—
In this new, highly technologically driven world, the dedication to mastering traditional skills that have stood the test of time become all that more rare and valuable. The majestic horse may not be the main mode of transportation any more, but the art of shoeing a horse properly is still in high demand. It is a difficult skill to master, and that is why expert training is essential.
At the Arkansas Horseshoeing School in Dardanelle, they offer hands-on courses that run from 8 to 24 weeks long and will prepare students for a career as a Farrier. They also offer advanced graduate courses. The horseshoeing business has been in the family since the late 1800s.
Paul Dorris, Jr., the owner of the school, looks at it like this: “If they’re interested in a farrier career, at our farrier school they will spend more time under a horse than in a classroom. We’ve never had a student complain about not getting enough practical experience.”
They offer new farrier courses that start the first Tuesday of every month. The next two begin on January 3rd and February 7th, 2017. Space is limited, because they don’t take more than 6 students at a time in order to give them the best 1 on 1 instruction possible. They offer students assistance in finding an apprenticeship after they successfully complete their course. In addition to the foundation of knowledge in horseshoeing and the business end of things, they also teach how to maintain good health, concentrating on safety and on how to minimize wear and tear on the body.
Dorris said five or six women a year will attend his school. “I’ve come to find that they have a great eye for detail, a better eye for it than most,” he said. “They’re also gentler with the horses. Men tend to come in here thinking they can just manhandle the horses around, but they soon find out they’re wrong.”
Release ID: 151021