About Us

Farriers of the west

The Wyoming School of Horseshoeing

Dean of Institution

 Dan Thiel

Dan Thiel is the Dean of Wyoming School of Horseshoeing. Dan is the founder of The Wyoming School of Horseshoeing. He has been a farrier for over 27 years. Dan apprenticed under Mel Z in 1995. Since then, he has been a successful ranch owner and maintains his own horses. His extensive experience allows him to lead this school and its students to success in the farrier business. 

AFA Certified Instructor

Lonnie Falk

Lonnie leads his classroom with patience and first-hand knowledge that goes above and beyond. Lonnie is able to work with students that enter our school with zero knowledge of horses, to students that have advance skillsets, and he strives for every student to meet individual goals to allow them to be independently successful. He has knowledge of management through the ownership of his privately owned farrier business. Lonnie Falk has been an instructor with the Wyoming School of Horseshoeing since 2019. Lonnie has successfully graduated 98% of his students in all accumulated years. Lonnie has proven to be successful in direct instruction to include basic safety, basics of equine foot care to advance treatment and even medical applications and his knowledge of equine anatomy and physiology, conformation, behavior, identification and safe use of farrier tools and equipment. Lonnie leads his classroom with safety, book studies and extensive hands on training which builds the foundation of a successful farrier. Lonnie’s instruction will also include trimming of feet to encourage natural movement, measurement, and selection of the proper shoes, hot shoeing, cold shoeing, forging and shaping shoes to fit and attaching them with nails, providing solutions for lame animals and preventing further injury and correcting misshapen feet. Lonnie strives to continuously create a positive classroom environment the replicates environmental factors of working in the farrier field and focuses on the learning and educational growth of the students. Lonnie has dedicated himself to his family and students to create a long-lasting legacy for future farriers.

 15 years’ experience

 Ranch hand experience 20+ years

 AFA CERTIFIED

 Successfully built a 500 clientele separate from his own farrier practice.

Lonnie's Statement:
"For the past several years, I have focused solely on my progression on teaching techniques that pushed me to discover the most influential and effective forms of teaching that leave lasting results. In addition to being an instructor, being a Farrier is in my blood, and whenever I encounter a new field or area that interests me, I explore it to its roots."

Instructor

E.B Armstrong Jr.

"Chip"

Chip has over a decade of experience and runs his own business in Castle Rock! Chip has been a member of the American Farriers Association, as well as the Rocky Mountain Farriers Association. Chip is a certified Farrier with the American Farriers Association. 

Chip successfully attended Mesa Technical College and the Farrier Science Program. After completing farrier training Chip then did an apprenticeship with Dave Showden. After two and half year apprenticeship, Chip ventured out and built his own farrier business and developing several different specialties and disciplines of shoeing. Greatest attribute in career development is in therapeutic application. Belief in hands on, and perfection through practice and repetition. Chip has a drive to teach this discipline, making a difference to all the students that will create better farriers for all horse owners.

“I have a passion to pass along my knowledge and skill through tutoring to aspiring farriers and horse handlers”

-Chip-

Building farriers and making legacies of the west