Why Choose Meredith Manor?

We realize there are many farrier schools to choose from and it can be difficult to determine which school is best for you. Below are a few of the things that we feel make our program stand out from the rest.

Quality, Quantity, and Accessibility of Horses

Meredith Manor's equestrian program has approximately 145 horses including many different breeds trained in several different disciplines including dressage, jumping, eventing, and reining. Access to our school horses offers our farrier students many advantages including:

• No travel time. Because the horses are all on campus, there is no time wasted traveling to customer sites.
• Experience working on horses of various training levels. Our students will work on all types of horses from training colts all the way up to top level show horses.
• Experience working on horses in different disciplines including Dressage, Jumping, Eventing, and Reining.
• Experience working on many different breeds of horses including Quarter Horses, Paints, Warmbloods, Thoroughbreds, Arabians, Morgans, Drafts, Fresians, Halflingers, various pony breeds, and many more.
• The ability to get feedback on the progress of the horse from horse professionals. Our horses are working four days a week under professional supervision, and our staff and equestrian students are available to give the farrier students feedback on the progress of the horses. Farrier students also have the opportunity to watch the horses they have trimmed or shod working in their riding or training classes.

Well Rounded Program

Being a successful farrier requires more than just knowing how to shoe a horse. Our farrier students have career area electives that allow them to gain additional skills that can improve their farrier business and provide additional sources of revenue. These skills include:

• Horse handling. Ground handling and teaching a horse to stand is an often overlooked skill that is extremely important to a farrier. Our students have 8 hours per week of Horse and Barn Care / Hoof Care and Maintenance. During this time, the students will refine their ground handling techniques. Farrier students are also encouraged to take Training I taught by Dr. Ronald Meredith. In this course, the student develops an awareness of techniques used to train horses. These techniques, which we refer to as heeding, can be used by a farrier when handling a horse before or after shoeing as well as to teach a horse to stand during shoeing. To learn more about heeding, view Dr. Meredith's articles on heeding including the article Teaching a Horse to Stand.
• Equine Massage Therapy Equine massage therapy is a relatively new and fast growing field in the equine industry. Our farrier students have the opportunity to become certified in equine massage and add a very significant revenue source to their future farrier business.
• Equine Business Management Running your own farrier business requires knowledge of record keeping, finance, advertising, and public relations. Our Business Management course can give our students the knowledge they need to set up and run their own farrier business.
• Horse Health Because of the large number of horses a farrier is in contact with, having the practical skills necessary to administer basic first aid and to identify common illnesses and lamenesses associated with the horse can be very beneficial. Our students gain this knowledge in our Horse Health course.

Accreditations

• Accredited by the Accrediting Council for Continuing Education and Training (ACCET)
• Licensed by the State College System of West Virginia
• Approved for Veterans Benefits
• Approved by the US dept of Immigration to enroll nonimmigrant alien students

Not only do our accreditations provide credibility to our graduates, our ACCET accreditation enables students enrolled in 36-week programs to apply for federal financial aid including: Pell Grants, Direct Subsidized and Unsubsidized Loans, Stafford Loans, and Plus Loans for those who qualify.

For more details on Financial Aid, see the Fees and Payments section of our catalog or call 800.679.2603 and ask to speak with our Financial Aid Director.

Graduate Services

Meredith Manor provides a lifetime job placement service to our graduates. We receive requests for employment from a variety of businesses searching for qualified applicants – our graduates! In their final quarter, our graduating students may begin contacting prospective employers through our Job Book listings. We assist in preparing resumes, giving references, and with the initial call or letter. Although Meredith Manor cannot guarantee employment, our most recent statistics show that over 90% of our graduates gain employment within ninety days of graduation. In 2006 our farrier program had a 100% placement rate. Following graduation, Meredith Manor alumni continue to have access to our job book listings and our website offers graduates a place to post resumes, post links to their business website, etc.

Quarterly Schedule

Because our farrier program operates on a quarterly basis, new students enter the program every 12 weeks not every week like many farrier schools. As a result, students are at similar skill levels so new students aren't in over their heads and experienced students don't have to sit through repetitive lessons.

These are just a few of the reasons we feel Meredith Manor is the best suited school to give you the foundation necessary to have a successful career in the farrier industry.