Farrier Attitude - What to do?

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teddyt

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I have a farrier who is very good at his job, i.e. he shoes the horses well. However a few issues have happened and now i am unsure of the way forward. The problems:
1) The horses dont like him. They are well mannered horses and are fine with me, other people and even other farriers when i have had them whilst away. But they dont stand for him. They get progressively more fidgety and my most laid back horse who is as soppy as anything got to the point of kicking out. Totally out of character
2) One horse lost a shoe this week. Left a message on thursday to ask if he could come and put it back on asap. Saturday afternoon and still no return message. Horse has very broken foot and slightly lame now. Is it unreasonable to expect a return call within 48 hours?

The main issue i have is basically that he has such a big ego and thinks that i (as a customer) am there for him and not the other way round. He is a good farrier but he will not put himself out at all, meaning a horse can go a week without a shoe on in the middle of the competition season. I have my horses shod evey 5 weeks (at the most), pay on the day, the horses are waiting tied up on a covered yard when he comes. He just seems to be very intolerant of minor fidgeting, so he argues with the horses and they get worse. And unless it suits him a lost shoe has to wait, even if the foot disintegrates because of it.

Am i being unreasonable? How do i improve things?
 
Change farrier

There are lots of good farriers out there who appreciate every single one of their clients, vote with your feet and stop keeping the ones that dont in business.
 
I have persevered with him because he does a good job. Im just getting to my limit of tolerance with his attitude! He has 'good' days, where he is helpful and answers my questions about shoeing, the horses are ok with him, etc. But then like this week, i dont even get a call to tell me when he can come so i will be left until monday now wondering when my horse will get a shoe back on. Its very frustrating.
 
And there is probably an equally good farrier out there who would be over joyed to have your work and treat you and your horses well.

I went an hour out of my way last night to put a shoe back on a horse at 7pm because i know he gets footy and couldnt wait until the following week.
 
I agree with the farrier. You are paying for a service, a service which extends beyond nailing a shoe on IMO.

There are plenty of very good farriers out there who would be happy to have a considerate owner such as yourself.
 
He sound's like my Farrier to be honest
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and yes it is very Frustrating!
 
If you are not happy with a service you are receiving then change provider. You would with anything else. So tbh i dont get why people dont with farriers, especially when you have choice as there are more farriers now than there have ever been and over 100 more graduating every year
 
Thefarrier- i wish he was like you! I know some customers take the p1ss by expecting shoes to last 8 weeks or more but i honestly dont! My shoes arent even loose when they are re-shod. Much as i would love to sometimes i never ring on a weekend either!
KW33- I guess thats why im fed up with him, there is no service. He turns up, usally on time and he does do a good job but anything extra like a lost shoe ad there is no help whatsoever
 
Would you put up with this kind of sevice from anyone else? No. So why from your farrier.

I can assure you there are fantastic farriers out there, and trust me, when you find one you really will stick with him.

My farrier will come out to just neaten up my fillys feet before a show if its been a couple of weeks since a trim - just so she is especially tidy.
 
teddyt is there no one else in your area? who do your friends use etc?
you can and should be treated better than that.

I dont always make it to lost shoes as timely as i would like but some of my clients are over 80miles away and i cant always get there immediately but that doesnt mean i dont let them know when i can.
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The reason why i havnt changed farrier so far is because he does a good job and my horses are my priority over my feelings. That said, the horses really dont seem to behave for him, they seem to be picking up on something about him and are tense when he is handling them. I have alot of horses and prior to this farrier had got rid of a few others due to various issues- not turning up, repeated nail bind, poor trimming. This guy does do a good job but you have to put up with a big ego!I have had him for a while now and maybe im getting a bit fed up with the hassle. TBH i do feel stressed when he comes because i worry the horses wont behave. They are genuinely well mannered at all other times but just wont stand for him. I have traded bad farriers with nice characters for a good farrier with a bad attitude! There are a lot of farriers about but of theones i know about i honestly wouldnt want them shoeing my horses! I feel a bit stuck as to what to do but maybe i should find someone else.
 
Where are you located? I dont know everyone of course but maybe i could suggest someone if i know anyone in your area

eta he cant be doing his best job if the horses are fidgeting
 
Change farrier - I had to do the same - good farrier but total attitude, I couldn't be bothered with the cheek I was getting at times - ur the paying customer
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Thanks everyone for your replies. I am going to ask friends/do some research on other farriers locally and seriously think about taking my custom elsewhere. It has helped getting other peoples views though. Thank you
 
Could i ask where abouts you are from as i have just got rid of my farrier a few months ago for the same reasons as you, just wondered if it was the same one.
 
My friend had the same problem - was pleased with his work but he forgot who was employing who, her horse's got increasingly agitated by him, he was hard to get hold of and charged far more than anyone else. It took her literally years to change him as she was so worried about going to someone else.

After struggling to get hold of him for a lost shoe, she tried someone else. Her new farrier is fantastic, has changed the way he shoes her mare and she is moving better, gave her good advice on other issues and is lots cheaper!

Perhaps try another farrier for the lost shoe - you could always go back to old farrier if it didn't work out, saying you needed shoe put back on urgently?

Whereabout are you, perhaps someone could recommend a farrier?
 
I agree with the others! My pet hate is people not returning phone calls - got rid of one farrier for exactly that reason. I have a job and make time to be there for them and my horses - the least I expect is a returned phone call - after all you do pay them for a service. My farrier is out within 24 hours for a lost shoe - unless agreed differently - and would certainly return the call asap.
 
I would rather not say where i am, I wouldnt want him to find out i have been discussing my issues with him on an open forum. Much as hes pissed me off i feel it unfair to publicly say where he is! (I think his wife may come on here too).

Its such a nightmare finding a nice farrier that does a good job as well. I find i either get one or the other. Maybe they should do an extra module at farrier college called customer service.
Thanks for your views everyone
 
[ QUOTE ]

Its such a nightmare finding a nice farrier that does a good job as well. I find i either get one or the other. Maybe they should do an extra module at farrier college called customer service.
Thanks for your views everyone

[/ QUOTE ]

I'd agree with that - and did suggest it to the wife of the Chairman of WFA (or whatever its called!) - she was sitting next to myself and a friend at a show when we were moaning about a previous farrier and she introduced herself and said she would pass the comments back to her husband.
 
Change your farrier. I had a total prima donna for a while and the horses hated him and TBH I genuinely think there was days he hated them
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I then went through a couple until I found the gem that I have now
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Hopefully it will continue for a while.......
 
nice one slinkyunicorn! maybe one day cloning will extend to nice, punctual, polite, good farriers and we can all have one. Good looking would be a bonus too!
 
I had a terrible farrier, sexual innuendo, mother in law jokes, wife jokes and not brilliant workmanship either, he got more and more expensive every time he turned up in the end is was through the roof!
I am sure he added an extra tenner for everything about my place he did not like " No hardstand? - £10" "No tea or Coffee ?£10" "no roof overhead - Oh dear I may get wet ? £10" " Oh he's got lots of feather £10" "Oh his got big feet the biggest cob feet ever, £10" In the end it reckon I was only paying about £20.00 for his work which was just about as much as it was worth!!!

Needless to say I changed him an now have truely fabulous farrier!

Why pay good money for service you are not delighted with.

No foot, no horse
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i would change farriers if your not happy i did, and i hve never looked back, my horse disliked the old farrier and i have a feeling he was intentionally shoeing badly to make me have y horse shoed every 4 weeks instead of every 6. the jokes on him now because with my new farrier she happierly goes 8. my new farrier is fantastic with the horses treats them as inderviduals rather than just a horse. he does a fantastic job with there feet he comes and checks them every 4 weeks free of charge(when he is doing another horse on the yard) and he is a laugh. you really can have it all from a farrier.
 
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