Sheridan College Reboots Farrier Program and Names New Instructor

Sheridan College’s farrier science program is back in session with Buffalo, Wyo., farrier Quint Gonzales as the new farrier instructor. The program was previously not available for a few years after the former instructor Steve Stephenson retired. When Powell, Wyo., Northwest College’s farrier professor also retired, the last local farrier courses went away, too.

“A lot of us were bummed out to see the program go,” Gonzales told American Farriers Journal.

In November 2018, official plans to restart the farrier program at the Sheridan, Wyo., campus for the spring were put into motion. Mae Smith, the head of the agricultural department at Sheridan College, began seeking candidates to teach the farrier science courses. A few farriers, including Gonzales, applied for the farrier position. On Jan. 21, 2019, Gonzales began teaching two of the three farrier science courses, the Introduction to Farriery course and the Practical Farrier Science course.

“I’m excited to take it over, but a little nervous,” Gonzales says. “Steve Stephenson was my mentor, so these are big shoes to fill.”

Controversy Erupts Over Plan to Eliminate Farrier Program

After more than 4 decades of training and educating hoof-care students in the Pacific Northwest, Walla Walla Community College is eliminating its Farrier Science Program, and the decision is not sitting well with students, the community and a faculty member.

The program, which began during the 1974-75 academic year, can no longer support itself, says Douglas L. Bayne, vice president…