Farriers, what is reasonable?

madhector

madhector

Well-Known Member
Joined
12 December 2006
Messages
12,679
Location
soon to be up north!
www.darlingdressage.co.uk
Jerry pulled a shoe off last night, and after spending all day trying to get hold of farrier I have reached the conclusion he aint going to answer his phone today. I will try again on monday, but if it is anything like last time, it will be at least a week before he comes and puts it back on again. Meaning sis will have to cancel her lesson, I will have to cancel Ali coming to school him, and he turns back into the crazy bouncey idiot he was before we had him in hard work.

Now my question is is this reasonable to expect from my farrier, or should he come out the next day, as some farriers seem to. He is an excellent farrier, and I am loath to find someone else but he is so unreliable. Once Jerry is fit and competing, I would like lost shoes replace quickly, otherwise I will end up canceling everything
tongue.gif
 
I wouldnt dream of phoning my farrier on a weekend unless it was a serious emergency. He has a wife and kids to spend time with.
 
Can only speak from my experience...my horse lost a shoe last friday (bank holiday) and the farrier answered his phone that afternoon. Agreed to come out bank holiday sunday and put a new one on for me. I wasn't there as was away for the weekend and he did her without me even being there.

I called him because it was a front shoe and her foot was literally falling to pieces without the shoe where she'd ripped the nails out. Didn't actually expect him to come out over the weekend, just wanted to book in for first thing on the tuesday if possible and leave her in the field. He agreed to come out on the sunday because it was a front.
 
Mine usually comes out within a couple of days.

Are you able to take your horse to another yard where your farrier or another farrier is going, so that they can replace the shoe as a one off? They seem a lot happier to do an extra one than trvel out just to replace one show.
 
To be honest I would not expect my farrier to come out on a weekend, unless they usually work that is!! Or on a bank holiday..... unless it was a dire emergency... and then would expect to be charged accordingly.

Imagine how we would all feel if our bosses expected us to go into work at a moments notice on a day off. That said, it would be nice!!!
grin.gif


I would also hope that he would come out asap as soon as the working week started
grin.gif
 
I would never call my farrier at the weekend unless an emergancy.

However my farrier would normally try and fit in a ref-it fairly quickly the following week.
 
My farrier does often work saturdays when hes busy, but I would never try to contact him on weekend or bank holiday. My last farrier didn't know the meaning of bank holiday so that was different. You may have to be prepared to take your horse to his forge or if a different farrier is visting the yard for other horses ask him nicely and no doubt he'll refit it. It be unreasonable if he doesn't fit you in within 7-10 days.
 
I certainly wouldn't call my farrier at the weekend, he has a wife & 2 sons, & it's his weekend too. I would offer to take her to his forge Monday pm, that's when he makes his shoes, or see if anyone else on the yard had the farrier coming who could put it on. Would your work call you over the weekend then???!
 
My farrier comes out v quickly for a lost shoe - within 24hours and I would send him a text if it was at a weekend just to say he'd lost it and he would usually come straight out - as otherwise rock would be stuck in the stable as his feet crumble without shoes. However currently having a problem and can't get in contact with him, so i think hes only that good when it suits him.
 
After a good gallop over the stubble on Weds, my Jerry ended up with a very loose shoe. It couldn't be prised off without doing damage (only 2 nails were left in). I was worried it would twist and put a nail through his hoof (Jerry is quite accident prone!!) so rang farrier that evening. He did come out next morning which I think is reasonable although I worried all night!
 
Should have said he always works saturdays, hence me trying to get hold of him today, I would never ring him after about 12 on a saturady, and never on a sunday, he has a work line which he just turns off when he isnt working, so wouldnt be disturbing him. It wouldnt be any different if it was monday tbh, he is the same what every day it is, impossible to get hold of and takes ages to come out to replace lost shoes, just wondered what was reasonable to expect
 
[ QUOTE ]
I certainly wouldn't call my farrier at the weekend, he has a wife & 2 sons, & it's his weekend too. I would offer to take her to his forge Monday pm, that's when he makes his shoes, or see if anyone else on the yard had the farrier coming who could put it on. Would your work call you over the weekend then???!

[/ QUOTE ]

well like my farrier I work saturdays too, so wouldnt be surprised to get a call
 
[ QUOTE ]
My farrier does often work saturdays when hes busy, but I would never try to contact him on weekend or bank holiday. My last farrier didn't know the meaning of bank holiday so that was different. You may have to be prepared to take your horse to his forge or if a different farrier is visting the yard for other horses ask him nicely and no doubt he'll refit it. It be unreasonable if he doesn't fit you in within 7-10 days.

[/ QUOTE ]

mmmm...he didnt come for 2 weeks last time, by which time my horse hardly had any foot left
 
[ QUOTE ]
I would never call my farrier at the weekend unless an emergancy.

However my farrier would normally try and fit in a ref-it fairly quickly the following week.

[/ QUOTE ]

see if I knew this was the case then I would be quite happy, as it was I knew if I didnt get through to him today, then there would be no chance of him fitting jerry in next week, and I would have to wait till the following one, just wondered if this was normal really
 
[ QUOTE ]
Do you pay for lost shoes? My farrier doesn't charge for lost shoes nor does he if he refits a lost shoe on a horse he doesn't shoe (If you get me)

[/ QUOTE ]

Yes he does charges £15
 
I am in the same area as you! Would never dream of phoning my farrier at the weekend unless it was a medical emergency. Lost shoes are not critical IMHO. My farrier is brill - if it is critical, he pulls out all the stops, if it isn't, then he fits it in as and when.
 
Mine comes out to me pretty quickly for lost shoes (give him a couple of days), sometimes he'll be with me in half an hour as he's driving past or other times he won't come for four or five days as I'm a way out for him and if he's not driving past it makes it awkward to fit me in. Although he wouldn't leave it over a week. I do appreciate though that my farrier is very busy and in demand (that's why I have him, he's too good for his own good!) and if he can't come out then that's that. I could ask the yard farrier to re-fit a lost shoe for me as he's usually up at the yard every few days, but I wouldn't trust him to nail a painting to the wall let alone a shoe into my horse's hoof.
I think a week (seven days) would be the maximum amount of time I would be patient for, and a LOT less if I couldn't get hold of him. If I leave an answer phone message on my farrier's phone he always gets back to me very quickly to let me know he got the message and let me know how long it'll be until he can come over. If I were you I'd try again calling on Monday and if he doesn't pick up/ call back I'd be changing farriers to someone with better customer service!
 
[ QUOTE ]
I am in the same area as you! Would never dream of phoning my farrier at the weekend unless it was a medical emergency. Lost shoes are not critical IMHO. My farrier is brill - if it is critical, he pulls out all the stops, if it isn't, then he fits it in as and when.

[/ QUOTE ]

Lost shoes are a pain if it means cancelled lessons and competitions, which could be avoided if farrier would actually get back to me, I dont expect him come out on a weekend, just would like to get my horse' shoe back on in the next few days, not in two weeks time when he finally answers his phone. He was only shod last week anyway
 
See I always leave one message and then let him get back to me, I never keep calling, but I have waited weeks like this, and I have to admit I am beginning to lose patience. I know he is busy, but I am not far for him to go. He is excellent and I know I am lucky to have him, but sometimes I wonder if he is worth the hassle. When Hector lost a shoe last year, it was nearly 2 weeks before he came out, by which point he was lame, and he took another week to come sound after the shoe was put on.
 
On a weekday, I can get the farrier out within a couple of days, for a lost shoe. To do a set it can take a week, and he is always late but if I say its urgent he will get here (eventually!)
 
We have excellent farrier - he'll try to get out for lost shoes within 24 hours. Often it's sooner. I have to say we look after him - horses in, under cover, endless mugs of tea (for him, not the horses). Also, I suppose as I'm in a big livery yard, he's attending to one of his bigger customers in his view. Still, he's brilliant, wouldn't want to lose him.
 
I am very envious, I have been the nicest customer, he has as much tea as he can drink, and biscuits! Gets to shoe out of the rain, horses are always in, and I alway hold them for him rather than leave them tied up, I try to not nag him when he doesnt get back to me....
 
Mine is an excellent, turn up on time sort of guy (for bookings) and will replace foc any shoe lost within two weeks of fitting. To my knowledge, he doesn't work weekends and fiercely guards his family time. However, although he always answers his phone if he can (ie isn't under a horse) he is difficult to get in between times. I've been with him for over twenty years and he will come if he's passing, and I can meet him elsewhere if other customers permit and I am truly desperate. I have never had (touch wood) a medical emergency but due to scarce availability of a JMB vet I needed shoes off before next Monday. Mine couldn't possibly fit me in but a new farrier round here cheerfully rang me promptly back, came as he said and charged me half what he originally said to do the job.
laugh.gif
Very nice bloke, too.
blush.gif


I hope pony measures
tongue.gif
 
My horse lost a shoe 3 days ago, tried to get hold of my farrier, who is about to go on his hols, so said "sorry, if you can find someone to bang him one on in the meantime" Yeah cheers mate!!
I rang another who said "soz, cant get till next thursday, ring my mate, he will fit you in"
Rang mate, who said "ring me monday, i should come out tuesday"
FFS, my horse has a really sore front foot. BUt what can you do
DO FARRIERS RULE THE WORLD!!!!!
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top