Cert in Farrier Science is a certificate in Animal Science programme taught at Olds College in Olds, Canada. The programme runs for 1 year. Tuition for international students is CAD 8,450 per semester (CAD 3,075 per semester for local students).
At a glance
Degree:Certificate
Field:Animal Science
Duration: 1 year
Local tuition: CAD 3,075 / semester
International tuition: CAD 8,450 / semester
Information for the 2027/28 academic year · Last reviewed September 2026 ·
Program details
Overview
The Farrier Science Certificate at Olds College is a one-year, on-campus program with a fall intake covering comprehensive farriery and blacksmithing skills. Coursework includes equine anatomy, horse handling, horseshoeing techniques, blacksmithing, welding, and therapeutic farriery theory, with hands-on horseshoeing labs delivered in a fully equipped farrier lab, supplemented by field trips and clinics with specialized farriers and industry representatives at locations such as Camp Chief Hector and Banff Trail Riders. Applicants must complete 50 hours of job shadowing with a farrier before admission, and the college describes the program as physically demanding, requiring strong horse-handling skills and readiness for physical labour. It suits students aiming to work directly with horses in a trade setting, preparing graduates for careers such as trimming and shoeing, specialty and therapeutic or corrective shoeing, and performance horse shoeing, as well as positions with ranches, summer camps, and outfitting guides.
Requirements
Admission Requirements: Admission to the Farrier Science certificate requires 50% or better in English Language Arts 20-2, 50% or better in Math 20-3, and 50% or better in Science 10. Applicants must meet Olds College's English Language Proficiency Requirement, either by three years of formal education taught entirely in English or by an accepted test score: IELTS Academic 6.0 in each band, TOEFL iBT with all bands 4.0 or higher, CAEL Online 60 overall with no band below 50, PTE Academic 55 overall with no skill below 55, Duolingo English Test 110, or Oxford ELLT 6 overall with no band below 5. Applicants must also complete and submit an Applicant Questionnaire demonstrating their experience and knowledge of horses, plus 50 hours of job shadowing with a farrier; demand for the program is strong, so applicants are advised to submit documentation promptly.
Application Details
Start Date:Fall
Application Deadline:Olds College and its programs apply through ApplyAlberta, for both domestic and international applicants, with a $90 application fee either way. The college publishes no single institution-wide closing date: as of September 2026 applications for the current 2026-27 intake year are open, and applications for the 2027-28 intake year (Fall 2027 entry) open 1 October 2026 at 9 a.m., after which seats fill on a rolling, space-available basis up to each program's start date. International applicants follow the identical ApplyAlberta process and are advised to apply four to six months ahead of their intended start to allow for study-permit processing; no separate international closing date is published. This applies equally to competitive-seeming programs such as Veterinary Technology and Farrier Science, which set only an opening date, not a fixed deadline. These are institution-wide dates; this programme publishes no deadline of its own.
