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after 5 years of post graduate employment I expect my job to....

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TheFarrier

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jamesthefarrier.co.uk
*I may have to do this post again in the week since there are less people online on the weekends it seems*
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I was just wondering how often you have your horses feet attended too, whether it is trims/shoes and done by a farrier or a trimmer. Regardless of what or who i would like to know how often.

I have clients that leave their horses far too long between trimming/shoeing but of course i can only advise.

If you leave your horse longer than 6weeks what is the reason for this? Growth or tightness of shoes should not be the reason for having the horse done, good feet are established by regular appointments and no foot can remain level and balanced if it is expected to go for 7 or more weeks between appointments.

Thanks guys for all the input and information you all give me its great.
 
I have a farrier coming every 6-7 weeks, mixture of shod and trimmed. The reason for the timing is convenience, both mine and the farrier.
Horses seem to do really well on that routine.
 
I have 3 horses and 2 ponies currently being shod. The horses tend to go 4-5 weeks depending on time of year, and the ponies 5-6 weeks. The advantage of being married to a farrier is they tend to get done as and when they need it (especially if the children ask him
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), but before we got married, he used to come to the yard once a week and shoe whatever needed doing, so I have never been one to leave a horse too long between visits.

To my mind, aside from the welfare aspect, it makes no sense to keep a horse (with all the time and expenditure involved) which you can't ride because it's shoes are hanging off
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Actually, after 45 days if I can get hold of him. If shoes are ok he will remove them, attend to feet as necessary and re apply old shoes for another 45 days. He is happy to do this as he says there is less work for him than if he has to just come every 8 weeks. My OH will also remove the shoes before farrier arrives, especially if we know we are going to be his first morning call. We always have the horses in and their feet clean, which I think he finds refreshing!
 
[ QUOTE ]
I have 3 horses and 2 ponies currently being shod. The horses tend to go 4-5 weeks depending on time of year, and the ponies 5-6 weeks. The advantage of being married to a farrier is they tend to get done as and when they need it (especially if the children ask him
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), but before we got married, he used to come to the yard once a week and shoe whatever needed doing, so I have never been one to leave a horse too long between visits.

To my mind, aside from the welfare aspect, it makes no sense to keep a horse (with all the time and expenditure involved) which you can't ride because it's shoes are hanging off
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[/ QUOTE ]

Do some of your husbands clients leave the horses for ages? I have one yard the man is a well know breeder of a rare horse and i only hear from him every six months or more
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Some of my clients only ring if the shoes are coming off even if its 12 weeks, maybe i should shoe 'looser'
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i go 6-7 weeks depending on what my farrier thinks the horse's feet are looking like at the time if they are well he says just to leave them 7 and i trust him and take his word for it
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I put 7 weeks but, I can only put in one barefoot, and I also have shoes!!!! (too many horses!)

Anyway, my farrier is really good, and it's normally about every 7 weeks. I will ask for them to be done sooner, if I feel they need looking at or they are doing a lot of work.
 
I've ticked 7 weeks for interval - I only have the pony shod - and I usually work on 7 weeks for her - but if she needs doing sooner then she will be. Of the other 3 - my mare is barefoot, and other 2 are babies. The 2 babies I will have done whenever they need doing - if he has to come every 4 week or so - then that is what we do. I don't make them hold out for when the pony needs shoeing to have them trimmed.

My mare is usually trimmed on the same pattern as the pony's shoes - but if she needs doing when the farrier comes to do the babies then she will be done.
 
Mine is shod front only and he comes every 6 weeks.

Around Christmas last year, she did go 13 weeks though
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.
It was more by circumstance than design.

To be fair, the shoes were neither loose and her feet hadn'g grown that much either.

I was tempted to see if I could go longer than 6 weeks after that but I never have
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I usually have my pony done every 6 weeks, this could creep up to 7 weeks if I can't get an appointment to suit us both (I work full time) but that is quite rare.

Mini Shetlands are done every other time i.e 12 weeks - they are not shod or even ridden and don't have any problems with their feet - farrier seems happy with this - and it saves money.
 
About 7 years ago, I had 2 of my horses shod, the farrier was recommended to me. He said he would only need to come out every 12 weeks to them
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I put ever 8 weeks because when i got her she had no back shoes on just front. she had no heel on back feet so been as she is new to him and myself he left it for 8 weeks as he wanted them to grow. then we will take it from there to see how long i need to see him next ie 5 or 6 weeks.
 
I have always booked 6-8 weeks so ticked 7. I book my farrier for next appt. after each visit. As I have 11 horses (some unbacked and unshod) I actually see him every month and he does half the yard. Then he can deal with problems as they arise.
 
I take my farriers advice, normally its 6 weeks, but this time we are going to do 5 as her feet are growing so much and ahe has a bit of hoof missing.

I keep a good eye on her feet though and if anything needs looking at I always call him, Ive learnt there is something in the no foot no horse saying!!!
 
My horse gets shod when he needs to be done, usually it ends up 6/7 weeks.

I look at his shoes and decide if he needs done - if clenches raised/horn starting to grow over shoe etc.

Then i txt farrier to see when he is avaliable!
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for instance, I think he needs shod again, txt farrier last tuesday and he is coming on monday at 8am (
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) as I have an event tomorrow and next sunday and I dont think that they will stay on for another week so best to get them done!
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I have a mixture of shod and unshod - and one wo is 50/50 atm. They have all been mine for long enough to find 6 weeks to be an optimum time for a shoe refit and the trim occasionally is left as he gets footsore if done too regularly. He has great feet - in fact all mine seem to have excellent horn quality
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but I think my farriers are excellent, take great pains to shoe for the individual and listen to my concerns/voice theirs, if any.
 
I have my mare done every 6 to 7 weeks (depending how the dates fall and what suits my farrier)
She has front shoes and the hinds trimmed.
When she was barefoot she went longer between trim's, no set amount of weeks though as it varied depending on the season etc, I have always used the farrier, never had a barefoot trimmer do her feet.
 
Mine are done every eight weeks, on the advice of the farrier. If he thinks they need doing more often then we change the intervals accordingly.

We have 7 barefoot (5 arabs, a New Forest and a shettie) and 1 arab that has front shoes only.
 
Bella is only 10 months old but has been seen by the farrier for a trim twice so far at 6 weekly intervals. She is due again in a couple of weeks. She may not need anything doing other than a quick rasp but I feel its best to get her used to having her feet done whilst she's young. Less trouble then when she's older that way
 
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