Pacific Coast Horseshoeing School is an internationally recognized award winning vocational school which has been committed to the highest quality instruction available since 1991. PCHS is the first school accredited by the American Association of Professional Farriers, the Canadian Association of Professional Farriers and the International Association of Professional Farriers. The term accredited is not intended to convey accreditation by an agency approved by the federal Department of Education; rather, it is the term used by the Association and common to the profession of farriers.

Our continued accreditation means that we meet and surpass the industry standard for early farrier training. The training received at Pacific Coast Horseshoeing School is approved for Continuing Education Units by the International Association of Professional Farriers (IAPF) and is the stepping stone for more advanced training.

With the successful completion of the Foundation Credential, farriers are qualified to obtain additional Credentials, from the IAPF, in many farrier specialties.

We are so confident of our teaching ability and our professional facility that we offer a 100% refund to any student who withdraws from the program, for any reason, on or before the end of the first week of training. Get that in writing from any other school!

Some schools have a class starting every week. Our students start and graduate as a single class. Our course is painstaking thought out so that each lecture, demonstration, and shoeing is designed to build on the one before. This provides a natural learning progression for the student with the ultimate result of producing a professional farrier.

Curriculum is comprehensive and covers all key topics to make our graduates successful farriers and business owners. Every week students participate in 3 types of learning: In the classroom, on the forge and working with horses.

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Learning doesn't stop at graduation. As a graduate, you become a member of a community of farriers who share knowledge and seek the opinions of their colleagues. In addition, being successful with the IAPF Foundation Credential opens up continuing education opportunities to increase your knowledge and value as a farrier. We are a sponsored provider of IAPF certification examination prep courses and continuing education for farriers. All students are members of the IAPF upon enrollment in our educational programs.

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Expert Instructors

All of our instructors have experience as full time professional farriers. Their years of experience running a business and supporting their families by shoeing horses puts them in a position to not only help you learn the skills to shoe horses, but also to provide the broader knowledge useful in building a more successful business!

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Bob Smith

Founder of Pacific Coast Horseshoeing School and Professional Farrier

An award winning educator who previously ran a very successful horseshoeing practice in the Sacramento, California area. Clients included winning Grand Prix jumpers on the professional circuit, Medal winning dressage horses, winners of Snaffle Bit Futurities in Reno, Oregon and Idaho, Cutting horses competing at Fort Worth, Texas, endurance horses competing in the Tevis Cup 100 mile race as well as many trail and pleasure horses. This broad experience at the top of each discipline ensures you will not receive a one size fits all type of shoeing education, but specific insights and tips that you will find useful across disciplines.

Graduate studies in Farrier Science with Dr. Doug Butler at Sul Ross University, Alpine, Texas. A graduate of California State University at Sacramento. A Vietnam era veteran. Maintains the feet of the hoofed animals at the San Francisco Zoo.

Awarded numerous honors for both his skill as a farrier and as an educator, including his induction, in 2010, into the International Horseshoeing Hall of Fame at the Kentucky Derby Museum in Louisville, KY. Bob has also authored many articles published in leading equine magazines such as Practical Horseman and Dressage Today. Bob is the author of the International Farrier’s Association’s Foundation Credential Manual, the Hunter/Jumper Manual and the Dressage Manual.

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Tiffany Gardner, CJF, APF-I

Instructor

Tiffany Gardner brings a broad depth of understanding and application to Pacific Coast Horseshoeing School. She is both a capable horsewoman and a professional farrier. Her passion is providing students opportunities to grow and excel. She meets each student where they are in their farrier journey and pushes them towards excellence. Tiffany attended Pacific Coast Horseshoeing School as a student and began her full time farrier practice in the Dallas, Texas area. While in Texas, Tiffany became well recognized by veterinarians, trainers and owners as not possessing exceptional skills but for her creative and innovative ideas for helping horses. Tiffany now joins the PCHS team to give back to the industry she loves. Tiffany has ridden and competed on four different continents in dressage, hunters, jumpers, eventing and working equitation. She is the author of several published articles on shoeing and riding. Tiffany Gardner is a wonderful addition to an excellent teaching staff at Pacific Coast Horseshoeing School.

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Jonathan Lambert, APF-1

Instructor

Jonathan passion for horses started at age fourteen when his family acquired their first horse. His time around horses began by riding cutting horses for fun but it soon became a lifestyle. By the time he was in his twenties, Jonathan was breaking colts and roping at brandings. He has a way with horses, he patient and thoughtful. He has always enjoyed being around horses but in 2005 he kickstarted his farrier career by attending Pacific Coast Horseshoeing School. As well as enjoying the horse side when attending the school, he discovered his love of forging. He has since spent the past several years expanding his knowledge of forging and metal craft. Today, Jonathan is dedicated to teaching forging skills at the school and forging at home in his blacksmith shop. He also takes time at the jeweler’s bench, engraving and creating unique jewelry. Jonathan prides himself on giving each student the time and attention they deserve. Jonathan cares about the tools of the trade and he specializes in hand making farrier tools.

See Jonathan's Work

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Amber Madden, CF, IAPF-1

Instructor

Amber is a local professional farrier. She was introduced to horses as a child and started riding lessons with the goal of competing in rodeos. Amber was sixteen years old when she earned the title of the Bill Pickett Invitational Rodeo's Rookie Cowgirl. She also competed in high school rodeos, barrel races, and rodeos across the United States.

Amber graduated PCHS in 2010 and maintained a shoeing practice while attending California State University, Sacramento and earned a Bachelor's Degree in Biology. She has maintained a full-time farrier practice since graduation.

As a professional farrier Amber is active in the local farrier community, participating in clinics, contests, and certifications; all for the purpose of providing better service to her clients and to share these experiences with students. She is an active member in the IAPF, AFA, WSFA, WCB.

Pacific Coast Horseshoeing School is honored to have Amber as member of our professional teaching staff.

Pacific Coast Horseshoeing School is a purpose built institution. Careful thought was put into designing a facility which best serves students and their education. The forge area is designed to accommodate both horses and space for each student to have his or her own dedicated space including an anvil, forge and tools. The classroom is climate controlled and is equipped with modern audio visual technology for multi-formatted learning.

Dormitories are available. The dormitory offers 1500 square feet of common area (Kitchen, Dining and Lounging areas). For entertainment we provide cable TV, video games, a pool table and free Wi-Fi. To ensure your comfort dorms have central heat and air. The kitchen is furnished with all utensils and appliances to allow students to save money by purchasing food and preparing their own meals.

Pacific Coast Horseshoeing School is centrally located in Northern California, in the town of Plymouth which is in Amador County. The California weather is condusive to horseshoeing year round. Summers are dry rather than humid, and winters are typically mild with no snow. The school's convenient location provides students with a diverse range of activities for their leisure time:

  • Lake Tahoe and the rugged Sierra Mountains: 75 Miles
  • The shows and excitement of Reno, Nevada: 90 miles
  • Sacramento, Californias Capital: 30 minute drive. Sacramento is full of first class restaurants, cultural and other activities which many students visit while staying at the school.
  • Downtown Plymouth (grocery store, gas stations, major banks, restaurants and wineries (nearby): 4 miles from the school.
  • Other: Within 20 minutes from the school there are movie theaters, fast food restaurants, major banks, Wal-Mart, Target and any other convince you may need.
  • Founder and Vice President/Spokesperson for the American Farrier's Education Council
  • Chairman of the American Farrier's Association's Education Committee.
  • Top twelve vocational schools in California, California State Department of Consumer Affairs, Bureau for Private Post Secondary and Vocational Education.
  • Outstanding Educator, American Farrier's Association's.
  • Outstanding Farrier Education and Honorary Lifetime Membership, Nevada's Professional Farrier's Association
  • Outstanding Farrier Education, Washington State Farrier's Association
  • Outstanding Farrier Education,Western States Farrier's Association
  • Journalism Award, American Farrier's Association