Farrier Advice Please

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Dab

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Can anyone offer some advice on what course of action i should take in relation to the following situation?

My farrier has shod my new horse twice before and has turned up on time and done a reasonably good job. However he was booked to come out on Monday but failed to turn up. I called throughout that day as I was becoming increasingly concerned that some accident had befallen him. He finally got back to me the next morning and apologised for the no-show and rearranged to come yesterday (Friday) morning. Friday morning arrived and only his apprentice turned up to shoe my horse. During the shoeing he had to remove and reposition at least 6+ nails which filled me with some concern. However this morning I found my horse lame in the field with the off-hind shoe twisted and half off. The ground is not soft or sticky and my boy is pretty sensible and I could find no evidence in the field that he had been messing about, which could have attributed to the shoe twisting half-off.

Throughout the day i have tried to get hold of my farrier, I called his mobile 3 times, left a voice and text message and called his landline, but he did not and has not replied. I eventually managed to remove the shoe and have applied a poultice.

For starters it seems unreasonable for a hind shoe to come off only 24hrs after it had been fitted, and secondly what am i supposed to do if the farrier won’t take or reply to my calls to remedy the situation? The messages i left were polite, I've never been rude to him and i always pay on the day.

I am now unsure how to proceed as i am left with little option other than to find another farrier to resolve this mess, which is going to cost me money.
Any advice or suggestions would be greatly received.:confused:



P.S. What is extremely frustrating is that i have precious little time to ride and had taken next week off to ride and compete, which is now looking like a no go.
 
Are you sure they are a registered farrier? If they are they should be listed on the internet , google registered farriers there is a way to complain too.

This doesnt sound very right to me. My experienced farrier on the odd occassion will re do a nail but as I say most of the time they go straight in, usually cos the nail has a weakness not him being bad!

Sorry thats all I know, my farrier is very reliable but I do hear that quite a lot are not is the common theme?
 
Thanks Indie,

Yes he is definately registered and in fact teaches and takes on many apprentices. And I assumed he would not send out an apprentice unless he was sure that he could do the job and was suitably qualified.

The farrier in question has been recommended on this forum several times.

But i will look on the web and see how and who i can complain to.
 
Change farriers. Mine calls if only 15 mins late. Last year had umpteen calls in one morning as he was unavoidably held up (traffic accident) and not even his fault.

Jane
 
I would be after a different farrier, or if you did like the job this one did initially then I would just make it clear that you don't want an apprentice out instead.
I wouldn't find it acceptable, and although things do come up that may delay a farrier, in the world of mobile phones then it is easy enough to let people know rather than just being a no show - plain rude without a reason I think, also I would think it good manners to let a customer know if they are to expect someone other than you turning up to do a job.
Can you get a recommendation for a good farrier? Our back lady recommened ours which was a great help as I really trust her opinion!
 
ThePony said:
I would be after a different farrier, or if you did like the job this one did initially then I would just make it clear that you don't want an apprentice out instead.
I wouldn't find it acceptable,
Click to expand...

Thanks, this whole situation is totally unacceptable and I am after a different farrier and have various recommendations that i'm trying to follow up, but with it being easter weekend it's proving difficult to find one who will come out!

However if my current farrier wont get back to me I'm £65+ down, not to mention the fact that there maybe vets bills if my horse stays lame.

What do i do about the money i paid yesterday for a sub-standard shoeing and potential vets bills?
 
My farrier is really a stickler for his profession etc, he tells me off regularly for calling him the blacksmith!! He gave me the impression his training was really strict etc and I know everyone has to learn but apprentices to be sent out on their own? Perhaps we can check thats what happens as well, if its the norm. I will ask him in a few weeks(not due for another 5 weeks now) if I remember I will ask. He is about 100 years old and I know he will know!! We have never had an apprentice to my knowledge?

But do complain as it might happen to another horse. I hope yours will be ok.
 
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