There will always be a need for farriers in the equine industry.  I have recently discovered that the Equine Lameness Prevention Organization have a farrier school!  So what’s the E.L.P.O Farrier School all about?

As it says in their mission statement:

The mission of the E.L.P.O. Farrier School is to educate and train individuals to assess, treat, and maintain the health and soundness of equines. This education process will be taught through the processes and protocols used by the Equine Lameness Prevention Organization (E.L.P.O.)… For those desiring to be professional farriers, extra attention will be given to guiding these individuals on a path to begin a successful and fulfilling career…

The E.L.P.O Farrier School

Curious to know what is covered in the training?  You can check out the course curriculum online.  Topics include:

• anatomy
• physiology
• and biomechanics
• as well as safe horse handling

Trimming and shoeing are also on the curriculum.  Of particular interest to me are the areas that focus on lameness treatments and foal limb deviations – interesting stuff!  You’ll also learn about business practices which is important as most farriers start out as sole traders!

Interested?  You can check out the 2018 schedule online as well as varying fees.  If this is of appeal, then you may also be interested in applying for entry into this farriery course.

When you’re exploring options for your desired horse career, it always helps to know about different education providers!  If interested in farriery/podiatry in particular, then tuck this information away for when you may be able to act on it.

‘Folk dress in all manner of finery and wonderful hats to go and watch the races, but only if it’s horses doing the barreling that day. This, at least, is understandable, for horses, in secret, love hats more than any other creature. It is a horse’s tragedy that they can never properly wear one.’ ― Catherynne M. Valente

I was recently made aware of Equi-Skills as a program through Equestrian Australia.  This seems to be a New South Wales initiative in Australia.  This is something that Equestrian NSW has introduced to interschool riding.  In this initiative, riders can “work towards nationally recognised achievement certificates.”

I am all for trade schools and for students choosing to pursue these if they want to get into a trade and don’t have academic interests.  I also love that you can gain a horse qualification whilst completing your final years of high school.  This is another form of qualification that you can earn as part of your school extra curricular activities.  Honestly, to me it seems to be a great thing!

Equi-Skills and Equestrian Australia in New South Wales

This is for the student in NSW who is taking part in a horse riding program within school.  Within that, they are offered at a discount the workbooks towards their Introductory Riding and Introductory Horse Management certificates.  For the knowledgeable rider who is hoping to pursue instructing as a career after school, this can be a great way to get ahead.  And of course, to see if this is really what they want.

As it says on their site:

“On enrolment, riders receive the workbooks and an Equi-Skills saddle patch for their school saddlecloth.  The theory components of EA training are delivered in a flexible home-study manner…  Practical study may be done through the Equi-Skills group training programme or individually with coaches, coach educators or other industry experts.”

So how do you determine if this is for you?  This is a great thing to look into.  Especially if you want to pursue work within the equine industry after school.

You’ll gain information, training and certificates towards a qualification.  For those who are entertaining the idea of working with horses, the earlier they can pursue this possibility, the sooner they can determine if it is truly what they want.

I recently saw reference to the Certified Horsemanship Association and thought I’d better check it out.  Based in Lexington, Kentucky this horse association is promoted for the benefit of horse riding instructors, horse riders, horse enthusiasts and equine managers.

For those who are already members, there are educational grants on offer.  It states on their site that the CHA mission statement is:

“To promote excellence in safety and education for the benefit of the entire horse industry. This is accomplished by certifying instructors, accrediting equine facilities, producing educational conferences and publishing educational resources such as horsemanship manuals, DVDs, safety video shorts, webinars, a monthly radio show, weekly blog, posters and much more.”

As a non-profit organisation, anyone can provide tax deductible donations.  This may be of appeal to those already investing in the equine industry.

Check out this CHA short video:

Perhaps you’re interested in getting accredited.  Then you can take a look at the certifications on offer.  There are certifications for instructors, trail guides, a combination of the two and also college level certifications.  And if you want to combine working with horses and with people who have disabilities, certification is possible for this, too.

For those who are managers of equine facilities or who focus on the area of driving horses, they can gain CHA certification, too.  There’s a variety of different certifications on offer to equine enthusiasts.

There’s an outline of what minimum requirements need to be met and what you can anticipate in a certification process.  I love to see when any industry is promoting continued education and best practices.  It looks like the Certified Horsemanship Association is one such setup that promotes this.

“Fascination with horses predated every other single thing I knew. Before I was a mother, before I was a writer, before I knew the facts of life, before I was a schoolgirl, before I learned to read, I wanted a horse.” ― Jane Smiley

In Australia there are government financial incentives for employers who encourage staff to undertake traineeships or apprenticeships.  Within Victoria, Australia there are government incentives for equine apprenticeships.  For someone who works on a thoroughbred stud, they could undertake a Certificate III in Horse Breeding whilst working.  When the employee enrols into the course, the employer benefits financially.  Similarly, when the employee finishes the course, the employer again receives a financial incentive.

In this way employers are more likely to encourage their staff members to gain a qualification.  They benefit financially and their staff members learn knew skills or have their current ones recognised with a qualification.

Incentives like this are worth employees knowing about – it can be a great way for them to get a qualification whilst working.  They are beneficial to employers too: their staff members get qualified whilst they receive a financial benefit from the government.  Whether you’re an employee on a horse property looking to get qualified or a manager on a horse property, it’s worth knowing about government incentives like these.

Government Incentives for Equine Apprenticeships

Want to take advantage of such an initiative?  Start by looking at your state government website to find out about initiatives for employees and employers.

Another option is to contact education or employment agencies that may be able to advise about such incentives.  Within Australia there is an apprenticeships organisation that is able to inform potential students and employers about how things work and how they might benefit.  If you work and you want to undertake an equine traineeship or some other form of study, be sure to do your research.  It can be easier to sell an idea to your employer when it benefits both of you.

“When I bestride him, I soar, I am a hawk: he trots the air; the earth sings when he touches it; the basest horn of his hoof is more musical than the pipe of Hermes.” ― William Shakespeare, Henry V