Cost of new shoes vs refits

[Belmont]

The cost for a full set is £110. Six weeks later, the farrier removes the shoe, trims, then refits the same shoes and charges £105.
Does a set of shoes really only cost a fiver? I'm trying to work out if the charges are fair, as surely I pay for the shoes in the first shoeing. For a refit, surely I should just be paying the farrier's labour?
Very happy with my farrier but just something I wondered!

 

[meleeka]

I don’t know about £5 but shoes themselves aren’t expensive. It’s the labour/travelling/knowledge that makes up the cost.

Eta - A very quick google shows

News_Article 40 | MNC Horseshoes

VEP - Tradition has evolved

www.horseshoes.co.uk

 

[9tails]

Mine makes no adjustment to the price for refits, but he doesn't charge £110. They're not expensive in the first place.

 

[ycbm]

The cost for a full set is £110. Six weeks later, the farrier removes the shoe, trims, then refits the same shoes and charges £105.
Does a set of shoes really only cost a fiver? I'm trying to work out if the charges are fair, as surely I pay for the shoes in the first shoeing. For a refit, surely I should just be paying the farrier's labour?
Very happy with my farrier but just something I wondered!

Shoes don't cost much and it's also more difficult and more work to refit shoes that have been taken off than brand new ones.
.

 

[Rowreach]

Ready made shoes are cheap and it's a pain to fit old ones. You're paying for his skill, time, travel, not the shoes.

 

[SilverLinings]

As said above, the shoes have little value, it is the skill and time of the farrier that you are paying for. The farriers in this area only charge £5-£10 less for a refit than new shoes, and I think that is pretty standard.

 

[Carrottom]

I pay the same for refit as new, but I don't pay for the occasional lost shoe.

 

[jules9203]

My farrier only takes off £5 for refits.

 

[Wishfilly]

My current one charges £5 less to refit fronts and do a back trim- he offered, I didn't ask. My previous ones charged the same price, but were also slightly cheaper!

 

[teacups]

I’m paying quite a bit less than £110 for a full set, phew. Which area of the country are you, OP?

 

[AandK]

I'm pretty sure I get charged about £5 less for refits, or there abouts. I pay £90 for a full set, in South East.

 

[Reacher]

Shoes don't cost much and it's also more difficult and more work to refit shoes that have been taken off than brand new ones.
.

Out of curiosity, why is it difficult/ more work to refit shoes when they have already been fitted to your horse’s feet?

I (mostly) don’t shoe put had a set put on on last year (hot shod) as an experiment with studs. They were only on for less than 3 weeks! I had them taken off by the farrier at the event (as I was going on holiday in a couple of days) and he said they were “too good” to throw away and I should keep them for refit. (Shoes haven’t been back on since)

 

[ycbm]

Out of curiosity, why is it difficult/ more work to refit shoes when they have already been fitted to your horse’s feet?

I (mostly) don’t shoe put had a set put on on last year (hot shod) as an experiment with studs. They were only on for less than 3 weeks! I had them taken off by the farrier at the event (as I was going on holiday in a couple of days) and he said they were “too good” to throw away and I should keep them for refit. (Shoes haven’t been back on since)

Because taking them off bends them out of shape and they have to be reshaped. It's quite difficult to make steel which is very slightly not flat back to flat.

Then all the nails have to be removed from them, which adds time to the job.

Then it's harder to work steel which has already been tempered (heated red hot and rapidly cooled, which makes it harder wearing) once before.

All small things but they add up to why it's not much cheaper to refit old shoes.
.

 

[Landcruiser]

Because taking them off bends them out of shape and they have to be reshaped. It's quite difficult to make steel which is very slightly not flat back to flat.

Then all the nails have to be removed from them, which adds time to the job.

Then it's harder to work steel which has already been tempered (heated red hot and rapidly cooled, which makes it harder wearing) once before.

All small things but they add up to why it's not much cheaper to refit old shoes.
.

Just wondering why they do refits then? What's the point? (Academic interest as I haven't used a farrier in over a decade)

 

[ycbm]

Just wondering why they do refits then? What's the point? (Academic interest as I haven't used a farrier in over a decade)

Because nobody likes to see stuff wasted, everybody likes to save a fiver, and even though they go to be melted down that takes a lot of power and we have climate change.

 

[paddy555]

Just wondering why they do refits then? What's the point? (Academic interest as I haven't used a farrier in over a decade)

I don't think climate change comes into it as they were refitted years and years ago. I think it is probably because the owner thinks it will be cheaper as they see an almost new set of shoes on the horse, don't realise shoes are cheap and don't think about the work.

on my farrier supply website a pair of fronts is around £4.8, so just under £10 for a set of 4.

 

[ycbm]

I don't think climate change comes into it as they were refitted years and years ago.

Years ago most of them were hand made by the farrier not machine made and in those days there really was a huge saving in not making a new pair.

As for climate change, I certainly would choose refits in order to save the unnecessary use of electricity to melt down scrap steel and I'll bet I'm not alone there.
.

 

[abbijay]

Years ago most of them were hand made by the farrier not machine made and in those days there really was a huge saving in not making a new pair.

Might explain why, when my horses were shod, I got a decent discount on refits. All our shoes are handmade in the forge because we're too big for off the peg ones.