Farriers and customer loyalty....

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tangoharvey

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My YO fell out with my farrier and she has changed to a different one. As my mare has been hard to shoe and needs sedalin, I wanted to stay with him and show my loyalty to him. He has always charged me 40-45 quid for trim and front shoe. Today he came and charged me 60.00 when i asked him why it was becuase i was teh only one on the yard having shoes (even tho I just told him next time there will be two sets as I have bought another mare). So you try and show a bit of loyalty and get stung for it. Well sorry but I shall be using the YO new farrier in future!! Grrrr
 
im changing farriers too - my horse badly needs a trim - he was only done last month but has knoced a huge chip out that needs sanding down
ive tried ringing and texting for 2 days now and he cant even answer!
 
Are you sure the difference in price is not because he usually charges the yard owner, who in turn bills you inwhich case it is probably billed as vat exempt.
and hence cheaper additionally £60 a set of shoes (incl vat ) is about right in this area.

Who does the better job if its the original farrier then imo its worth paying, if they both do the same then no point paying.
 
TBH (if I am getting the correct end of the stick) I don't think your farrier is being particularly unfair. If he is coming out specially to do just your horse it will cost him more both in time and travel expenses. This therefore has to be passed onto the customer, as the customer is only you it is not spread between the horses, therefore it will cost you more.

Sorry if I have read the OP completly wrong, and got the wrong end of the stick!!!!!!!
 
I don't really understand what your farrier has done wrong?

Presumably he used to split the travel cost between everyone on the yard and if he is just coming out to do your horse I can see why the price would have gone up.

If he is doing a good job on your horse's feet (the most important thing) I would stick with him.
 
I agree with Charlimouse - the biggest expense for most farriers is diesel/petrol and van costs. The price he originally did your horse for was based on the fact that he could do several sets in the same place - most farriers will give a discount on a big yard where there are almost always several horses to be done at the same time. At the end of the day it is a business, not a charity!

Keep your fingers crossed that the new farrier is as good with difficult horses as the old farrier, as otherwise it will probably cost you more in sedation costs!
 
I would imagine it's because it costs him more to travel out to do one horse. If he's a good farrier and has done right by your horse, I'd keep him. My farrier charges a bit more than some of the others who come to our place but in my opinion, he's the best of the bunch and that makes him well worth it.
 
Please don't take it the wrong way but if my farrier was coming to shoe just one horse I would be more than happy to pay the extra. My farrier lives over 30 miles away but I wouldn't change him for anything. If you like the way he shoes your horse and he is happy to carry on then think about it carefully. At least he wil still come out to you - when things like this happen they will sometimes say they are not coming back to the yard. Good farriers are hard to come by and worth their weight in gold.
 
it just would have been nice if he had let me know beforehand that there would have been an increase. Diesel is expensive I appreciate that, and he told me he had a ten mile trip to me, so thats clearly worth the extra 20 quid! I know they guy has to make a living, I was just trying to stick with him, and I cant if it is outpricing himself, thats all.
 
They get paid too much and always have enough customers, that's why they cant be bothered with loyalty, this my experience of all my past farriers, apart from my current one ive had for about 6 years, but even he hasn't bothered showing up some times and I know he has my number but always magically looses it!
My farrier has followed me around 4 different yards over the years as my man can be a bit of a pain to shoe and he comes out to our little yard at home with just 3 horses, only 1 wears shoes.

By the way your paying way too much, I pay £40 for a full set of re-fits or £50 for a new set including road nails, we pay £10 for a trim even on our big mare.
 
kharber21 said:
They get paid too much and always have enough customers, that's why they cant be bothered with loyalty, this my experience of all my past farriers, apart from my current one ive had for about 6 years, but even he hasn't bothered showing up some times and I know he has my number but always magically looses it!
My farrier has followed me around 4 different yards over the years as my man can be a bit of a pain to shoe and he comes out to our little yard at home with just 3 horses, only 1 wears shoes.

By the way your paying way too much, I pay £40 for a full set of re-fits or £50 for a new set including road nails, we pay £10 for a trim even on our big mare.
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Thankyou! to me its not even about the money but they must be the only trade going (apart from undertakers) who dont have to look after their customers, and my small attempt ot loyalty to him was a waste of time.....hey ho I have calmed down about it now....x
 
£15 more cos you were the only client? I don't think that's fair, TBH. My farrier charges the same regardless of numbers of horses to shoe-£45 for front shoes and a back trim.

I'm sure there are much worse farriers than mine and I do like him, but if it were cheaper and more convenient, I would change.
 
tangoharvey said:
Thankyou! to me its not even about the money but they must be the only trade going (apart from undertakers) who dont have to look after their customers, and my small attempt ot loyalty to him was a waste of time.....hey ho I have calmed down about it now....x
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What absolute bollox - don't tar all farriers with the same brush. My OH has been out on Boxing Day to put a lost shoe on, stopped on the way to a relative's wedding to look at a lame horse, pitched up at 6am in the morning to tighten a shoe before a competition, etc., etc. If that is not loyal to customers, I don't know what is.

At the end of the day, look at it from the other point of view. Your farrier has spent endless time and patience getting your horse to the point where it can be shod without sedation, is still prepared to come out and shoe your horse despite the fact it is now the only one on the yard he does, and there is probably an uncomfortable atmosphere because he and the YO have fallen out. But because he has upped his price to ensure he doesn't make a loss, you have now dumped him - you're not exactly loyal, so why do you expect him to be?
 
TGM said:
What absolute bollox - don't tar all farriers with the same brush. My OH has been out on Boxing Day to put a lost shoe on, stopped on the way to a relative's wedding to look at a lame horse, pitched up at 6am in the morning to tighten a shoe before a competition, etc., etc. If that is not loyal to customers, I don't know what is.

At the end of the day, look at it from the other point of view. Your farrier has spent endless time and patience getting your horse to the point where it can be shod without sedation, is still prepared to come out and shoe your horse despite the fact it is now the only one on the yard he does, and there is probably an uncomfortable atmosphere because he and the YO have fallen out. But because he has upped his price to ensure he doesn't make a loss, you have now dumped him - you're not exactly loyal, so why do you expect him to be?
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Oh dear, TGM, I absolutely wasnt taring all farriers with the same brush, I know there are wonderful ones out there, - lots = I just felt that I tried to still give the guy my business and he did little show me he wanted it, thats all. And it is I that have spent "endless time and patience" to get her to be better with her feet.
Your other half sounds great - I was always told give your diamonds away before your farrier, so deciding not to use him again is not a decision I have taken lightly....
 
Personally I'd stick with your current farrier: mine has been in a yard with lots of other horses and was done by their farrier, but there have been one or two incidents of bad shoeing plus a horse developed an injury that the vet said was down to bad shoeing, so I'd advise against having the same farrier as everyone else in the yard!!!

Yes it might be a bit cheaper, but what price your horse's feet? The trouble is that in a big yard, its no fault of the farrier but he doesn't always meet the owners to see how they ride, what they do with the horse etc etc., but your farrier knows you and your horse, and the way you ride, and he will take more care to get it right for you than the guy who just comes in and does a job lot, basically. Its not the farriers fault, its just the way it is.

I'd stick with your farrier if you can; you've been happy with him up till now and he's probably feeling awful about the whole situation.
 
if your happy with how he shoes then i would stick with him, if you go to the new farrier and arnt happy and old farrier wont take you back your pooped! iv been very lucky, mine has always got back to me, works with my vet, he came out every week last month to put shoes on, (straight bar shoes that he keeps pulling off!) and is coming out this weekend to do him a new set before he goes to horspital! they are like gold dust these days!!
 
Dont get me started on farriers, I moved back up North in April and have seriously struggled finding a decent farrier, had one out to shoe new boy about a week after I bought him, his feet were a disgrace within a week!! Tried like mad to get hold of him, no answer or he did answer make an appointment then not turn up.

Several others I have called cant come out for various reasons, finally tracked down a really good one who comes from North Wales for me but I have to pay over the odds and arrange each visit at the time of the last w
one. However my mare has just pulled a shoe, now I cant get a farrier out to put it back on!!! Grrrr
 
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