Farriers, what is reasonable?

My farrier is a star and although I would text him if it was a weekend he would probably be out in a day or two (in fact he told my friend off for not calling him when her horse lost a front shoe, 2 days before she was booked in to be reshod). He also came out to another friend on Boxing day, when her horse went down with Laminitus.
 
send him my way could you?
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My farrier is amazing, he comes out at any time, he has horses and hunts himself so understands the problems of them throwing shoes, have just met our farrier at 7am this morning he put a shoe back on my daugters pony, she got xc today, i didnt ask him to come out today i phoned him friday and he had to work today at a competition and said he could fit me in before he went. Must say hes the most easygoing chap and after some of the ones ive used before he is a blessing.
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My farrier used to come out straight away but now it takes a couple of days. If its during the week I ring him, I txt him if its a weekend but he always rings me or txts me back.
Last time I rung him for a lost shoe he was in America on holiday
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how was I to know.
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LOL! Nothing like that
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He wanted to know if I needed him on Monday. I said as Be had been off with a kick then no thanks, I wouldn't need him for another 2 weeks.... then last night, when Mum picked me up from the station, she tells me that Star has lost a shoe
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Ahhh, the joy of horses and sod's law. So I text him last night, not expecting a response over the weekend, and I wouldn't have phoned, but thought a text was ok as he encourages me to let him know asap if I need him to fit in a visit to mine. Anyway, bless him, he text me back today and said he'd put me BACK in his book for tomorrow
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Ahhh, he loves my girls. We're his best (read most freuqent!
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) customers!! I bribe him with a lots of cakes!
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My farrier is awesome!
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My farrier is wonderful as well, realy realy good with the horses, is always prompt and when he is going to be a few mins late he phones to let you know (never known him be more then 30 mins late). lost shoes are done within 24 hours, the only day he doesnt work is sunday, and if its an emergancy he will come out on a sunday. Gives me a call the night before to remind me he is coming

One time i phoned him and asked him to come up and put a shoe back on my pony as he had lost one, i was expecting it to be the next day, however he said he would be there within half an hour! i couldnt make it back from work in that time and he said not to worry, he would pop up grab the pony from the field, pop a shoe back on and pop him back out for me.
Was gobsmacked that he would do that, however he has been shoeing my ponies (was 4 ponies now 5) for 6 years, he gets spoiled rotten with tea, beer (if its his last call of the day) crates of beer on his birthday, bottle of wine at christmas for him and his wife, cakes or brownies if mum has been bakeing, biscuits with his tea. I even made him sandwiches once as the horse he did before mine had eaten the ones his wife made for him.
My ponies are normaly all in and ready and he does them undercover. All of them are saints to shoe and the only one who has ever given him a problem was our little 12.2hh and that realy cant be helped as the poor pony has artheritis and it was realy playing up that day so he couldnt lift his back legs, farrier got on his knees to do this pony. All the rest stand like rocks whether they are tied up or not. He has even been known to do one of mine in a stable without a headcollar (silly me left the pony in and ready but locked the headcollar in the tack room, farrier popped up whilst i was out to pop a shoe back on).
Best of all he does not charge to put shoes back on, he is extremely good at what he does and is a lovely person to chat to, answers all my questions about shoeing no matter how numptyish, and is up for a debate on anything, willing to try something if it might help a horse. He willing to talk about the alternative methods available, why he doesnt like certain methods and why some of them make sense.

Am absolutely gutted that some 18hh monster fought him and damaged the ligaments in his arm so weve had an alternative farrier for a few months (arranged by my current farrier) who isnt quite as lovely, nice but not lovely like my farrier.
 
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