Farrier Program
The College of Veterinary Medicine is proud to offer two options in the Farrier Program: the General Farrier Short Program and the Advanced Farrier Program. Three program sessions are offered each year, typically starting the first week of January, the last week of April and the last week of August (dates may vary based on scheduling logistics). Due to the retirement in December 2025 of Steve Kraus, the previous Head Farrier, all upcoming sessions are currently paused/not offered. Please continue to visit this website for more updates as they become available.
The program is housed in the Equine Hospital of the Cornell University Hospital for Animals. Participants will experience daily interaction with veterinarians and the resident Farrier Program working on in-patient lameness cases. Horses are also referred directly to the Farrier Shop from outside veterinarians for the application of special shoes. Both programs are taught by Cornell's resident Head Farrier, Steve Kraus. The program also provides an excellent instructor-student ratio of 1:4, allowing for close individual instruction.
Back in the days when everyone needed a horse, Cornell's first Farrier Program, Henry Asmus, was a high-ranking member of the faculty. The State of New York built an entire building for his program, which was started in 1913 and soon recognized as a premier training course. The building still stands on Garden Avenue, the leftmost of the three brick buildings lined up to the right of Barton Hall, and is now occupied by the School of Industrial and Labor Relations.
The Douglas J. Pokorney Scholarship Fund
In memory of Doug Pokorney, an endowed fund to benefit participants in the General Farrier Program has been established, providing full tuition for one student available during the fall program session only.
Doug’s wife Denise is making it possible for more people to be Cornell-trained farriers through the generosity of the Douglas J. Pokorney Scholarship Fund. Doug proudly served in the US Navy as a Boilerman on the Charles H. Roan from November 30, 1961 until the time of his Honorable Discharge on March 29, 1966. After serving in the U.S. Navy, Doug shod horses for over 40 years specializing in Morgan and Arabian Show horses. During his life, Doug developed many lasting friendships due to his horsemanship, integrity and old-fashioned values. He was an avid hunter and outdoorsman and was a member of the American Farrier’s Association, Ducks Unlimited and the Turkey Federation. Doug passed away in 2009. He will be forever remembered through this scholarship.