About

Hi, I’m Doug Butler, part-owner of Butler Professional Farrier School. We teach horseshoeing to horse owners, transitioning military and GI’s, career changers and farriers who want to broaden their skills and better their business.

We’re located near Chadron, Nebraska, not far from Colorado and Wyoming and easily accessible from South Dakota and Montana.

Our purpose is to raise the standard of practice and promote the welfare of horses—feet first! We produce qualified and motivated practitioners who are confident and competent and are committed to forge a firm foundation for both horse and handler.

What distinguishes Butler Professional Farrier and Horseshoeing School from others?

OUR INSTRUCTION

Butler’s farrier school provides a great start in the farrier career along with advanced programs for continuous learning and professional development. A combination of trimming and shoeing cover all aspects of the farrier business and horse anatomy. While many horseshoeing schools offer shorter courses, our experience has shown that six weeks is the minimum amount of time for the serious student to become confident and competent in the basics of the farrier craft. Our in-depth, one-on-one instruction and dedicated practice time helps our students learn it right the first time!

Also, we have just been approved as one of the few professional farrier and horseshoeing schools certified to teach transitioning military, veterans and GI’s.

OUR INSTRUCTORS

Doug Butler (PhD, FWCF, CJF), has taught horseshoeing for over 45 years and authored the most widely used horseshoeing textbooks, including The Principles of Horseshoeing (P3). He has shod world champions of almost every breed and trained top farriers and educators in the industry.

 

Jacob Butler (CJF, DipWCF)has been shoeing over 15 years. He taught at Mesalands Community College in Tucumcari, New Mexico, for 4 years. Jake has a special interest in the anatomy of the horse’s leg and has taught as a volunteer at the AFA convention Anatomy Lab for the last 9 years. He is the co-author of P3.

Peter Butler, CJF, has been shoeing for over 7 years. He relates to the beginner. He has studied and practices the methods of the masters of horse behavior modification. Pete helps students feel comfortable around horses and develop their horse skills.

 

OUR LOCATION

You get an “embedded” learning experience. Whether you’re investing in a new career, business building skills, or horsecare knowledge, you deserve comprehensive instruction without distractions. Also, we’re easy to reach! We’re just 30 minutes from Chadron, Nebraska, which has a municipal airport and two daily flights to Denver, Colorado. Denver International Airport is 280 miles away and Rapid City Airport is 160 miles away.

OUR FACILITIES

You’ll learn and reside in facilities that are among the best in the world, Build in 2002, you’ll have clean, modern and comfortable on-campus accommodations just steps away from your classroom. Everything is under one roof, with classroom, individual learning stations, large arena for observing movement, office and dormitory all connected.

TOP 10 REASONS TO CHOOSE BUTLER PROFESSIONAL HORSESHOEING SCHOOL

1. You will be successful. Nearly all of our graduates make their living shoeing horses using the principles, tools and techniques they obtained while at our school.

2. You will learn from experienced teachers who wrote the book on horseshoeing and have made a living and supported their families by shoeing horses.

3. You will get focused one-on-one instruction from recognized and trusted authorities with monthly follow-up and support after graduation.

4. You will learn more in 6 weeks than you would learn in longer classes at most other horseshoeing schools and be away from home for less time.

5. You will be part of a small class (8 maximum) chosen from many applicants where you will receive more personal attention.

6. You will learn horseshoeing, not foot shoeing. You’ll learn more about horses and setting up and running a profitable business than you thought possible.

7. You will work to an organized daily schedule with balanced instruction in 7 skill areas. Our own herd of horses, as well as outside clients, assures that you will work on horses every day solving problems you will encounter in practice.

8. You will work and study inside a clean, insulated, modern facility with dorm, classroom and shops under one roof. A nutritious noon meal is provided on site.

9. You will be in a supervised learning environment that fosters good study habits, has few distractions, and where you learn to balance feet and your life.

10. You will be expected to be an active learner and participant exercising self-discipline and displaying mature responsible behavior. No alcohol, tobacco, or other drugs.

And finally, we do everything it takes to transfer the skills and knowledge you want to protect a horse’s foot. We ALL want our horses to perform at their best, so we provide a firm foundation in the ABC’s of horseshoeing:

• Anatomy — Study in detail dissections and models
• Balance — Recognize and accommodate normal and abnormal 3D balance
• Conformation — Understand the relationship between inherited conformation and a predisposition to unsoundness

We hope you’ll read more about us on our Frequently Asked Questions page, compare us to other horseshoeing and farrier schools and then please talk to our graduates. We know you’ll be proud to join the highly qualified professional farriers and skilled horse owners who chose Butler’s Professional Farrier and Horseshoeing School!

Best regards, Doug Butler, PhD, FWCF, CJF

READ WHAT OUR GRADUATES HAVE TO SAY…

“I really like the way the daily schedule is done – good ratio of class time, hands-on. It’s really inspired me to work at it and become proficient. I’m going to apprentice for 2-3 years to get a good foundation. I liked the dorm and had everything I needed. I would definitely recommend this school. It’s a good learning environment – it’s a great place to learn. It teaches you everything you need to know for fundamental knowledge. There was a lot more hands-on stuff than I thought there would be. Skills I learned – forging was a big one, modifications of shoes, basic corrective stuff that I learned while I was here.” –Andrew DeVisser, CANADA

—————————————————————-

“The instruction was very good – there was always someone to help with questions I had. Before coming here I had thought about going to another school until we found out Dr. Butler has a school. He teaches a lot; he explains a lot – he knows what he’s talking about. He tells you why you have to have a shoe on that way and doesn’t just tell you to do it. You learn the ‘why’ and get some of his experience in with it. After I go home, if I come across a case I need help with, I can call up – that’s helpful enough.” –Weston Earls, CA