School Curriculum
The E.L.P.O. Farrier School’s focus is to build a foundation for students to begin a journey of exploration into the art and science that is farriery. This school is not designed to teach a RIGHT VS. WRONG mentality. The idea that any one way of thinking is better than the other is not something that we want to encourage. All ideas have value, and each situation encountered is seen as an opportunity to learn. We want to create a culture of thinking farriers who are capable of making decisions based on not only science, but on intuition. The idea that anyone should do something based solely on the opinion of any one individual is something we want to steer clear of, and instead would like to encourage students to develop a thinking process to analyze horse’s gaits and conformation and to be able to explain their thinking process to other farriers, clients, vets, etc. We feel the ability to asses each situation individually and process the information that is presented at that time is the most valuable skill an aspiring farrier can develop. We then wish to teach a methodology on how to create an efficient and modern approach to creating treatment protocols for each situation. We also feel it is important for students to have a consistent, basic set of tools which to work from, and that basis will be the Guidelines and Principals of the E.L.P.O. Although it is not always possible to physically cover everything one may encounter in the real world, every item in the curriculum will be covered in theory, and many situations will be covered in practice (depending on horses available each session).
The E.L.P.O. Farrier School’s focus is to build a foundation for students to begin a journey of exploration into the art and science that is farriery. This school is not designed to teach a RIGHT VS. WRONG mentality. The idea that any one way of thinking is better than the other is not something that we want to encourage. All ideas have value, and each situation encountered is seen as an opportunity to learn. We want to create a culture of thinking farriers who are capable of making decisions based on not only science, but on intuition. The idea that anyone should do something based solely on the opinion of any one individual is something we want to steer clear of, and instead would like to encourage students to develop a thinking process to analyze horse’s gaits and conformation and to be able to explain their thinking process to other farriers, clients, vets, etc. We feel the ability to asses each situation individually and process the information that is presented at that time is the most valuable skill an aspiring farrier can develop. We then wish to teach a methodology on how to create an efficient and modern approach to creating treatment protocols for each situation. We also feel it is important for students to have a consistent, basic set of tools which to work from, and that basis will be the Guidelines and Principals of the E.L.P.O. Although it is not always possible to physically cover everything one may encounter in the real world, every item in the curriculum will be covered in theory, and many situations will be covered in practice (depending on horses available each session).
The curriculum covered in this school will include, but is not limited to:
- History of horseshoeing and the E.L.P.O.
- Anatomy, Conformation, and Biomechanics
- Horsemanship and Horse Handling
- Safety
- Effective tools
- Understanding Energy
- Pressure and Release
- Holding, Leading, and Tying the Horse
- Horseshoeing Posture and Body Positioning
- Sedation
- Hoof Mapping
- Hoof Distortion Analysis
- Dissection Labs
- Live Sole Exfoliation
- Barefoot Trimming
- Efficient and Effective Forging Technique
- Posture
- Tong and Hammer Usage
- Anvil Usage
- Propane Usage
- Forging Exercises
- Common Keg Shoe Modifications
- Basic Shoe Making
- Basic Horseshoeing
- Basic Performance Horseshoeing
- Horseshoeing with Composites
- Lameness and Gait Fault Analysis
- Understanding of Common Vet Diagnostics
- Radiograph Analysis
- Slow Motion Video Analysis
- Leverage Testing
- Hoof Testing
- Lameness Treatments
- Pads
- Bar Shoes
- Adjustable Shoeing Packages
- Clogs
- Hoof Packing Materials
- Treatments for Foal Limb Deviations
- Business Practices
- Shoeing Rig Options
- Effective Business Ethics and Practices
- Business Vs. Personal Banking
- Budgeting
- Pricing your work
- Cost of Debt
- Insurance
- Time Management
- Certification
- Importance of Continuing Education
