Do some farriers have the 'wrong' attitude?

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Dovorian

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Not wishing to launch an attack on amuch appreciated profession but coincidentally, after reading a post about a laminitic horse which had not been shod well I experienced something closer to home. We have a lovely horse kept with us, and an equally lovely owner, poor chap looked a bit lame on Friday and we had a good look in his foot and poulticed as a precaution. Saturday he was very lame so I suggested farrier took a look initially as the signs were pus in foot. Farrier ageed to come.never turned up, said he would come Sunday pm, never turned up. Whilst I dont' consider this a veterinary emergency I have offered to take the poor horse to the vet tomorrow as I know they will attend and investigate properly.

It is so disappointing that a farrier could be so cavalier, from chatting to other customers I get the vibe that one has to put up with unreliability as there are so few farriers in my area. That's just awful in my view, could there really be an attitude that horse owners need farriers more than then need a professional service?

Still feeling hot under the collar about this, is it just a probelme in the South East?
 
Such a shame when anyone lets you down. Sorry not much to add just hope your feeling a bit better and your horse is OK. I love my farrier but it has taken a while to find someone i really like. who gives wonderful advice and doesn't make me have extra things i don't need. For example encouraged me to take my horses back shoes off.
 
I have an excellent farrier now, who comes out when he says and is ery good, patient and will spend hours with a problem horse. But most farriers i've had have been unreliable with time and showing up, without letting me know.
 
Yes we had a bad experience with an unreliable farrier in the past. Thankfully our current farrier, and our trimmer as well, are both very reliable and excellent at their jobs.

I'd be furious if any professional let me down like that when it came to the welfare of the horses.
 
IMO farriers have an inflated sense of their own importance, having moved to a new area, we tried a local farrier, he didn't show up when promised, didn't phone either, two days later he phoned to say he had a cancellation, he put shoes on our stressy mare, not talking to her, not asking for her foot, digging her in the belly with the rasp when she pulled her foot away, everything he said to her was angry, not what she is used to, I really had to bite my tongue, his son trimmed our gelding, the father will not be touching our horses again and he came reccomended, I have arranged with our old farrier to come and will happily pay extra for him to do so, given the travelling he has to do, he is firm but fair with our mare and has never had to resort to beating her up, he alwaysturns up on time or lets you know if he can't and from my experience he is the exception, so many farriers, knowing they have the monopoly just abuse their customers
 
I find it really strange to hear that some farriers don't turn up when they say they will-- or schedule a lost shoe replacement sometime the following week. Maybe I'm just really really spoiled by my farrier who always is cheerful, is good to the horses, takes the time to explain what he's doing and why, answers questions and keeps his own training up to date. He's nice enough to look at too ;) .

I hear all the time that some of the girls on the yard will be waiting round for ages...or go a week or two with no front shoe waiting for the farrier to give them a time...or gruff mannerisms (usually though with the people and not the horses). My farrier is rather expensive compared to some, but I don't mind (too much). I even tip him now and again, so maybe that's what keeps him sweet?
 
My current farrier is brilliant, he is ALWAYS on time or early(!!!) or he'll actually phone if there's a problem (again !!!) He's lovely to the horses, does a very good job and charges fairly. Before i snared him i think every one of my farriers had been unreliable, in fact the last one just stopped coming, never returned my calls despite desparate lost shoe messages being left (he wasn't dead btw i see him at shows now). The farrier at a yard i worked at would turn up a week late with no phone call but i think because he was so good at his job he saw it as a privilege(sp) to have him at all, really nice bloke just very unreliable.

Mind you i couldn't do their job so i wont complain ;)
 
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