Farriers - if they 'damage' your horse

Following on from nail bind thread below....

If the farrier does something to your horse which results in a vet bill, ie nail bind, overtrimming etc. Do you have any comeback? Can you sue them? Claim for vet costs?
Surely you can?
Thoughts please
 
Sorry if this is Hijacking but do you know if you could do the same with a saddle fitter? i.e If they claim to correctly fit a saddle and it's not correct and caused injury - could you sue for bills?
 
Must be the same as for anyone else who provides a service......

I am a hairdresser, but I have to have 3million third party liability insurance, so that if I make someone go bald etc they can sue the pants off me......

You would maybe have to prove negligence though???
 
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Sorry if this is Hijacking but do you know if you could do the same with a saddle fitter? i.e If they claim to correctly fit a saddle and it's not correct and caused injury - could you sue for bills?

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this happened with a friends horse, didnt really cause injury but certainly didnt fit and rubbed his back near raw!!
you'd have a hard job proving it or getting them to admit it was there fault - they could easily claim it fit but the horse changed shape etc
 
The headplate was cracked and they never checked/noticed/told me...
It amounted to about £500 in bills because we didn't know what was wrong as we had taken the saddle fitters word that her back would be fine.
 
You try to sue them and find out what happens! Someone we knew tried to do this and the farriers registrations council backed the farrier up completely and nothing happened. He's still working and still messing up horses feet.
 
Your best action would be to get a written report of the injury from an independent vet (one from outside the area that does not know any of the parties concerned). Provided the report was in your favour you could then instruct a specialist equine solicitor to act on your behalf and make a claim against them. A farrier and also a saddler must have third party liability cover so they would end up paying up.
 
a few years ago i had a 12.2 welsh for the boys to ride and i used a recommend farrier from west yorkshire area..
one always did them all the time and i was very happy with the service .
even though they had to travel they fitted me in as they had a few more clients up this way ..
they came and i asked were my regular one was and they said he left!!! so this other lad came over and did them while the other sat inthe van!! he saw to the 12,2 first and to my horror he went over the white line blood was everywere i shreiked and said what the hell are you doing to my pony!!! the man came out the van and said oh hes training!!!! i said well why are the hell you here to supervise!!! jesus you can knacker my pony.]


i said forget it get out go away.. i called my friends farrier and he came in a rush and sorted her out jesus he said .. what a cowboy!!

i then rang the owner of the company and complained and said what had happend his response was you aint getting your money back and they do have to practise on something!!! i said well not on my pony he isnt i shall not be using you anymore and i will be telling the others what a disater this has been.. as far as i am aware they dont come anymore..


totally disgusted i was !!lucky enough the other farrrier came and managed to sort her feet out as they wasnt donw properly and level at all..


phew so ive stuck with the same farrier since and i cannot fault him at all hes just brilliant and the paitience of a saint..
 
I was told that if a farrier pricks a horse they get a £1000 fine. Dont know if the owner gets any of that.
There is no 'punishment' given out for overtrimming.
 
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