Aberdeenshire farrier: plea for help

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pulch

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This is my very first time on the forum, and I had planned to introduce myself gently and perhaps talk of my lovely new thoroughbred mare. Instead, I'm afraid I am plunging in with an emergency, and a plea for help.

I recently bought the delightful mare after years away from horses. Everything was going pretty well. Until I ran slap bang into the Farrier Problem. (I see from perusing other posts that this is a bit of a thing.) I grew up in a racing stable, where the farrier came practically every day, so it did not occur to me one might not be available.

I have a small Welsh pony who desperately needs her hooves trimmed. I leave message after message, but the farrier does not call back. Now, the thoroughbred has a loose shoe, and her hoof is starting to crack. So there is double urgency. The internet is fairly useless for this, since farriers don't seem to have websites (and who can blame them, they are busy enough). So I wondered if anyone out there in Horse and Hound land might know of someone in the Deeside area who might be able to help. I am thirty miles from Aberdeen, near Banchory, Ballater and Aboyne.

I do apologise for rushing in like this. I am not yet certain of forum etiquette.

Thank you so much.
 
I had this problem when our usual farrier disappeared off the face of the earth, fortunately we only have trims so a bit more roadwork helped eek it out while whilst I contacted farriers who never called back (I can see their point, on a limb on the edge of town, only 2 ponies for trims, hardly lucrative compared to the more horsey places round here with big vast yards next to each other). In the end I rang the nearest horses' yard to us and found out when her two were being shod and tacked on to that with her farrier.

Are there any other yards nearby you can find out when the farrier is due and take them over or get him to call after visiting them?
 
Dubsie - thank you so much. You are my first ever forum reply, and I am very grateful. The yard idea is brilliant; there is a horse rescue centre just up the road, and they must have the farrier out all the time, and they are incredibly nice and kind. I am going to ring them at once. Thank you again.
 
Two of these ladies cover Aberdeenshire, and they are excellent, can certainly sort out your Welshie in an emergency, and could pull shoes and trim TB to keep her going until a farrier comes. http://www.barefootworks.co.uk/about_us.php

TBH I did exactly the same as you 6 years ago.. assumed farrier who shod my share horse would also shoe for me when I had my own to be done at the same time... couldn't get hold of him for 6 weeks, by which time my new horse had half pulled his shoe off, trod on the clip and had an abscess that then took me months to resolve. He's not been shod since, I won't be held to ransom by anyone like that. (And yes, I also tried in desperation to get three other local farriers to come out :rolleyes:).
 
Dukes vets in Aboyne could also tell you who they use and you could try them. They have quite a few stud horses there so I assume they must use a farrier. Worth a ring , Linda the lady who picks up phone is very helpful.
 
Brightbay - you are an absolutely LIFESAVER. This is everything I need. I knew Horse and Hound would come to the rescue. I really only had the mare shod because she came out of racing and then polo, and was used to having shoes on, and at first she was at a livery where we rode a lot on stony tracks. Now she is moved to my lovely landlord's house, and we ride almost exclusively on grass, so I want to go the barefoot route. I have been doing NH with her, to huge success (she is a brilliant learner and very clever) and, in meeting other natural horsemanship people, heard about the whole barefoot theory. I grew up in a pretty traditional stable, where everything was shoed. So this is all new to me but fascinating, and I cannot thank you enough for your links. That women on Deeside sounds sent from the equine stars.

Sorry to bang on, but am so excited about having a horse after all these years that she is really all I want to talk about.

Thanks again. Tania
 
Have you looked on the Worshipful Company of Farriers web site? You input your post code and it gives you a list of farriers in your area.
 
Ludoctro - that is so kind of you, and a brilliant idea. I feel rather overwhelmed by the kindness and helpfulness of this forum. Only just discovered it and now it is my number one place on the internet. Thank you so much, Tania
 
Horsesforever1 - I actually did find that website. I rang TWENTY-FIVE farriers. Two not taking on new clients; one is working in Glasgow, on the other side of the country from me, and the rest do not answer. I see from other postings and from a little wail I had on Twitter that the farrier problem is a big thing. Since I ride my mare now almost exclusively on grass, I am thinking of going barefoot. Thank you so much for replying; it is very kind of you to take the time. Tania
 
I am close to Aboyne and use Bill Chapman (farrier), altho I think he only took me on as I was on his way home! He does the Balmoral ponies. I still use him altho both are barefoot now. PM me if you want his number, altho it is just an ansaphone.

I have heard good things about Barefootworks and the head lady of it is close to Aboyne area so def worth contacting esp for barefoot transition.

Its def true there is a big shortage of farriers up here, even when you have one a lot of them dont make appts for the next shoeing, you ring up when its due and then they turn up..... sometime :-)) And you cant have a huffy fit with them as out in the sticks there isnt another one to move to.
 
Lachlanandmarcus - I too had Mr Chapman. But I think he must have fled the country; I have left FIVE messages on his machine over the last week and get no reply.

I am very excited about the barefoot idea and have now got in touch with Anni Stonebridge who actually lives in my village. So that feels like a bit of a sign. Just waiting now for her to get back to me. You are so right about the huffiness and the sticks. I am discovering all this the hard way. Oddly, when I came back to horses after years away, the last thing I worried about was the farrier. Now I discover it is the number one thing. For want of a nail the horse was lost, and all that.

Luckily, my girl seems quite unconcerned about her rotten loose shoes, and was doing bronco tricks all round her field this morning, as if she were a two-year-old. It is I who is dying of worry and fret!

Thanks so much for taking the time to reply. Really kind.

Tania
 
Hi, I'm Aberdeenshire

I love my farrier!

Sam Thomson comes up from Glasgow every 2 weeks. He is ultra reliable, ultra good and even came out and shod for me at 10.30pm when horse lost a shoe. Not sure if he's taking on any new clients but has been lifechanging for me. What a nightmare it was!

Hope this helps - you can find him on farrier website. His mum operates the office.
 
Oh he so is. Out to me yesterday but I was at work so just left in Neddy and a cheque and all done. Actually that aside, I've had 4 farriers since I moved to Aberdeenshire and he is the best farrier by a country mile - a horseman too :):):)
 
Another vote for Barefootworks here.

Absolutely bloody brilliant. Never in my 25 years involved with horses have I actually found anyone so reliable and regular.

The farrier I used for a while after moving out the city and further north was bloody useless and I spent TWO YEARS trying to contact a new farrier to come and do mine. (I had two at home at the time who were both only in need of trimming...not worth the time and cost to any farriers it seemed) Farrier I had would never turn up on time, do a utterly **** job (to which I then had to correct myself out of desperation) and once even walloped my gelding with his file because he moved his foot away. My mare was constantly getting foot abscesses she even had two at once several times because of his poor trimming. In one year she had a total of 10 abscesses in all her feet.

Anyway I came across the ladies at BFW about 3 years ago now and my mare has had one abscess since. Never had a missed appointent, never been late, never not called or texted me back. Oh and can bend over to reach the hooves properly because she doesn't have a huge belly or a builders arse crack that I have to be exposed to!!
 
cattysmith said:
Another vote for Barefootworks here.

Absolutely bloody brilliant. Never in my 25 years involved with horses have I actually found anyone so reliable and regular.

The farrier I used for a while after moving out the city and further north was bloody useless and I spent TWO YEARS trying to contact a new farrier to come and do mine. (I had two at home at the time who were both only in need of trimming...not worth the time and cost to any farriers it seemed) Farrier I had would never turn up on time, do a utterly **** job (to which I then had to correct myself out of desperation) and once even walloped my gelding with his file because he moved his foot away. My mare was constantly getting foot abscesses she even had two at once several times because of his poor trimming. In one year she had a total of 10 abscesses in all her feet.

Anyway I came across the ladies at BFW about 3 years ago now and my mare has had one abscess since. Never had a missed appointent, never been late, never not called or texted me back. Oh and can bend over to reach the hooves properly because she doesn't have a huge belly or a builders arse crack that I have to be exposed to!!
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cattysmith you have just decribed the reason why I went barefoot and now do all my own trimming!!!!
Farriers are a nightmare in my experience.
OP - if you ever need moral barefoot support or an emergency trim PM me :) i'm an aberdeenshire lass myself and can preach no end about learning to trim your own horses without the need for a farrier - and do a darn better job of it too! :)
 
pulch said:
Lachlanandmarcus - I too had Mr Chapman. But I think he must have fled the country; I have left FIVE messages on his machine over the last week and get no reply.

I am very excited about the barefoot idea and have now got in touch with Anni Stonebridge who actually lives in my village. So that feels like a bit of a sign. Just waiting now for her to get back to me. You are so right about the huffiness and the sticks. I am discovering all this the hard way. Oddly, when I came back to horses after years away, the last thing I worried about was the farrier. Now I discover it is the number one thing. For want of a nail the horse was lost, and all that.

Luckily, my girl seems quite unconcerned about her rotten loose shoes, and was doing bronco tricks all round her field this morning, as if she were a two-year-old. It is I who is dying of worry and fret!

Thanks so much for taking the time to reply. Really kind.

Tania
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Bill does respond....eventually :-)) trouble is the shortage means he is out all the time doing shoes. but sounds like Anni might be better.
Reckon we must be virtually neighbours if you are near Anni, if you see a middle aged lady on a Haflinger with pink hi viz (hard to miss), come over to say hello!! (we are sometimes with a lady on a black Fell pony mare, pony power rules :-)))
 
I know this is a really old thread.. But just wondered if you are still short on good farriers in Aberdeen?
My partner is a great farrier and we are looking to relocate somewhere that needs his services. He's very reliable, always books in for next appointment and is very passionate about what he does :-)
 
lachlanandmarcus said:
I am close to Aboyne and use Bill Chapman (farrier), altho I think he only took me on as I was on his way home! He does the Balmoral ponies. I still use him altho both are barefoot now. PM me if you want his number, altho it is just an ansaphone.

I have heard good things about Barefootworks and the head lady of it is close to Aboyne area so def worth contacting esp for barefoot transition.

Its def true there is a big shortage of farriers up here, even when you have one a lot of them dont make appts for the next shoeing, you ring up when its due and then they turn up..... sometime :-)) And you cant have a huffy fit with them as out in the sticks there isnt another one to move to.
Click to expand...

Billy still working? I used him ten years ago! I think anyway. There was two Billy's, mine was the older sweeter one who cold shod :)
 
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