechanics, appearance of the sole/collateral grooves/frog/white line connection/wall health etc. Sometimes I change my trim based on how a horse shifts its weight as I move around to different legs! I truly believe that cannot be completely taught in a video.
⭐️Find a program that understands this knowledge takes time.
As tempting as it may be to take a weekend course and decide to start a hoofcare career, there are so many things to consider when it comes to hooves, and horses are at our mercy when it comes to our learning curve. Find a program that has a good solid foundation, along with accountability/mentors/hoofcare professionals you can then ride along with, apprentice with, and continually learn from.
⭐️Find a program that looks at the horse above just its feet.
Hooves are not an isolated structure- they are attached to limbs and a body that all move in conjunction with each other. And what we do to a horse’s hoof doesn’t stop there.. it has knock on effects up their limb, whether that’s for better or worse. When looking for a schooling program, look for options that take aspects of the horse’s body, environment/management, movement, work/expectations, comfort level etc all into account.
⭐️Find a program that seeks to continually improve the health of the feet and the horse, and adapts to consider changing approaches and practices.
We know so much more in the hoofcare world now than we did even 5 years ago. Published research has continued to change the way we view managing metabolic issues (with improved studies that have helped work to make metabolic laminitis a nearly completely preventable condition, for example), biomechanics/movement, prognoses for various issues, and so much more. The work is nowhere near done in terms of what we know in regards to the foot, but I would avoid programs that are not adaptable/able to improve their approach to hoofcare as we learn more.
⭐️Bouncing off the last one - Avoid programs that have a “My Way or the Highway” approach to hoofcare.
We all know that not every horse is textbook, and not every horse will respond the same way to hoofcare attempts. If a hoofcare program is rigid and unwilling to consider the horse in front of them, it might leave students unprepared for what they find in the real world.
⭐️Avoid programs that think extended periods of discomfort is part of the hoofcare process.
No matter what our ideologies are, there is a horse in front of us, a living being, and if its feet hurt, its entire body will be affected due to compensation.
Of course, in hoof rehab there ARE times where we don’t get instant relief but we know in X amount of time we should see a significant improvement. I would avoid programs that take discomfort as the “norm.” We know so much now about how diet and metabolic management can help resolve hoof sensitivity and discomfort, and we have so many options for ALL schools of thought - from hoof boots to various therapeutic packages- to be able to help a horse improve their quality of life while figuring out how to grow a stronger foot and improve their overall health.
There will never be “one program for everyone” since there are so many avenues we can consider in hoofcare, but these are just some starting points when consider what route to take.
What are some non-negotiables for you when considering hoofcare education options?
I wanted to give a special shout out to the hoofcare organization I attribute most of my knowledge to- Progressive Hoof Care Practitioners- who meets all the requirements of my list and so much more. A huge thank you to them for sponsoring our clinic with Dr. Jenny Hagen, Ula Krzanowska, Celeste Lazaris, and Pat Reilly in October of this year in Amesbury, MA! I am grateful that they are willing to help fund these educational opportunities so that those interested in hoofcare can continually grow and improve ❤️