About

We teach horseshoeing to horse owners, transitioning military and GIs, career changers and farriers who want to broaden their skills and better their business. We’re located near Chadron, Nebraska in the north west corner of the state, near Colorado, Wyoming, South Dakota and Montana.

If you want to visit our facility before enrolling, please let us know. We’ll be happy to show you around! Email jacob@dougbutler.com to set up a time. 

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.

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 GIs.

Butler Professional Farrier School has expert instructors who use a sequential learning system designed by Doug Butler that teaches the how and WHY of each step of horse foot care, offers customized one-on-one instruction, and provides complete training and extensive practice time to master all seven fundamental farrier skills. The Butler Team is committed to teaching serious students to become confident and competent farriers.  Listen to individual interviews where you can get to know each of our instructors from these Farrier Focus Podcasts.

Jacob Butler

CJF, AWCF
Jacob has been shoeing over 25 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 10 years. He is the co-author of The Principles of Horseshoeing (P3) and co-author of Essential Principles of Horseshoeing. He loves all aspects of the Craft and especially enjoys seeing farrier students succeed.

Farrier Focus Podcast interview with Jacob Butler.

Peter Butler

CJF
Peter has been shoeing for over 19 years. He has studied and practices the methods of the masters of horse behavior modification. He helps students feel comfortable around horses and develop their horse skills. Pete has a special interest in blacksmithing. Pete created and illustrated original step-by step processes for the forging section introduced in the Essential Principles of Horseshoeing book.  He continues to create classroom videos to explain complex procedures in an easy-to-understand manner.

Farrier Focus Podcast interview with Pete Butler.

Doug Butler

PhD, FWCF, CJF
Doug is an internationally known farrier, educator and author with over 65 years of practical farrier experience.  Over the years, Doug has trained hundreds of top farriers and farrier educators.  He has written the most widely used horseshoeing textbooks, including The Principles of Horseshoeing (P3). He has shod world champions of almost every breed. He is pleased his sons, Jake and Pete, have a similar dedication to education and superior horse foot care treatment and are carrying on the legacy of excellence in farrier education.

Farrier Focus Podcast interview with Dr. Doug Butler

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.

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, and office.  There are men and women dormitories.

Visit https://chadron-nebraska.com/148/Visitors for more information about off-site housing possibilities.