Rory Potter's Farrier School Fund
Donation protected
Hi, my name is Rory Potter, and I'm a senior at Kohler High School in the class of 2021. My ideals lie in the well-being of the environment and the animals within it, but my passion is with horses. I've been riding horses since I was around seven years old with my discipline being eventing. My goal is to make my horse as happy and comfortable as she can possibly be, and I would love to be able to help care for all equines' well-being in the form of farriery.
About 11 years ago I started to take riding lessons at Pine Rock Stables, and while there, Greg Fredericks was the go to farrier for the barn. My friends and I were always fascinated by the trimmings and horseshoes, and we would get old horseshoes Greg had laying around during some of those visits. He would often tell us stories about some of the horses he worked on, one that he had an especially difficult time making comfortable and sound, or about a special type of shoe that he had to make, and I always found it all so interesting. After a few years of having Greg take care of our horses, he even promised to teach me the trade down the road and even gave me a pair of his old farrier chaps (to which I, of course, used to dress up as him for Halloween for two years in a row).
Years later, when I was boarding at Skyline Equestrian Center, I had the opportunity to go with a trainer down to the University of Madison Veterinary School, and while I was there I had the opportunity to see some interesting x-rays of a horse's hoof. The horse was having some sort of issue and they had to make a very unique, custom shoe for him. That was a very cool process to see!
Now, in my senior year of high school, I was stressing about what in the world I was going to do once I graduate. I went through countless ideas, and none of them seemed right for me. Then I remembered how much I enjoyed farrier visits as a kid (and still do) and how I wanted to be a farrier when I grew up. I also thought about how rewarding it would be to help equines stay sound and keep good healthy hooves. So I did my research and reached out to a few farrier friends, and decided that this will be the perfect career choice for me to pursue. During our last visit from our current farrier, Jamie Behnke, I was fortunate enough to have the opportunity to trim one of my own horse's hooves! So I strapped on my old farrier chaps and she taught me how to go about my first trim! This past week I was able to try my hand at rasping our mini's hooves as well! We also had a great discussion about what the job entailes as well and she gave me a lot of helpful advice. In the end, my love of horses will make even the hardest days worth it, and while it will be a tough start (and I'm told I'll get to become very good friends with a chiropractor) I'm really looking forward to the journey ahead!
I am hoping to enroll in either the Kentucky Horseshoeing School in Kentucky or the Heartland Horseshoeing School in Missouri, both came highly recommended and are very reputable. Ideally, I'd love to be able to attend the either the 36 week program, as that provides the most experience, or the 24 week program, however, it's going to be based on whatever is financially feasible. We've already applied for all available grants and student loans but the cost and duration of these programs largely fall outside of the standards for what's available. Basically, it's a bigger chuck if money in a shorter period of time, which has us in a bit of pickle!
My goal is to be one of the most skilled, compassionate, and reliable farriers in my area, but to do this, and really come out as an asset to the farrier industry, I really need to be able to attend the most thorough, extensive horseshoing school possible. I've also reached out to other well respected farriers about doing some apprenticeships upon graduation from a farrier school, to continue to learn with greater on the job training as I fully realize how much more can be learned from watching a variety of different techniques and the random scenarios that require more out of the box, critical thinking.
As I mentioned above, we have applied for multiple scholarships and grants, but even if any of those were to be approved it will only make a small dent in the cost of tuition. While I'm unable to work outside of the home during the school year, I will be working as many hours as I can find upon graduating from High School to try and build up a school fund. That being said, I'm really eager to get to Farrier School, learn all that I can, and be able to come home and start this next phase of my life.
If there is any one out there that could help me and my family to afford farrier schooling so I can begin my journey in an honorable trade, we would be so very grateful! My goal would be to raise $25k for the 36 week program, but in the end, it will come down to what we are able to achieve through all of our means. Every little bit counts! Thank you so very much for your consideration :)
About 11 years ago I started to take riding lessons at Pine Rock Stables, and while there, Greg Fredericks was the go to farrier for the barn. My friends and I were always fascinated by the trimmings and horseshoes, and we would get old horseshoes Greg had laying around during some of those visits. He would often tell us stories about some of the horses he worked on, one that he had an especially difficult time making comfortable and sound, or about a special type of shoe that he had to make, and I always found it all so interesting. After a few years of having Greg take care of our horses, he even promised to teach me the trade down the road and even gave me a pair of his old farrier chaps (to which I, of course, used to dress up as him for Halloween for two years in a row).
Years later, when I was boarding at Skyline Equestrian Center, I had the opportunity to go with a trainer down to the University of Madison Veterinary School, and while I was there I had the opportunity to see some interesting x-rays of a horse's hoof. The horse was having some sort of issue and they had to make a very unique, custom shoe for him. That was a very cool process to see!
Now, in my senior year of high school, I was stressing about what in the world I was going to do once I graduate. I went through countless ideas, and none of them seemed right for me. Then I remembered how much I enjoyed farrier visits as a kid (and still do) and how I wanted to be a farrier when I grew up. I also thought about how rewarding it would be to help equines stay sound and keep good healthy hooves. So I did my research and reached out to a few farrier friends, and decided that this will be the perfect career choice for me to pursue. During our last visit from our current farrier, Jamie Behnke, I was fortunate enough to have the opportunity to trim one of my own horse's hooves! So I strapped on my old farrier chaps and she taught me how to go about my first trim! This past week I was able to try my hand at rasping our mini's hooves as well! We also had a great discussion about what the job entailes as well and she gave me a lot of helpful advice. In the end, my love of horses will make even the hardest days worth it, and while it will be a tough start (and I'm told I'll get to become very good friends with a chiropractor) I'm really looking forward to the journey ahead!
I am hoping to enroll in either the Kentucky Horseshoeing School in Kentucky or the Heartland Horseshoeing School in Missouri, both came highly recommended and are very reputable. Ideally, I'd love to be able to attend the either the 36 week program, as that provides the most experience, or the 24 week program, however, it's going to be based on whatever is financially feasible. We've already applied for all available grants and student loans but the cost and duration of these programs largely fall outside of the standards for what's available. Basically, it's a bigger chuck if money in a shorter period of time, which has us in a bit of pickle!
My goal is to be one of the most skilled, compassionate, and reliable farriers in my area, but to do this, and really come out as an asset to the farrier industry, I really need to be able to attend the most thorough, extensive horseshoing school possible. I've also reached out to other well respected farriers about doing some apprenticeships upon graduation from a farrier school, to continue to learn with greater on the job training as I fully realize how much more can be learned from watching a variety of different techniques and the random scenarios that require more out of the box, critical thinking.
As I mentioned above, we have applied for multiple scholarships and grants, but even if any of those were to be approved it will only make a small dent in the cost of tuition. While I'm unable to work outside of the home during the school year, I will be working as many hours as I can find upon graduating from High School to try and build up a school fund. That being said, I'm really eager to get to Farrier School, learn all that I can, and be able to come home and start this next phase of my life.
If there is any one out there that could help me and my family to afford farrier schooling so I can begin my journey in an honorable trade, we would be so very grateful! My goal would be to raise $25k for the 36 week program, but in the end, it will come down to what we are able to achieve through all of our means. Every little bit counts! Thank you so very much for your consideration :)
Organizer and beneficiary
Rory Potter
Organizer
Cleveland, WI
Michelle Potter
Beneficiary