Skip to content
careertips

HomeCoursesAnimal careCertificate IV

Certificate IV · national qualification

Certificate IV in Farriery

This trade qualification trains you to look after horses' feet: trimming hooves, making and fitting shoes, and changing how a shoe is shaped or positioned to alter the way a horse stands and moves.

Compare 4 providers
Illustration of a person working as farrier
How long it takes
3 years
full time at TAFE NSW
What it costs
From $2,770
Subsidised at TAFE NSW, full fee up to $29,521
How you can study
Online or on campus
Main job
Farrier
$65,000 (estimate) median pay, In demand
Taught by
4 providers
NSW, VIC, QLD

Is this course right for you?

What the Certificate IV in Farriery asks of you, and what you might want to check first.

It helps to have

  • an interest in horses and their wellbeing
  • comfort working with your hands and tools
  • a careful approach to handling animals safely
  • willingness to run the business side of the trade

Before you start

There are no entry requirements for this qualification.

Where this course can take you

Jobs this qualification is a recognised route into, and the study that can follow it.

Jobs you can do with it

  • Farrier

    Farriers trim and shoe horses' hooves, keeping the animal sound enough to work, ride or compete.

    What else you need

    This is the trade qualification for farriers and is usually completed as an Australian Apprenticeship, which needs an employer or supervising farrier. Availability varies by state, so check the provider. This catalogue groups awards: verify the chosen provider, programme and intake; the family-level link is not confirmation that every offering is approved.

    Median pay$65,000 (estimate)

    In demand

Pay is the median for everyone in the job, and “In demand” means the job is on the national shortage list. Pay marked as an estimate is our own analysis, not a published figure.

What it costs

Subsidised place

From $2,770

at TAFE NSW. Whether you get a subsidised place depends on your state, residency, age and earlier study.

Paying the full fee

$20,240 to $29,521

across the TAFEs listed below. Private providers set their own fees.

  • TAFE NSWNSW

    Subsidised
    $2,770
    Concession
    $240
    Full fee
    $20,240
    How long
    3 years

  • GOTAFEVIC

    Full fee
    $29,521

Fees as each TAFE shows them on its website, read 20 September 2026. Private providers set their own fees.

Where you can study this course

There are 4 places you can study this course. When you compare them, check they teach it the way you want to study, how far you'd be from a campus, what it will cost you and what past students say about the teaching and support. They're listed by how often people search for them, and none of them pays to be here or to move up.

What you’ll learn

The main topics covered in the Certificate IV in Farriery.

  • Trimming equine hooves
  • Making and fitting horseshoes
  • Shoeing for lameness and defects
  • Equine anatomy and biomechanics
  • Forge work and welding
  • Running a farriery business
See all 21 core units

Core units

Everyone completes these. Select a unit to see what it covers.

  • Loading the details for ACMFAR305…

Questions to ask before you enrol

Providers run this course differently, so the answers change from one to the next.

  1. When is the next intake, and how many are there each year?
  2. What is the total cost, including materials, checks and any placement costs?
  3. Can I study part time or online, and how does that change the length?
  4. Do the units count towards a higher qualification if I go on to study further?

Questions people ask

Who is this qualification for?

It prepares you for a trade in farriery: trimming hooves, making and fitting shoes, and shaping shoes to change how a horse stands and moves. It covers equine anatomy, biomechanics and hoof pathology, plus the business side for self-employed farriers, who work autonomously and take responsibility for their own outputs.

Do I need experience or other qualifications first?

There are no entry requirements for this qualification, so no prior horse experience is assumed. Individual providers can set their own conditions, so check with the provider you choose.

Related courses

The national training register, training.gov.au. TAFE course pages, read 20 September 2026. Google reviews. Pay and shortage status from Jobs and Skills Australia.