February 1, 2019 – Courtesy of Sheila Hagar with Union Bulletin
They say horseshoes bring good luck, but Jeff Engler has to wonder.
Engler has worked in the Walla Walla Community College farrier science program as lead instructor for 21 years. He recently learned the college intends to shut the horseshoeing program down in June, eliminating the only one of its caliber in the Western United States, Engler said.
WWCC spokesman Doug Bayne confirmed the plan Thursday, saying the two-year farrier program has failed to attract enough students to keep it viable.
This year three people will graduate from it, out of a total of eight enrolled students, Bayne said.
According to a letter sent to the farrier science advisory board this week, the two-year course has been struggling with enrollment and other issues for many years.
Farrier science at Walla Walla Community College, in place 42 years, prepares students to work on most types of horses. The course includes a focus on horse anatomy, disease, leg and hoof lameness and therapeutic measures. Graduates of the farrier program are prepared to improve or correct faulty gaits, treat feet disorders and relieve pain to an injured leg or hoof, according to the college.
Students practice on local horses with private owners, gaining knowledge of running a farrier business.
Yet the program has been “dramatically under-enrolled,” Bayne said, and the school has looked at solving the problem from a few angles. Click to continue reading.