Ditched by my farrier!

[KP nut]

Couldn't shoe while horses were in isolation. Now his lists are full. He said he did not know why I had 'dropped out of sight' so he thought I'd found someone else and has dropped me as a client. God I thought the whole world knew. Arrrrgggghhh. No-one else is taking on new clients. There is a serious lack of farriery locally. It's a nightmare. I honestly don;t know what to do. What can you do if you can't find a farrier and your horses have 1 shoe on each? Pull them off and hope for the best? Max and Amber arrived shod. No idea how they would cope unshod.

 

[Skib]

If you have been a good customer for years, surely you can be diplomatic and negotiate a renewal of the service? First by talking to the farrier. Or if that fails initially getting one of his cutomers to speak for you? All good farriers tend to be busy - sop you may need some patience. But even I with no horse know the farriers round here.

 

[KP nut]

I think he is really struggling. The conversation started with him being quite abrupt but when I explained my situation he became quite emotional and said he couldn't cope with the pressure of more clients and there was nothing he could do, he was too overwhelmed. So I obviously need to back off and leave him be.

 

[KP nut]

Hurrah I have found a new farrier thanks to a friend who uses him. He is having to come a long way so he may not keep me as a client but he will help me out as a one off. Which gives me some time to get on another more local farrier's list. Phew.

 

[KP nut]

I will send a polite no pressure text to my old farrier and say that if space does come up again for him, then I appreciated his skill and reliability so would love him to take me back on again! We will see.

 

[Lissie]

@KP nut as I used to be around your area what farrier was it? I could suggest others, I know two avoid too! Feel free to PM.

 

[Trewsers]

Gosh nightmare isn't it?! Hope it works out and you can either use this one that is coming from afar or go back on old ones list. I remember when we moved our horses off a yard it was a worry because nobody seemed to want to come out to just do two in the middle of nowhere and I had to pay extra and be very persuasive. Thankfully here all my neighbours have ponies too and it's been an easy thing to sort - farrier lady comes to do us all in one go which is fab.

 

[chunky monkey]

I got ditched many moons ago by mine. It was curtisy of one of the other liveries upsetting him. He wouldn't come to the yard to do mine as I had brought the horse from the person who upset him not long before. He thought I was good friends with them so on principle wouldn't do mine. He wouldn't even return my calls. He left me high and dry when my horse had suffered a fracture and needed attention. Fortunately I found someone fairly quick when I realised he didn't want my business.

 

[Flipo's Mum]

At least you have more than one horse to make it worth their while coming, I tend to think they don't bother when it's just one. But on the other hand if you just had one then they might squeeze you in. Can't win!! But agree, Farriers are difficult to come by all over the country. Tough job and I wouldn't want it!

 

[Jessey]

That's pants, hopefully the new one can get you out of trouble and the old one can jiggle things about and fit you in again after.

My farrier thought I had ditched him I found out recently, In June he told me to trim Jess every 4 days and just call him when I needed him, when I called in Oct he didn't fit me in for over a month and he was being very stand-off-ish, I booked him again a couple of weeks ago and again he was funny, found out while he was there that he was under the impression I had 'taken over' and no longer required his services, I explained I just do maintenance but still need his skill for the 'proper' work, hopefully he settles down again now

 

[KP nut]

Sensitive souls aren't they! I think someone needs to set up a company that offers farriery. Farriers get paid to join and get paid a retainer, but they HAVE to cover a rota so they can go out at short notice. So if you ring the company they guarantee to find you a farrier to come out to you within 48 hours. You'd have to pay more for that, but it seems a problem EVERYWHERE.

I guess a bit like a vet. You get paired with a farrier when you sign up so you build up a relationship and (s)he gets to know your horse. And you can change farrier anytime with no hassle. (Just like with vets). But any other farrier on duty can come out when you need something immediately eg horse loses a shoe day before a comp.

 

[Jessey]

Oo now there's a money making idea, and they could do area discount days like vets too!

 

[KP nut]

Anyone with spare time on their hands!! Could make a fortune! Works with cleaners, plumbers, vets, tyre fitters. Why not farriers?

 

[Jessey]

I am tempted, I wonder if you cold sell it to farriers as a management tool.....?

 

[Lollykay]

That idea would never fly in the United States and it's better that way.

Farrier's quit on horse owners for a variety of reasons.

1. Mine left after 4-1/2 years because they got P.O.'d when the vet ordered my foundered horse to his clinic every five weeks for shoeing by his farrier. They (brothers who work together) could have still done my other horse. I am not out of their way, but they chose to get all up on themselves and quit without notice.

Under your suggested method they could have been forced to come back. In times past, I have experienced first hand what a "vengeance trim" can do.

I would put my foot down to your proposed method and lobby against it, if it came to that.

2. There are many owners who refuse to work with their horses to keep them mannerly for the professions whose service they pay for.

I have yet to talk to an established farrier with an above average rating, who gets excited about trimming an unruly horse that likely will try to kick them. Good farrier's don't have to come back and put up with a horse like that, and they shouldn't have to.

If the horse is difficult about picking up any one or all of its hooves, it is the owners responsibility to fix that problem.

Sometimes it is a pain issue. Sometimes it is a behavior issue.

Regardless. The owner needs to get some dirt under their fingernails and fix the horse for the farrier.

3. You are essentially wanting to form a union for farrier's by insisting that everyone carrying a set of kippers and a rasp must join. It is good for farrier's to go to school and become certified but forcing them into a "pool" is just wrong on so many levels.

3.1. As an aside, one of the advantages I have, is that I have trimmed my own horses off/on for a lifetime and can always keep them tidied up in an emergency. Horse owners that are physically capable should learn to do a little trimming, and how to pull shoes in an emergency.

4. Farrier's might also quit because the owner isn't doing their part to maintain the hooves between farrier visits. Such as pick the hooves or watch for and treat thrush if it develops.

 

[KP nut]

I think you have misunderstood. No-one would be forced to do anything. This is a straightforward business proposal to create a brokering service for farriers to improve reliability. Brokering services can work very well in all sorts of sectors. Why not farriery. No farrier would have to join. No individual would have to sign up. People happy with their existing arrangements would obviously not be interested. And there could easily be either surcharges for challenging horses or exclusions. In fact brokering services should be good at matching a client need (young horse/ remedial shoeing needed etc) with the skill set or interests of a particular farrier.

 

[Mary Poppins]

I think farriers are a different breed of people sometimes. Mine can be difficult to get hold of and will never come at the allotted time. But then face to face I am nice as pie to him as he does a good job of my horses feet.

 

[KP nut]

I think farriers are a different breed of people sometimes. Mine can be difficult to get hold of and will never come at the allotted time. But then face to face I am nice as pie to him as he does a good job of my horses feet.

This is the story everywhere. One of our local farriers literally is HOURS late at times. He is still full. They have us over a barrel! I guess the reason no-one has ever tried to set up farrier brokering is that farriers don't need to!!

 

[Star the Fell]

my Farrier is great!
Book in the next visit in advance and if I text him the day before he lets me know what time he will be there. Will try to accommodate us full time workers by booking us in early morning or late afternoon.
Will come out to regular customers on a weekend if their horse throws a shoe.
Great character and has us in stitches every time he comes!!

 

[Jessey]

That idea would never fly in the United States and it's better that way.

Farrier's quit on horse owners for a variety of reasons.

1. Mine left after 4-1/2 years because they got P.O.'d when the vet ordered my foundered horse to his clinic every five weeks for shoeing by his farrier. They (brothers who work together) could have still done my other horse. I am not out of their way, but they chose to get all up on themselves and quit without notice.

Under your suggested method they could have been forced to come back. In times past, I have experienced first hand what a "vengeance trim" can do.

I would put my foot down to your proposed method and lobby against it, if it came to that.

2. There are many owners who refuse to work with their horses to keep them mannerly for the professions whose service they pay for.

I have yet to talk to an established farrier with an above average rating, who gets excited about trimming an unruly horse that likely will try to kick them. Good farrier's don't have to come back and put up with a horse like that, and they shouldn't have to.

If the horse is difficult about picking up any one or all of its hooves, it is the owners responsibility to fix that problem.

Sometimes it is a pain issue. Sometimes it is a behavior issue.

Regardless. The owner needs to get some dirt under their fingernails and fix the horse for the farrier.

3. You are essentially wanting to form a union for farrier's by insisting that everyone carrying a set of kippers and a rasp must join. It is good for farrier's to go to school and become certified but forcing them into a "pool" is just wrong on so many levels.

3.1. As an aside, one of the advantages I have, is that I have trimmed my own horses off/on for a lifetime and can always keep them tidied up in an emergency. Horse owners that are physically capable should learn to do a little trimming, and how to pull shoes in an emergency.

4. Farrier's might also quit because the owner isn't doing their part to maintain the hooves between farrier visits. Such as pick the hooves or watch for and treat thrush if it develops.

Its a bit different in the UK, a farrier has to go to school, do an internship and earn a degree to be called a farrier and they have to undergo ongoing education though their career and remain registered to practice as one so a 'vengeance trim' would likely see them struck from their professional body. Legally in the UK only a registered farrier can prepare a foot for a shoe and apply a shoe so that would force them to work illegally or just become a trimmer or do another job.
The suggestion was to operate like a vet practice, where they employ or contract multiple people who are able to do the same job. Even with a vet practice here a particular vet can refuse to deal with a person/horse or a client refuse to have a specific vet whilst still using the practice to provide an overall service.