PCHS Syllabus
WEEK 1
Classroom: Orientation. Basic horseshoes and nails. Working with tool steel. Hoof construction and function. Basic anatomy: Bones, joints, tendons, ligaments and their function.
Forges: Assignment of tools, forge and anvil. Basic forging skills. Plain punched handmade front and hind pattern shoes.
Horses: Basic horse handling. Body positions for shoeing and trimming. Use of shoeing tools. Pulling shoes and trimming feet. Begin working on live horses on day four.
WEEK 2
Classroom: Continuation of anatomy and physiology. Basic tendons, joints and ligaments. and their function. Movement as it relates to shoeing.
Forge: Rocker toe front pattern shoe and a blocked heels hind pattern shoe due for grade.
Horses: Shoeing and trimming of horses with clips.
WEEK 3
Classroom: Conformation evaluations. How to recognize, trim and shoe for: Base-narrow, narrow in the front, base wide, offset knees, toed-out, toed-in, base-narrow toed out, straight pastern and sloping pastern.
Forge: Front, side and quarter clip shoes, hind shoes and keg shoes modified for clips due for grade.
Horses: Shoeing and trimming of horses applying rocker toed and clipped shoes.
WEEK 4
Classroom: Conformation evaluation continued. How to recognize, trim and shoe for: bow legged, knocked-kneed, base wide toed in, standing under, camped in front, calf knee, buck knee, cut out under the knees, and tied in at knees, base wide behind, bow-legged behind, base narrow behind, narrow behind, cow hocked, sickle hocked, straight and camped behind.
Forge: Plain front shoe with borium, square toe and trailer with quarter clips and hind pattern shoe.
Horses: Shoeing and trimming of horses. Assessing conformation as it relates to trimming and shoeing.
WEEK 5
Classroom: Discussion of lameness. Definition, causes, signs, treatment and prognosis of the following types of lameness: Abscess, angular limb deformities, arthritis, bog spavin, bone spavin, bowed tendon, bursitis, buttress foot, canker, capped hock, club feet, contacted heels, contracted tendons, corns, cracks, curb, epiphysitis, flares, flat feet, hoof loss, keratoma, laminitis, (reading X-rays) navicular, Osselets, P3 fractures, pedal osteitis, popped knee and quittor. Learn the use of hoof testers.
Forge: Egg bar front pattern shoe and egg bar hind pattern shoe drilled and tapped due for grade. Both shoes must be forged welded and fit to a foot. Horses: Shoeing and trimming of horses.
WEEK 6
Classroom: Discussion of lameness continues. Ringbone, scratches, sesamoiditis, sheared heels, shin buck, shoe boil, sidebone, splint, stifle lameness, suspensory sprain, thoroughpin, thrush, upper fixation of the patella, weak flexor tendons, Windpuffs, wobbles, yeast infection and white line disease.
Forge: Straight bar shoe with pad front pattern shoe, lateral heel extension shoe and hind pattern due for grade.
Horses: Shoeing and trimming of horses.
WEEK 7
Classroom: Discussion of gait faults in horses. Definition, causes, signs and treatment of the following; Forging, overreaching, front limb interfering, hind limb interfering, winging out (paddling), scalping, cross firing, toe dragging, speeding cutting, elbow hitting. Shoeing techniques for the following events; Dressage, Western Pleasure, Show Hunter, English Pleasure, Endurance, Reining, Cutting and Working Cow Horse, Speed Events, Polo, Jumping, Cross Country, Roping and shoeing for riding in winter or on paved surfaces.
Forge: Aluminum with clip front pattern shoe, slider shoe and hind pattern due for grade.
Horses: Shoeing and trimming of horses.
WEEK 8
Classroom: Bookkeeping and the tax implications of being self-employed. Advertising and presentation skills to owners, trainers and veterinarians. Scheduling and rescheduling clients. Basic business practices for the self-employed. Review and preparations for the final exams. Final exams. School graduation ceremony.
Forge: Final forge exam.
|
