Farrier is so unreliable its driving me mad- Rant

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BBH

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My horses have just been shod at eight weeks instead of their usual 6 weeks. He has been a nightmare to get hold of and after two missed appointments said he'd be there on Fri at 12.00 midday. So brought the horses in for the day, all nicely munching big hay nets, and waited and waited. Got no response on phone from him or his new secretary, Six o'clock arrives and farrier still hasn't so leave message to ask is he coming or isn't he as horses still in and waiting. No answer until seven to say won't get to me at all and will be there 11.00am next morning, So yes you guessed it horses all in and waiting and no b@@dy farrier. So yours truly goes out and leaves everything set up for him to help himself should he turn up. Get back a couple of hours later to find, one horse done correctly but massive steel tool left in his bed with sharp edge, one pony trimmed badly ( in a hurry me thinks ) and big retired boy should have had a trim but is now sporting new shoes. Ahhh. Also didn't take cheque for payment.

Rant over, why do we put up with this, because they have us over a barrel and know they are like gold dust cos in my area not enough farriers for number of horses.

And I always look after them, am always ready and on time, coffee, chocs and bacon sarnies provided, always pay, big xmas box, what else can I do.

Left message mon to say need to collect cheque and tool for bed. No answer!!

Rant over - am feeling better now.
 
Who is it? PM me
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Hang on a minute..!!!!

Just because you farriers being difficult. dont tar us all with the same brush!

Now in response to the horses having the wrong stuff done.. you should of been there then this wouldnt of happened.. so not farriers fault!

If your unhappy change farriers.. simple as!
 
I must admit, I nearly answered the 'how do you know if you have a good farrier' post below, with 'he turns up'!! Sad but true in my experience. Mine isn't technically 'the best' (cold shoes) but at least he comes when he says he's going to and whats the point in having a technically brilliant one who's unreliable?!
 
to be honest, i wouldnt pay him. and would find a new farrier.

good relible farriers are rare, in my area we have a huge amount of them, but few are relible, my current one, although not nessacery the BEST, is relible, will shoe the horses on hes own if im stuck to get there, will come in a moments notice if im desperate, is good with the horses, and although not the best shoeing, does bother with the feet, how do i keep him sweet? i allow him to re arrange if he needs to, pay cash, on cold days he gets coffee on hot days a cold drink. AND bacon sarnies.. lol a small price to pay!
 
It is indeed a nightmare.
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And in any other line of business you or I would get shot of like lightning, wouldn't we? Trouble is, like you say, getting a good farrier (a very skilled one that is, that does the job how you like it) is not easy to find.
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I am so lucky at present, I have a great farrier who comes to the yard to shoe my horse and another 4 for one other owner. However, I do have concerns that should her horses move, or indeed I move, either scenario resulting in just my 1 horse on his own, would he be so keen to come out then?
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I'd love to think so, but really I VERY much doubt that many farriers would do that if they have plenty of clients at other yds. I have tried to get numerous farriers out to my horse when he was stabled alone, and I couldn't get one out for love nor money...................
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I hope to keep hold of this one as long as I can.
Your scenario really sounds bad.....personally the rasp in the stable would have really worried and infuriated me.
I really hope you can get someone else or maybe, if you have transport, box yours over somewhere else? I hope things get better.
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Now in response to the horses having the wrong stuff done.. you should of been there then this wouldnt of happened.. so not farriers fault!

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TBF it is partly the farriers fault, if I left my horses ready for him and came back to find the wrong stuff on them I wouldn't be blaming myself at all as he knows exactly which horse has what!
Sometimes people have to leave their horses for the farrier especially if he is unrelaible as they may never know when they will see him next if they don't take the next appointment he gives them.
 
Erm, I don't think I was tarring everyone with the same brush and no its not right to say its my fault for not being there, they have done exactly the same work on my horses for 18 months so know what each one has, and I have left them on their own before without problems. It might be hard for you to appreciate but I work full time which means I can't aways accomodate his constantly changing itinery.

Don't have a go at me for hoping for a bit of customer service, if he's going to be late, not come at all, fine, just let me know.

Can't just change, they all stick together and none seem to have spaces ( not that I have tried but friends who also use this person are looking to change )
 
Had that, we eventually got rid of that farrier as he was hitting the horses, but it was very annoying .
New farrier we have to wait a couple of weeks, unless its super urgent but he's generally on time and good with the horses 'touch wood!'
 
I moved yards and had a new farrier I work full time so one of the priorities was I needed someone who did Saturdays. I asked the YO and she gave me the card of a farrier. I have only had him once so far but he turned up although he was late which is not an issue as long as he turns up!

Luckily I have a very easy pony - aparently he is a farriers dream due to being very docile to shoe, he goes into a sort of trance and falls asleep and he does not lean and his height and weight also apparently makes him easy to shoe as well. He only has fronts. I always pay in cash too and I book a regular 6 weekly slot so I give plenty of notice so no last minute bookings etc. I also ask my farrier just to give him a hoof health check when he shoes him as well. As when he comes he just does my pony I feel he has more time to do a good job as he has had a rest in between me and his last client rather than being tired as he has just shod 4 horses without a break.
 
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in the same breath.. whats wrong with cold shoeing?
It has its uses

Lou x

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Yeh, I just think he ends up taking a bit more off with the file as he can't get such a perfect fit with cold shoes as hot done ones. At the end of the day, it doesn't seem to make any difference to how long they stay on or anything... anyway, I couldn't have him too perfect or everyone would want him!!
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Up in NE Scotland the issue is finding one at all, when he comes you cannot book a next appointment at all, you have to ring up after 6 weeks and make about 5 phone calls to the ansaphone and then finally they will ring up and ask if he can come that day! good job Im not working so can work round him.

However, when you can finally drag him here he does a great job and I forgive him everything....until I have to try to get him here again.

The farriers here are really busy this time of year with all the stalking ponies on the estates being brought in ready for the shooting season, my farrier had to do 25 this week at one estate alone......
 
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Rant over, why do we put up with this, because they have us over a barrel and know they are like gold dust cos in my area not enough farriers for number of horses.

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sorry i need to clarify. this is the bit i was referring to when i said about tarring us all with the same brush..

Secondly.. when you've dealt with owners kickinng off and going mental at you for getting it wrong, when there not present is why i take the view that it is the owners fault if something goes wrong and they are not there

Lou x
 
I'm afraid that without cold shoeing Ty would be completely unshod - will not stand still for the time it takes to put a whole set on hot shod!
 
my farrier is very annoying as he never has any credit on his phone, and his time keeping is interesting. HOWEVER, I would not change him for all the tea in china as he is a brilliant farrier that has the patience of a saint.
I did change once due to the timekeeping and ended up with a very very lame horse..... went back to the old farrier after that and swore never to winge again ( oops there I go winging!)
 
My farrier does not have a mobile phone.
My farrier did not turn up last week.

I have the most wonderful farrier.

Confused?
He has never in 8 years been so much as a minute late, infact, he is always early. We have had no problems with him not having a phone, we speak to him in the evening.

He was late, yes, but entirely NOT his fault. Some idiot holday maker decided to take a narrow windy cornish road with a 30mph speedlimit at 60mph. he overturned his car in front of our farrier. Farrier lost his afternoons earnings.
He is so relable that we knew something was wrong.

Sometimes farriers are delayed for reasons beyond their control, maybe a client has asked for something extra, a roadblock etc.

There are bad/unreliable farriers out there, but we, the clients, should do our best to make their life easier, for example, by pre booking appointments while they are with you.
 
My farrier hurt his back when he was supposed to be coming up to do my horses last week....he called 2 hours before he was due out but had hurt his back the week before, and I had driven all the way op to Yorks to help my mum bring them in!! Gurr!! He has still not rescheduled and answers his phone once in a blue moon!

My old farriers down here were great, I had one guy and then moved over to his apprentice when he went off on his own. He was so great, always came when he said he would and called me when he was leaving the appointment before mine so I knew when to tie up my horses and didn't have them standing round all day, he was so quiet with my horses and I loved him! Wish he would move up to Yorkshire!
 
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