Farrier Hitting Horse with Rasp/file

[Friesianfoal1999]

Hey I have a really difficult situation to ask about.

Our horse lost both her shoes around 3 weeks ago and couldn’t get a hold of the farrier so she’s been limping. Messaged numerous times but to no avail, completely understand he was so busy and couldn’t do anything but sadly she has no hoof left. (There is a reason to explain this)

But she was quite sore due to having not having any hood. She was incredibly sleepy in the sun as well. She was rocking back a bit which he knows she can do sometimes. It wasn’t awful or throwing around, but her usual slow rock back which I understand was putting weight on the farrier. He was rasping at this time, stood up and went and wacked her very hard on the neck with the rasp. To the point my mom was shaking in shock as the thud was so loud.

She currently has a neck injury/arthritis investigation due to sore neck which we have mentioned. Regardless, is this a correct thing for a farrier to do? I feel so heartbroken, seeing your horse get hit. I understand the occasional wack with a hand if they’re being naughty but using a file which is meant to be on the hooves doesn’t sit right with me.

What are you opinions on this?

 

[Gloi]

I used to have a farrier like that. I got a different one.
As for the sore feet it's worth getting some boots she can wear if she needs hoof protection.

 

[meleeka]

He wouldn’t be my farrier anymore and I’d tell him why. Actually I like to think I would have thrown him off the yard there and then. You can report him to his governing body if you feel angry enough. Farriers have been struck off for the same before.

Nobody hits my horses, especially not in frustration.

 

[Friesianfoal1999]

I used to have a farrier like that. I got a different one.
As for the sore feet it's worth getting some boots she can wear if she needs hoof protection.

Feet wise we are sorting it and may going to look at boots.

 

[Friesianfoal1999]

He wouldn’t be my farrier anymore and I’d tell him why. Actually I like to think I would have thrown him off the yard there and then. You can report him to his governing body if you feel angry enough. Farriers have been struck off for the same before.

Nobody hits my horses, especially not in frustration.

It was my mom there, not me and she’s not as horsey so I’d like to say if it was me. But she was in shock. It’s the fact he went to hit her with so much force and purposefully

 

[Miss_Millie]

I would tell him that his behaviour was completely unacceptable and would not allow him anywhere near a horse of mine ever again. Terrible horsemanship.

 

[JBM]

Yeah absolutely not that’s how a horse starts getting scared to get their feet done and it’s just down right awful.
I’ve found some farriers to think this is acceptable and a normal way to treat horses that don’t stand perfect 100% of the time and they never get called back

 

[Love]

I also wouldn't stand for that. Years ago I saw the farrier I had at that time smack another pony round the face with a rasp - she was rearing and jumping around but still absolutely not the way to solve it (and needless to say did make the situation much worse). I left the yard the next month for a different reason and changed farrier at the same time.

 

[SantaVera]

Sack the farrier, hitting the horse is unacceptable

 

[Peglo]

I would be extremely angry and would be searching for a new farrier. If my horse was being too bad I would expect the farrier to tell me he wasn’t comfortable working with her, not attack her.

 

[FlyingCircus]

I'd have sacked him on the spot, immediately. I'd also report him.

 

[BSL2]

Happened to my pony over 40 years ago, I was only a teenager, I'd gone to fetch something, when I came back a minute later, the farrier was packing his gear away. My mum sent him packing when he went to hit my new, never been shod pony, with a hammer.

 

[SEL]

I got rid of one after he started shouting at a nervous pony. Didn't help her nerves. I've seen him since yanking and pushing a donkey around - never coming near mine again. He never tried it with the Appy knowing full well she'd have belted him.

Same nervous pony tried to lean on current farrier yesterday. He put her leg down, stood her up straight and positioned her by the wall so she could lean on that instead. Much calmer all round

 

[Barton Bounty]

I would have drop kicked him to the throat im afraid!

 

[saddlesore]

Just wow. Has this farrier been doing for feet for a while? I’d imagine getting hit hard with a rasp could cause a neck injury…

 

[Pearlsacarolsinger]

Sack the farrier and tell him why. I really don't like the fact that he hit her neck which is being investigated when the 'natural' reaction would have been to hit her on the bum if she was leaning back. I wouldn't have been impressed with hitting her at all but knowing that she was sore already

 

[deicinmerlyn]

Sack him and report him : https://www.farrier-reg.gov.uk/

 

[irishdraft]

No totally unacceptable but also you'll end up with a horse who will be difficult to shoe/trim. Many years ago a friends horse became terrible to shoe, pulling back and taking off then she discovered farrier was regularly hitting him but she wouldn't say anything cos she was frightened of him . This probably wouldn't happen these days as we are not so likely to blindly accept the behavior of professionals.

 

[Sandstone1]

Sack him, too many farriers about like this. A lot of them do not seem to like horses. I get its a tough job and they get pulled about sometimes. However if the horse is playing up its the owners job to make sure they behave.

 

[AmyMay]

I would have drop kicked him to the throat im afraid!

Yep. How dare he!!

Sack and report him.

 

[Barton Bounty]

The mare I had before BB tried to kick my farrier in the head and he just ducked out the way and took a second. Never once would it cross his mind to whack her. I however did give her into trouble

 

[toppedoff]

Please make sure to report him! There's been a few dodgy farriers lately from what I've seen

 

[ArklePig]

If that's your default reaction you shouldn't be working near animals. Sorry you and your mare went through this. What a dirty rotten bast*rd.

 

[Ratface]

Years ago, my farrier hit my new, underweight, (previously cruelly mistreated) rescue horse under his belly with a rasp whilst trimming his near fore. Horse was becoming fidgety, having his foot held up for ten minutes. Rather than letting him put his foot down for a rest, farrier held on and shouted at him. Then hit him under the belly with the rasp. Horse pulled back, reared, came down on top of him, broke the head collar rope and shot off towards the fields. Groom got a scoop of nuts and went off to try and catch the horse.
I told the farrier to get off the yard and that I wouldn't be contacting him ever again. He demanded payment. I refused. He said he'd make sure no other farrier would touch any horse that I owned. I told him that I had witnesses to his behaviour and that I'd report him to his professional body and every horse person I knew.
I had no problem in getting a different farrier, and have used him ever since. Calm, highly competent and very knowledgeable. Arrives on time, is a training farrier, and saw Old Horse through a brief skirmish with laminitis.
The other farrier is still working, well into his eighties now.