When Jake Moore left school he knew that an office job wasn’t for him.
The young Campbelltown resident, pictured, jumped straight into horticulture just to be in an outdoors job.
But he discovered just being outside wasn’t enough and eventually he decided to become a farrier.
“Growing up some of my fondest memories was being around horses, so I decided to follow my interest and become a farrier, which is the perfect job for me,’’ says Jake, who is currently studying the Certificate III in Farriery at TAFE NSW.
A farrier is a specialist in equine hoof care and combines skills traditionally associated with blacksmiths, with veterinarian related skills in equine anatomy.
A farrier’s work includes the trimming of hooves to balance the horse, improving their performance, and the application of various types of shoes.
Jake says the trade involves a specific skill set that involves much more than ensuring a horse is sound and happy.
“It’s critical for a farrier to be able to share ‘why’ of the work with horse owners; this is where communication and people skills come in,’’ he says.
“Owners value their horses a lot, so they need to trust you are giving them the best care possible.”
TAFE NSW head teacher of horse industry studies, Karlene Triffitt, said equine industry expert teachers ensure students gain the confidence and skills to relaunch their career as a qualified farrier, with many going on to start their own business.
“We know that the industry needs qualified farriers who understand animal welfare, anatomy, can perform corrective shoeing and shoe horses across a range of disciplines,’’ says Ms Triffitt.
“The horse industry is high risk and workplace health and safety training is a must for horse and human. We ensure that our students are equipped with these skills.
“TAFE NSW students have access to industry standard equine learning facilities and a large farrier workshop equipped with gas and fire forges.
“TAFE NSW also prepares our future farriers to succeed in business; many of our graduates are self-employed and make a good living caring for equines podiatry needs.’’
With close to 26 percent of horse training activity in NSW occurring in Western Sydney, a course at TAFE NSW Richmond is equipping students with the specialist skills they need to pursue employment in a $3 billion state wide industry.
Considering all horses need regular hoof care, and with Australia having the second largest thoroughbred breeding industry in the world, there is growing demand for people with specialist equine qualifications.
For more information about the range of horse industry courses available at TAFE NSW for enrolment in Semester 2, visit www.tafensw.edu.au or phone 131 601.
