Farrier Science students at Kwantlen Polytechnic University (KPU) returned from horse stables across the Lower Mainland this month with 240 hours of valuable experience to start their careers.
From March to May, students in the six-month certificate program had the opportunity to complete a comprehensive practicum where they gained hands-on experience in equine hoof care by working alongside professional farriers in the field.
“I’ve wanted to be a farrier since I was probably four years old,” says Spencer Pengelly, a KPU farrier student. “During my practicum, I learned trimming, how to balance a hoof and keep the horse stable. That’s stuff you don’t usually think about.”
The practicum offers students in the KPU program valuable networking opportunities to help kickstart their careers in improving the well-being of horses. Thomas Lambert says the connections he made will help him begin a career in his home province of Quebec.
“KPU is really good at making us create contacts. I met people who connected me with farriers in Quebec. It’s a small world where everybody knows each other,” says Lambert.
According to Pengelly, the practicum offered face-to-face interactions with clients, something she hadn’t experienced before.
“I’m going to be starting my own business and the school helps because people bring their horses and they meet us and get to see what we can do.”
The Certificate in Farrier Science program is delivered at the KPU Tech campus in Cloverdale where students have class and shop time with an instructor four days a week. On the fifth day of each week, students start developing industry connections by researching, investigating and interviewing farriers, veterinarians, farrier suppliers and other areas of the horse industry.