In the case of N. America, no and yes. If you' ve never handled horses, or packed animals, you get some good experience in guide school. But, be careful the school isn' t a cheap labor scheme. Many of them are. The outfitter runs a so-called " school" , and his students end up as unpaid, even paying employees, stretching wire, rebuilding buck fences, hauling hay, cutting wood, camp jacking. Make sure you aren' t given work details while you are in " school" . Then, make sure you get hands on mountain time. A chance to test your packing, your navigation, your trail sense. Shoeing is a important skill. Any good school should include hands on experience in hoof care and shoeing. Many schools concentrate on the sexy skills, and omit the useful ones. Any green guide that can shoe properly is worth more to an outfitter than a green guide that can cut wood, string wire, and buck hay bales.