How did you find your farrier?

T

TheFarrier

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jamesthefarrier.co.uk
Just wondered how you found your current and any previous farriers. Most of my clients (if not all) are by word of mouth but i am trying to break into other areas now as the ones i do go to are too close to the farrier college and not enough work for me. But since i dont have clients in those new areas am having to advertise.

Do you try a farrier that you have seen in an advert but may not know? How would i as a farrier pick up new clients (in new areas) when my own clientel is maximised as far as word of mouth goes?

*this is not an advertisement and should not be taken as such*

Thanks all
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Word of mouth - so not much help there

Erm... shoe lots of instructors horses! Because they will give pupils your details. (Hmmm.. but you can't just ask so not much help there either)

Shoeing at events would get your name in the programme or sponsoring events - I would try a farrier that had advertised in either of those ways.
 
I found my farrier as he also does the riding school that my horse is at (part livery and part riding school)
I think alot is by word of mouth as there are some dodgey ones out there... not saying this means you!!
Have you tries riding schools? Our ones has regular fortnightly visits, as they have been let down so many times. You could offer the same service, and therefore getting your name more known in that area.
I think advertising is less likely to work due to people not knowing you or your work.

Good Luck!!
 
I suggest every 8weeks a trip you to norfolk and you can add me too your list
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On a serious note though, i came across my farrier by seeing him on the same yard as me a good four years back, given he's reasonbly priced an had a very tasty apprentice at the time ( the one whos now left
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but honestly, his work is just as good as his looks, if not better
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)

Saying that i have had breaks from him when i did see and advert for a farrier around at showgrounds etc and he was very good, if he hadnt of gone back to spain i think i would of kept to him, so wouldnt be put off by someone unknown as such!
have you tried placing adverts up in tack shops, equestrian centres etc?
 
Difficult isnt it. I want to get out of the areas i am in (too many other farriers) and into new ones but dont have any/many clients there so am not known.

May try going to a couple of livery yards thanks!!

Im not big into competition shoeing but may be doing one of the shires on my books at a heavy horse show in a few months (for the public *gulp*)
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MBB - 8 hour round trip... would be forced to charge milage
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No tasty apprentice sorry, and i am married so i guess thats out too lol although i am reasonably priced
 
Mine does our whole yard(25 horses) and we get a £12 discount off his normal rate for a ful set. He is always open to questions and I had no end of probs when I first got my tb and he has conferred with my vet and I now have a tb with good feet and that can keep shoes on for six weeks at a time.
 
my first hot shoeing farrier I found by finding his business card, he was new to the area but was trying further afield. he then did a vanishing trick.
I came accross my last one by accident. i walked up to him on the yard and asked him if he couold do me a favour by putting a thrown shoe back on my mare. he did such a good job (and was cheaper as he guaranteed his shoes) the i let him carry on shoeing her - he was actually covering a farrier who was on holiday at the time.
my other farrier i used was found by word of mouth.

i now dont use a farrier but a trimmer and i found her as she is a natural horsemanship trainer. i had her out for some training sessions and got talking about feet one day - the rest they say is history
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More of the same - word of mouth.

My current one is a cheeky chap who we all adore...even though he turns up when feels like it and charges a fortune! Sorry that's really not fair.

He is a really good farrier and the shoes stay on despite the wet clay (most of the time) and word gets around - believe me.

Try county shows etc Regional horse mags (I shall wash my mouth out sorry H&H) etc

I suppose over the last 12 years or so I have used about 4 or 5 farriers. Only one was a mistake - the others I wish they could have continued.

Good luck
 
When we moved here I had a great deal of trouble finding someone to shoe my mare as she was not very good to do. Looked at the farrier web pages and rang each farrier in the area making wider and wider circles. Eventally one returned my call and has now been shoeing mine 5 years. It was very frustrating as many of the farriers in this area have very full books and they do not return calls. I think most people go by word of mouth. Do you have sign writing on your van? That might help. Tack shops and yards drop off flyers with number strip to pull off with name and number on
 
also wanted to say - i managed to get my farrier onto a huge dressage yard, just by booking him to go shoe her when she was in training there and recommending him - lots of clients all in one palce
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very happy farrier, though I didnt get a discount on my shoeing cos of it
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:P
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Well if all fails on me getting mr tasty, ill pay your mileage although i may then be to poor to pay you for your work
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My OH watches over me when i have the farrier, me doesnt know why, i do behave
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... I reassure him its cause i HAVE to concentrate so hard to make sure they do a good enough job to warren being paid
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My previous farriers were by word of mouth or being used by other people on the yard - all were rubbish for various reasons - the main ones being not returning phonecalls and turning up late if at all and then being plain rude! Went to farriers website and phoned round other farriers in the area and 'interviewed' them over the phone. Explained my issues with previous farriers and what I was looking for ie a farrier that turned up when they were booked, returned phone calls and in return my horses are always in with clean feet, in dry hard standing yard with good light - and out of the weather, I am always there always pay cash and make cups of tea (biscuits too and the occaisional bacon sandwich!). Have found a great farrier (father and son - so have benefit of master farrier used to dealing with remedial shoeing etc if necessary) who always turn up on time and return calls. They now do 2 other horses on the yard as they have all got fed up with other farriers turning up late, doing a bad job etc etc.
 
SU you sound like a client i would love to have
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i wish more provided simple things like lighting when they want their horse shod after dark. anyhoo.

I am a prefessional who returns calls (my wife bless her makes sure of that) and also down to my wife organising my days like someone planning a miliary strategy i am almost always punctual or sometimes even early.

My problem is i cant just go telling people that.
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I will try all the suggestions on here thatnk you guys!! My word of mouth clientel is like i said pretty much exhausted.
 
I think you need to make friends with all the farriers in your area. You need to build a reputation when you are new, and you can do that by offering to stand in when they can't make an appointment, or offering to be 'on call' for them if a client rings them when a horse has lost a shoe on a Sunday morning with a comp on Sunday afternoon for example.

When you are new you have to bend over backwards to do whatever - in 5 years time you will have a client base all your own and will be referring Sunday call outs to the next young pup.....
 
The farrier I have does 5 of mine and now has taken on four more of the yards horses. He always rings if he is running late. In return I try to give him my horses with clean feet and a hard standing area. I am always there always pay cash and make cups of coffee.
 
Bedlam i have been a farrier for a while now!
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i am not new by any means (nor am i old though) And i dont always have time to be a stand in and i know most of the farriers in this area as i regularly attend our farrier club meetings. I would not take their clients its not how i run my business but if someone is loking for a farrier then yay for me
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I would not want to take another farriers clients so dont like this suggestion much sorry, im just trying to change areas so in a few months to a year or so we can move closer to where my wife works
 
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