Female farrier

Toby_Zaphod

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Thanks. He hasn't put a foot wrong lol so far apart from farrier so I just think she was the wrong farrier for him

Again I think you need to spend some time teaching your horse manners. The fact that the farrier is female doesn't mean anything. I have had the same male farrier for 20 years. Over the years he's got rid of 'problem' horses onto others & he retains the well mannered horses & only takes on new horses if they are owned by existing clients.
 

PaddyMonty

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Lévrier;13576193 said:
Well **** I work in HR and I don't like people - should I move to another profession, despite being very very good in my current one? ;)
I though a total dislike of people and the desire to mess with their heads was a pre-requisite to work in HR?
 

milliepops

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Just doing a quick swerve around the derail ;)
If she gets enough work that she can pick and choose I would imagine she does a good job of shoeing and therefore yes she chose the right profession. Spend any time on farriers pages and you will see that the best do pick and choose and have little time for any that are tricky or more likely to injury them and they are good enough that that is their perogative. Farriery shouldn't be a job of strength to hold a foot up, the horse should be doing that so was he leaning/pulling away?

It would be polite to say to the next farrier that the horse is new to you, that you are working on it and are happy to work with them to improve the horse if required but that you may need a longer appointment time etc (and pay appropriately for that time)

^^ agreed

Just because a male farrier might be stronger and therefore able to hold on to a horse that is wriggling about, doesn't mean that the problem is solved by getting a bloke in. It's still a difficult and unpleasant job for the man to do ;)

My OH is a farrier, he always comments that it's nice to shoe my horses because they've been taught to lift a hoof willingly when asked, stand still, and hold it up without fussing. I just saw that as the bare minimum that I needed to do as an owner.

Even a little wriggle at the wrong moment can lead to an injury, even just a scrape from a nail at the wrong moment can cut deep, bleed like mad and the nature of injuries on hands is that they take ages to heal :eek:

Practice makes perfect, I'm sure if you put a bit of time in then you'll teach him to stand nicely and you'll be one of the best clients :)
 

stormox

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Sounds like your horse needs a bit of training- a horse shouldnt lean on the farrier forcing him/her to take his weight. He should be trained that when his leg is picked up he takes the weight on the other 3 legs. My other half is a farrier and he cant stand horses who put all their weight on him- he calls them ill-mannered so and so's who havent been trained to lift their legs properly.
 

Nasicus

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Everyone is suggesting OP train the horse, which I totally agree with!
But maybe some suggestions on how OP could carry out said training would be of use? Having only had the horse 5 days, OP may be new to horses, and I'm just some suggestion and guidance would not go unappreciated :)
 

Fragglerock

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Sounds like your horse needs a bit of training- a horse shouldnt lean on the farrier forcing him/her to take his weight. He should be trained that when his leg is picked up he takes the weight on the other 3 legs. My other half is a farrier and he cant stand horses who put all their weight on him- he calls them ill-mannered so and so's who havent been trained to lift their legs properly.

I have two well behaved horses, my old farrier retired and the new farrier said he knew they wouldn't be a problem as old farrier wouldn't work with difficult horses. However now they are older and joints a bit a stiffer than in their youth it's not so easy, particularly for one, to keep his knees bent for too long. As a matter of interest how do you train a horse not to lean on you?
 

Apercrumbie

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If the horse is too bolshy to be handled by a woman, then it needs better manners.

In terms of how you do that, firm consistent boundaries are needed. Little things like learning to back up when you enter the stable, wait patiently while you open/close gates are all very useful. Groundwork is essential - being able to manoeuvre your horse around you with a hand on his flank. With the farrier situation, start by increasing the time you hold his hooves while picking them out each day. Practice standing his front ones on an upturned bucket (if you have one solid enough) so he gets used to staying in position. Practice hitting his feet with something metal (not too hard obviously) so he gets used to the banging of being shoed. Practice makes perfect!
 

milliepops

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good advice apercrumbie, I would add that if you have a horse that pulls its front foot away from you when you pick it up, then if you bend the leg further so that the toe of the hoof is at least flat or even pointing slightly upwards then they find it difficult to get any strength behind it. You can stand there and hold the foot up with your fingertips while they learn to be patient :)
(prob not recommended for very stiff horses, though one would hope by the time they are old & stiff, this stuff is well established :wink3:)
 

SEL

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I have two well behaved horses, my old farrier retired and the new farrier said he knew they wouldn't be a problem as old farrier wouldn't work with difficult horses. However now they are older and joints a bit a stiffer than in their youth it's not so easy, particularly for one, to keep his knees bent for too long. As a matter of interest how do you train a horse not to lean on you?

I give my draft with dodgy joints a double dose of danilon the day before to make life easier. The farrier also uses a hoof stand for him. When he was asked to stand on 3 legs he just used to lean (all 750kg!) and I'd find the farrier strapping on back supports, arm supports and a whole load of other supports before he'd start trimming! So we have the stand on the lowest setting for him and he balances himself pretty well now.
 

Apercrumbie

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I would add that if you have a horse that pulls its front foot away from you when you pick it up, then if you bend the leg further so that the toe of the hoof is at least flat or even pointing slightly upwards then they find it difficult to get any strength behind it. You can stand there and hold the foot up with your fingertips while they learn to be patient :)

Essential knowledge if you own a naughty Shetland :D
 

ester

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Everyone is suggesting OP train the horse, which I totally agree with!
But maybe some suggestions on how OP could carry out said training would be of use? Having only had the horse 5 days, OP may be new to horses, and I'm just some suggestion and guidance would not go unappreciated :)

It's difficult without seeing what exactly the horse is doing, which is why I samuggested they discuss it with the new farrier as to what work they need to do with the horse to help them.
 

Nasicus

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It's difficult without seeing what exactly the horse is doing, which is why I samuggested they discuss it with the new farrier as to what work they need to do with the horse to help them.

Your reply was definitely of use Ester, no worries :)
 

Fragglerock

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I give my draft with dodgy joints a double dose of danilon the day before to make life easier. The farrier also uses a hoof stand for him. When he was asked to stand on 3 legs he just used to lean (all 750kg!) and I'd find the farrier strapping on back supports, arm supports and a whole load of other supports before he'd start trimming! So we have the stand on the lowest setting for him and he balances himself pretty well now.

Mine gets Danilon too - he's really not an awkward horse to shoe (or hasn't been in the 15 years I have owned him). I have a feeling that my current farrier might not be quite so accomodating as yours if he gets worse. Mines still shod rather than trimmed too.
 

stormox

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The other side to the coin of course is maybe she wasnt the farrier for the OPs horse, but I know tall strong farriers who wont do minis or donkeys - the bending kills their back! so theres plenty of opportunities for all good farriers, male, female, tall and small!
 

Gerilew

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Thanks for replies ...well some of them !! I worked with him today and he picked up every foot I banged with pick and I yes I !! decided when he would put it down. As for the other stuff he backs up he respects my space he is not bargy and is generally very well mannered ....I just thinking my choice of new farrier was s**** or maybe she was :p
 

Goldenstar

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Thanks for replies ...well some of them !! I worked with him today and he picked up every foot I banged with pick and I yes I !! decided when he would put it down. As for the other stuff he backs up he respects my space he is not bargy and is generally very well mannered ....I just thinking my choice of new farrier was s**** or maybe she was :p

I would reserve judgement until the horse has been well mannered when shod by someone else if I where you .
 

Auslander

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I prefer to have tricky horses done in two sessions - fronts one day, hinds another - for the sake of my farrier, and the horse. Alf was shod all round, but was getting progressively more difficult to do behind, as his hocks got stiffer. After a particularly traumatic session, I decided it wasn't worth upsetting him, and risking the farriers safety, so he is now unshod behind and wears boots for hacking.
Doing it in two sessions makes it a quicker job, so less traumatic for the horse, and less risky for the farrier. It costs a little more, but it's worth it to me.
 

KittenInTheTree

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Thanks for replies ...well some of them !! I worked with him today and he picked up every foot I banged with pick and I yes I !! decided when he would put it down. As for the other stuff he backs up he respects my space he is not bargy and is generally very well mannered ....I just thinking my choice of new farrier was s**** or maybe she was :p

It's completely plausible that the farrier was the one at fault, OP. Contrary to popular myth, they aren't gods, and they do get stuff wrong. Being a woman doesn't make any difference there. Just carry on enforcing calm, well mannered behaviour with your horse and hire someone else to do his feet. It's absolutely fine to chop and change until you find the right person for the job. My other tip would be to try and make sure that the horse isn't desperate for a wee or a poo at the time, as this can make them act out with the farrier.
 

Lydiamae

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My OH is a farrier, and regularly does days with a female farrier. Neither of them put up with rude or leaning horses, and why should they? It is a tasking physical job, and also with horses with no manners, dangerous.
 
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