Farrier issues...

Lauren95

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Hello! Just looking for some advice. My farrier normally charges £40 for a set of fronts, however recently he charged me £48 without letting me know he was putting up prices, but I paid as I am a loyal customer of his. My horse lost a shoe 3 weeks after being shod and asked if he could possibly come and refit a shoe and to let me know what I owe him. He never let me know and I assumed he had put it back on F.O.C. Role to being shod again fronts only and he has charged me £48 for fronts as well as a further £25 for putting a show back on.

Now can anyone inform me as a customer where I stand as £25 is over half the price of me getting him to put a set on. He didn't inform me this would be the cost and I am shocked that he has charged me so much. I have always used him for the 3 years I have owned said horse and it is not very often he loses a shoe and I call him out to refit for me.

Just wondering as a paying client where I stand? I will be giving him a call later on also to discuss this,
 

9tails

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Did you have the shoe he'd thrown? If so, I'd expect a £10 refitting fee. If not, I'd expect £15-20. Maybe your farrier doesn't appreciate your loyalty, maybe he's milking you. 20% price hike is quite steep, though mine put his prices up recently by a similar amount. Though that was a different situation as he'd been charging too little for too long and I reminded him every time that he should review his prices. Have a chat with him, if he's shirty and you can get a good replacement, move on.
 

Lauren95

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Did you have the shoe he'd thrown? If so, I'd expect a £10 refitting fee. If not, I'd expect £15-20. Maybe your farrier doesn't appreciate your loyalty, maybe he's milking you. 20% price hike is quite steep, though mine put his prices up recently by a similar amount. Though that was a different situation as he'd been charging too little for too long and I reminded him every time that he should review his prices. Have a chat with him, if he's shirty and you can get a good replacement, move on.
No I didn't, but when he has thrown one in the past he's either not charged me or said £5. I am happy to pay for the refit of the shoe no issue, but not £25! I think that is a ridiculous amount. I don't want him to be annoyed at me for calling to question his pricing as I am happy to pay people for their work and I have always paid on time, used him every 6-7 weeks for the past 3 years. I just think that this is an awful lot of money for a refit!
 

milliepops

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why is it a ridiculous amount? just playing devil's advocate, but that is a special journey over to you, depending on where you are in relation to where he was that day that could be a fair bit of travel. Plus the shoe itself, plus the time to shape it to the foot, if the horse had the shoe on for 3 weeks before losing it then the foot will need a small amount of preparation etc.

If all that took an hour out of his day then is £25 per hour not incl materials/fuel/gas etc really ridiculous? :) Sounds like you weren't there on the day it was done so did he have to get the horse out of the stable/field as well?

if you are in doubt about prices then it's probably best you have a chat to him and let him know you need to know upfront.
 

HappyHollyDays

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I can see you are a bit shocked at his price increases and by all means discuss it with him but he isn't a charity. He has his costs to cover, fuel, his time, materials and putting the shoe back on. If he is a good farrier and you value his expertise and workmanship, if he is prompt and always turns up rain or shine just pay the £25.
 

dogatemysalad

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I've always been very appreciative of the fact that farriers often refit a shoe free of charge or for a token tenner. Paying £25 may seem excessive, but in reality, it is probably a fair price to pay for his petrol and time. My saddler and dentist charge @ £50 regardless of whether they need to do any work.
 

Lauren95

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why is it a ridiculous amount? just playing devil's advocate, but that is a special journey over to you, depending on where you are in relation to where he was that day that could be a fair bit of travel. Plus the shoe itself, plus the time to shape it to the foot, if the horse had the shoe on for 3 weeks before losing it then the foot will need a small amount of preparation etc.

If all that took an hour out of his day then is £25 per hour not incl materials/fuel/gas etc really ridiculous? :) Sounds like you weren't there on the day it was done so did he have to get the horse out of the stable/field as well?

if you are in doubt about prices then it's probably best you have a chat to him and let him know you need to know upfront.
I feel it is because he has never charged me that much before, ever. Usually he is pretty good at letting me know what I owe him and it has never been that much. I'm not that far from where he lives, and as I said it is very rare that I ask him to come out as an emergency if at all. I could understand if I was asking him all of the time. Plus his price has gone up £8 without him letting me know also which surely you have a right to tell a customer of a price increase?! I appreciate your comment, but I do feel that £73 overall for fronts and a refit of a shoe is quite expensive.
 

Lauren95

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I can see you are a bit shocked at his price increases and by all means discuss it with him but he isn't a charity. He has his costs to cover, fuel, his time, materials and putting the shoe back on. If he is a good farrier and you value his expertise and workmanship, if he is prompt and always turns up rain or shine just pay the £25.
I don't think he is a charity, as I said I am a loyal customer and always pay him on the day the exact amount and give a bonus each year also. But to increase in price without letting me know surely isn't fair? As stated before I use him ever 6-7 weeks and I never mess him around, always have the horse ready and so on. It was just a shock to me that he wants £25 for the refit when he has never charged me near that amount before for the same thing. :)
 

milliepops

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well it seems that a few of us agree that it's not an outrageous amount so it sounds like it's best if you discuss it direct with him :)

FWIW I've only ever had a free refit if it's come off within a fortnight and I've kept the shoe.
 

Lauren95

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I've always been very appreciative of the fact that farriers often refit a shoe free of charge or for a token tenner. Paying £25 may seem excessive, but in reality, it is probably a fair price to pay for his petrol and time. My saddler and dentist charge @ £50 regardless of whether they need to do any work.
As I've said if he was forever coming to me to refit thrown shows I'd be happy to pay whatever as I can understand how difficult it is to be changing appointments etc. But to never have been charged that amount before for the same thing it just seems a massive charge... I'm going to speak with him when I get chance as it's only fair, I've used him as I've said for a long time now and never messed him around so I just want to understand why the sudden price increase.
 

SpringArising

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My farrier charges for a refit. I think everything that you've said sounds reasonable to me TBH. Your horse lost the shoe at three weeks, so like MP said, some effort would have been required to fit a new shoe. It sounds like you're not appreciating the time and effort that goes into it all.
 

dogatemysalad

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Communication is always good if you think you've been unfairly treated. I agree that he should have let you know in advance about his change in prices, but bear in mind that you've had a good deal in getting free refits in the past.
 

Lauren95

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My farrier charges for a refit. I think everything that you've said sounds reasonable to me TBH. Your horse lost the shoe at three weeks, so like MP said, some effort would have been required to fit a new shoe. It sounds like you're not appreciating the time and effort that goes into it all.
I fully appreciate what works farriers go through and the effort. I guess I am just disheartened at what I thought was a good working relationship with someone clearly isn't and there isn't customer communication. If I was just a call up a few times a year to squeeze me in then I totally get it. I do not appreciate you saying that I don't appreciate the time and effort...
 

meleeka

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I’d be looking for a new farrier. That may sound harsh but putting up prices without any notification and then charging £25 for a refit is cheeky. Was it a new shoe he fitted?

My OH has his own business, not horse related, but goodwill to his customers sometimes means that he doesn’t get paid for small things or all his time. It’s how he keeps his customers and when you look at how much he profits from them over the course of a year, £25 would be seen as a good investment.

Your farrier is treating you the same as someone who doesn’t pay or switches between farriers or phones last minute. I expect (and get) the same loyalty from my fattier as I give him. If he was asked to fix a lost shoe, he would work in into when he was in the area and maybe charge £10 for his fuel if.not, as well as the cost of the shoe, or he’d fine a used one tbat was about the same wear of the one he was replacing. If he was in the area and I had the shoe he wouldn’t charge me at all. I appreciate him by always being ready with clean dry horses, paying immediately and supplying copious amounts of tea and biscuits.
 

bubsqueaks

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I would definitely speak to him so you know exactly where you stand going forward with his charges etc.
Sadly speaking from personal experience I am so glad to be barefoot now so as not to have to deal with either loosing shoes or being at the mercy of farriers.
 

milliepops

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I'm just curious about exactly how much work people think a farrier should do for free? at what point in a 6 week cycle *would* people expect to pay for a lost shoe (shoe as well as a visit and a fitting, which this was)?
What if 2 shoes were lost? where do you draw the line? If it was your business (forgetting what you have previously got), what policies would you start with? :)

If the OP had a query about the prices then she had an opportunity when presented with the bill, but it's not too late to discuss it of course. However I'd be prepared to be told that those are the prices, take it or leave it ;) if he's been a reliable farrier who has turned up on time and done a good job then getting someone else cheaper seems like a bit of a risk. Generally you get what you pay for.
 

Lauren95

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I'm just curious about exactly how much work people think a farrier should do for free? at what point in a 6 week cycle *would* people expect to pay for a lost shoe (shoe as well as a visit and a fitting, which this was)?
What if 2 shoes were lost? where do you draw the line? If it was your business (forgetting what you have previously got), what policies would you start with? :)

If the OP had a query about the prices then she had an opportunity when presented with the bill, but it's not too late to discuss it of course. However I'd be prepared to be told that those are the prices, take it or leave it ;) if he's been a reliable farrier who has turned up on time and done a good job then getting someone else cheaper seems like a bit of a risk. Generally you get what you pay for.
I wasn't there when presented with the bill, the yard owner was however, but he is not her farrier. She sent me over what it was, I have just had a chat with him and he has infact overcharged me. I appreciate everyone's comments. I don't expect the farrier to work for free I was expecting a cost to refit a shoe on the front but not over the half the amount it would cost me to pay for both fronts to be put back on. This is sorted now and I have had a conversation with him 😊
 

FFAQ

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How many of us would expect to make a special journey to work and give them a free hour of our time? I do agree that price increases should come with advance notice, but otherwise I think the farrier was being quite reasonable!
 

Myloubylou

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Has he become VAT registered? Similar situation with hairdresser getting promotion in between appts, I’d expect to be charged normal rate but be told that from next appointment it would go up. Re the £25 if he’s making special trip & is not just a fit shoe back on it seems fair?
 

teddypops

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I think that it’s fair to charge for a refit. My farrier doesn’t if I have the shoe, £10 if I don’t, but he lives up the road and I’m one of his original customers and I have 8 ponies. However I don’t think it’s on to suddenly charge more without telling you.
 

Pinkvboots

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It's always a good idea to keep some of your old front shoes that the farrier removes, my farrier often gives me them back just in case he throws one in the field and I can't find it. That way you have a few spare ones he can refit that will do for a few weeks.
 

Lauren95

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What about when you've been overcharged? Like I had been. Surely customer relationships should matter and not try and fleece people for money by overcharging as was admitted to. This issue is now sorted and I have paid my bill on the day might I add. I just don't appreciate be it farrier or any other form or transaction a price increase going up by £8... Thanks for your input however, it was extremely useful 😂
 

Graeme Burt farrier

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If you read all of the site, it clearly explains the principles behind the system, and why it works, so the answer to your question is yes. I do not do anything else, all of the horses have it because the plastic (which isnt glue or filler, so it does not contain any solvent and is very safe) has exactly the same hardness and flexibilty as the horn, and offers the same support so spreads the weightload thus reducing the pressures on any one part.

The plastic used is exactly the same as that which Imprint shoes are made from, it simply comes on granular form and is delivered by a modified gun, especially designed to cope with the hot water that causes the plastic to melt (at 60 degrees C, much cooler than a hot shoe)
 
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