Oklahoma State Horseshoeing School
LICENSED BY OKLAHOMA BOARD OF PRIVATE SCHOOLS

4802 DOGWOOD ROAD, ARDMORE, OKLAHOMA 73401 USA
800-634-2811, 580-223-0064 or (Fax) 580-223-0729, direct oshs@cableone.net

Thank you for your interest in O.S.H.S. We hope that as you read through our Web Site, you'll see we provide a number of extra services in order to give you the best education possible in the horseshoeing profession.

Since the number of horses in the United States is greater now than in the days they were used for transportation, the art of the good farrier is more in demand than at any time in history.

Personal teaching by qualified instructors is, quite simply, the reason O.S.H.S. is ahead of other schools. Owner-Operator Reggie Kester is Journeyman Certified by the American Farrier's Association; the only school owner in Oklahoma to date to have achieved this certification.

Reggie makes his special knowledge and experience available to his instructors and students. He also runs six classes a year with a maximum of twenty-two students per class. To provide the most intense, yet personable education possible for his students, Reggie concentrates on one class at a time, not adding students continually as the weeks go by.

At O.S.H.S. our main objective is to teach the students basic horseshoeing which includes the study of the horse's foot, shoeing the straight and sound horse, forge work, the need for horseshoers, how to keep records, and how to make a living being a shoer.

O.S.H.S. has a policy in which once a student has graduated, he or she may return for a refresher course at no extra charge to the student. The student may stay for one day or for the entire class.

Reggie & Marcella Kester

Much experience and research have made us realize that a six week course, five days a week, is an ideal time in which to teach all types of normal, corrective and specialized shoeing. The small class size allows additional instruction for the student that may be thinking of specializing in a particular type of horseshoeing.

We put our name and reputation behind each student who leaves the forges at O.S.H.S., so if you truly want a career in which you are the boss and are willing to learn, we want YOU as a student.

Meet Your Instructors...

Regan Kester
The son of Marcella and Reggie Kester, Regan was born into horseshoeing, joining the family business 22 years ago. Regan is certified by the American Farriers Association, he has shod a variety of horses including racing, hunter jumpers, barrel, team roping, halter, Western pleasure and especially enjoys shoeing Arabian horses. He is the official farrier for the Oklahoma Arabian Horse Association. Regan also provides horseshoeing services and specializes in corrective horse shoes. He's also a member of the Oklahoma Farriers Association, has served on the Board of Directors and is the current Treasurer. Regan is a member of the American Farriers Education Council.

With many years experience in the education field, Regan has taken over the responsibility of being the instructor in charge of shoeing, forge and class work. Regan is looking forward to meeting and working with each one of you.

Frank Dice
An OSHS instructor since 1984, Frank also runs his own part-time shoeing business and participates in contests, giving him an all-around professional outlook on the business. Frank retired from the  Army in 1984 and attended school here at OSHS. Frank ia a member of the Oklahoma Farriers Association and certified by the American Farriers Association. Frank's speciality is shoeing barrel horses.

David Goodman
David Goodman grew up on a ranch. He started working with thoroughbreds in 1973, went to horseshoeing school in 1983 and was certified basic. He was certified Journeyman in 1985 by the American Farriers Association. David is left-handed. David has competed on a state level many times. He has served as an OFA officer and on the Board of Directors for many years. With many years of experience in the educational field, David has taken over the responsability of being the instructor in charge of class work. David is looking forward to meeting and working with each one of you.

About The Owner...

Reggie is well known in the United States. He is one of the few school owners that is a horseshoer as well as an instructor, now retired. He feels it is greatly beneficial for the students to receive personal instruction on an every day basis.

Reggie at work.

At this time Reggie is the only Oklahoma school owner that has received the Journeyman certification by the American Farrier's Association, which is the highest certification available in the United States. He serves on the Board of Directors and is a very active member of the Oklahoma Farrier's Association. He is a member of the American Farrier's Association, the Texas Professional Farrier's Association, the Missouri Farrier's Association, the Registry of Professional Farrier's Instructors Association and the Brotherhood of Working Farriers Association.

Reggie feels it is important to advance his knowledge by learning all the modern skills and ideas by attending nationwide horseshoeing conventions, lectures and contests.

He has held numerous clinics at his school and has lectured to several different college groups. He was invited by the United States Navy to instruct a group of Navy personnel in the Philippines.

Reggie believes the most important contribution he has made to the horse world is the variety of special handmade shoes and braces he has fitted to horses during the years. This work has been accomplished in harmony with numerous veterinarians in Texas and Oklahoma.

Reggie is ready to pass this knowledge on to you at Oklahoma State Horseshoeing School.

- 0. S. H. S. is the place to begin.

General Information ...

O.S.H.S.is equipped to accommodate twenty-two students, with three or more instructors, giving each student more than enough personal attention for the best education he or she could receive in the horseshoeing field.

We teach step by step basic horseshoeing, as well as corrective shoeing, because a student must know how to do a good, basic job, using the forge for assistance, before he can expect to do veterinary type and corrective horseshoeing.

Students shoeing

With an abundance of horses to work on, video tapes on corrective shoeing and anatomy, and outside consultants on specific problems, the student will be fully prepared to become a respected, professional farrier.

During your first two days at O.S.H.S., you will see several demonstrations of horseshoeing, do forge work, and watch training videos. Wednesday and Thursday each student will trim feet and nail on shoes, two or three more instructors will be helping during this time, so you will not do anything to a horse without someone there to watch and give instruction. We also have left-handed instructors to help left-handed students.

At O.S.H.S., we do not let students teach students. Our qualified instructors watch and supervise all phases of the students' work.

At O.S.H.S. we prepare our students to be self-employed. We do have classes on how to start your business and clientele. We also have classes on bookkeeping. We do not have a job placement program.

About The School...

The realization of Reggie Kester's dream to establish a school for training farriers, O.S.H.S., was built and began attracting students in March of 1975.

Largely built by Reggie and Marcella's own hard labor, the building covers 7,100 square feet, and includes classrooms, office, forge and shoeing area, welding shop, supply shop and restrooms.

Located in the rolling hills of Southern Oklahoma, O.S.H.S. is surrounded by wooded areas and lakes, and near a lovely suburban residential area.

Each student is provided with a gas burning forge while attending school. The school has a portable shoeing rig, forge and anvil trailer for field experience and training.

The main school building.

Reggie Kester was born on a West Texas horse farm near Odell, Texas. From the beginning, Reggie learned about horse care and basic horseshoeing. While rodeoing during his high school and college years, Reggie kept shoeing his own horses, growing more interested in the art of horseshoeing all the time.

In 1966 he went on to learn more about horseshoeing and forge work in a farrier's school, where he later taught. He also built up a large and exclusive private practice, while traveling a large part of the nation shoeing all different breeds and specializing in cutting, halter, polo, barrel and race horses.

Reggie's widely recognized reputation has also included the fact that his speed at shoeing a horse can be matched by very few farriers. Reggie has passed on all of his knowledge to his instructors so they can teach you the speed techniques that he has developed over the years.

You Will Study During the Course......

Six Week Horseshoeing Course Curriculum...

There will be a total of 300 clock hours of instruction comprised of class time and laboratory experiences with periods from 8:00 a.m to 5:00 p.m. each day, Monday through Friday, for the six week course. Additionally, 60 clock hours of video instruction and forge time is required on Saturdays and evenings to reach proficiency.

• 30 Hours of classroom lectures by staff instructors on anatomy and corrective shoeing.
• 120 Hours of practical horseshoeing - hot and cold - in shoeing classroom.
• 42 Hours of forge work. Learning to make handmade plain and corrective shoes from bar stock. There is also instruction in making specialty tools.
• 48 Hours of horseshoeing in the field (using the portable shoeing rig) away from school.
• 60 Hours of video and forge work.

O.S.H.S. offers an extensive curriculum in the classroom
as well as in the shoeing shop.

One hour lunch break.
Coffee breaks at 10:00 a.m. and 3:00 p.m.
(A clock hour is equivalent to 60 minutes)

Examples of Corrective Shoeing...

Badly damaged wire cut foot.	The same foot trimmed & ready to shoe.	Handmade bar shoe with clips.
Shoe secured to the foot, and ready for acrylic.	Applying dental acrylic.	Quarter crack repaired with dental acrylic.

Examples of Bar Shoes...

Don't stop now!!
There's more information on the next page!!

Return to the Farriers Schools home page.