I *think* I'm being sacked off by my farrier

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glamourpuss

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When I acquired my young lad I kept on with his farrier as his feet seemed good (shod in natural balance)
Now this farrier isn't cheap being £15 a set more than my other farrier.

I've always paid on time, the horse is always in waiting with clean, dry legs & feet. I always make a brew & at Christmas give a nice bottle of wine. If a shoe gets cast I never expect instant replacing. Plus I've never complained the couple of times he forgot to turn up or when he's forgotten stud holes - so all in all I don't think I'm that bad a client.

Normally we agree a day for shoeing & the day before he will send me a text to confirm a time.
The day agreed was last Tues. I didn't get a time so hung about all day in case he got back to me to say he was on his way. Tues evening I sent a text just reminding him horse was due. No reply.
Wednesday again no contact so I sent a polite text asking for a date & time as horse needed shoeing. No reply.
Thursday I tried calling (no answer) then sent another polite text asking if he could contact me. I got a reply saying he was arranging a slot for me & would get back to me.
I've heard nothing.

TBH I don't see why I should keep hounding him to come & shoe the horse. I'm tempted to just forget it now & book horse in with my other farrier (& buy myself wine with the £15 I would save)
WWYD? Shall I try & contact him again or just accept I've been sacked off?
 
I've just had this! To be fair, I now have 3 trims instead of 4 horses with 8 shoes between them, and he had to travel quite a long way. I waited ages, kept trying to get in touch, no joy. My new farrier came out last week and is fab.

Find a new one :)
 
Could it be that something has happened to him? Have you checked with other Farriers if they've heard anything? I say this because my farrier was suddenly called in for a kidney transplant, and as his friend drove him to the hospital, he rang all his customers to advise them, and to get other Farriers to cover his duties. I realise my farrier is extremely conscientious, but maybe yours has had an accident or been taken ill? If this isn't the case, get yourself a new farrier pdq.
 
Some farriers don't like coming out for just one horse, especially if they have to travel a few miles. I would forget him.
 
I think you should give him the benefit of the doubt this time. As he has been good at communicating before there could be a very good reason why he hasn't been in touch.
 
I used to use a trimmer who came from down south, but had a friend and round where I live. She was coming every 6 weeks, but pony was pretty much self trimming so I asked if she could come every 12. Yep thats fine she said before Christmas, ill text you with the date i'm next up your way. Not heard anything from her since :( I've text, rung, emailed etc and nothing. I am not annoyed, more worried that something may have happened to her as she was so lovely and I cant see her just sacking me off. But I think she probably did :p
 
I knew a farrier that did this! He was going through a divorce, think he had a mental break down and ran off abroad with another woman
 
i had the same as you and i gave him the benefit of the doubt, i even spoke to him about it in a polite manor but the situation never improved. I like you thought i was the model customer....but that doesnt seem to make a blind bit of difference!

I've since gone barefoot and use a lovely trimmer who turns up on the day he says he will and texts if he is running a little late. No hassles no drama, so i say change and find someone better for your own peace of mind.
 
i'd have your other farrier come if you are over due, but I would think maybe something has happened and sometimes even a quick text is too much, maybe a close family member has passed away? I wouldnt be calling people if my family needed me. sometimes we have extreme situations. I'd sort my horse and send a text saying that I have sorted it for this time, could he please contact when he can and that you hope everything is ok
 
Thank you for the response guys.

It really is absurd. Last time he came the weather was crap so I'd spent an age clearing a space in one of our barns so he was out of the elements. Something he seemed grateful for.
He doesn't even have to travel far. I'm less than a mile from where he lives :D
He has recently been moaning about losing clients to a 'new boy in town' but now I can see why ;)

I've called & left a message with T'other farrier.
 
I had a farrier so this, kept telling me he would be there so I had time off work and every time he was a no show, fantastic at his job but I think it was the fact he came to the yard for 1 half set but I did tie it in with when he did the big yard of horses down the road but hey ho, I found an equally good farrier who even rang if he was running 10 mins late which was very rare :) deffo Chang farrier, why they have to be so mysterious about not turning up baffles me
 
Is your horse difficult?

I get the impression that my farrier might not find my difficult (ish) single horse, who only wears fronts, worth the bother and I wouldn't really blame him for that! Am about to try someone new who is just setting up on her own as perhaps she will want the job a bit more. No offence meant anywhere, just that for good, busy, established farriers who do big studs and yards a single horse that isn't perfect is perhaps not the most enticing job in the world. Could you be in the same position as me? Actually, even if the horse is perfect in fairness, it might still not be the most appealing job.
 
I think everyone has given sensible advice, good luck with the new one.

However, I do have a really big problem with your post title...I keep swapping the 'a' in sacked for something completely different and I don't think I've had enough coffee to cope with the double takes.:D


<whistles/hopes that's not too rude for HHO/whistles>
 
Lovescobs said:
i'd have your other farrier come if you are over due, but I would think maybe something has happened and sometimes even a quick text is too much, maybe a close family member has passed away? I wouldnt be calling people if my family needed me. sometimes we have extreme situations. I'd sort my horse and send a text saying that I have sorted it for this time, could he please contact when he can and that you hope everything is ok
Click to expand...

But he did take the time to text her and say he would book her a slot with no explanation. Even if the worst has happened, it takes a few seconds to compose a text such as 'due to unforseen circumstances/family crisis I am unable to come out to your horse, will be in touch to rearrange as soon as I can' and send to everyone in his contacts. I know life happens (my farrier's wife is in hospital and he just didn't turn up, no text etc but I knew from a friend) but it would be nice once the crisis is over if they had a client base to return to.
 
Spottyappy said:
Why do you have two different farriers?
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Because one horse is in natural balance shoes and one isn't and her original farrier (who does the horse who isn't in natural balance boots) is £15 a set cheaper. Which over a year works up to an amount of money most people would consider saving ;)
 
Oops,didn't quite read to right,thx jesst.
That,however,maybe the reason,as your farrier may feel if you think he either can't work how you like,or if he suspects other one is cheaper,he maybe thinks "get on with it" then,and get some one else.
However,in the interests of being professional,he should have the decency to tell you.
 
It seems to be quite common that farriers are unreliable and I really do not get it at all - how do they expect to keep clients? Thet can't
 
It seems to be quite common that farriers are unreliable and I really do not get it at all - how do they expect to keep clients? (sorry phone!), they can't just keep the multi-horse owners and sod the rest as they should not think they can just rely on the bigger accounts. I would just use your other farrier and let this one know you have had to get your horse done by someone else seeing as you'd not heard back from him and had struggled to contact him. It's business in my mind, if he doesn't want it, fine!
 
Yes Jess that's it exactly why I have the 2 different farriers :)
I have 3 horses 1 in ordinary shoes, 1 unshod - they are done by 1 farrier & this horse in NB shoes who was done by AWOL farrier.
I'm a great believer if its not broke don't fix it. Horse was shod by this farrier when I got him. I explained I would be moving him & asked if the farrier was happy to carry on shoeing him, he said he was.

Horse isn't bad to shoe, in fact he was a bit naughty when I first got him but he's an angel now. Again something this farrier has commented on.

The reason we had the set up the text arrangement was because it was more convenient for the farrier. Because I'm so close to where he lives it meant he could tag me onto the start/end of his day.

Ah well, other farrier says he is happy to shoe him so it's all fine, it'll take a bit of jiggling to get them all in synch then he can just come & do the 3 in one go :)
 
I'm always worried my farrier will sack me, there are quite a few new ones in my area so I could find another but I like him and the job he does so I'd be very sad to lose him.

He and the sharer of one of my horses just don't get on so I try to make sure they never have to see each other. I think it's a simple issue of a lack of appreciation of the artisan on behalf of my sharer (why is he more expensive than x's farrier? why won't he come when its convenient to me?)

Also, he does my other horse and my friend's pony which live in a totally inconvenient place, he doesn't normally need anyone there and goes at his convenience but my mare has decided to be a pain in the butt so he had to abort the last attempt and now we have to be there for that one.

He's an excellent farrier so I just pray he forgives my stupid mare!

My loan mare (that I'm buying) has a different farrier, he's a nice guy too, maybe not as technically up to date as my guy but certainly good and he's been shoeing her for 12 years so knows her, I'd feel bad to take her off him, so I now have 2 farriers, but when he retires I will see if my other farrier wants to do her too.
 
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I imagine the current weather has played havoc with farriers schedules - mine is due out on Mon and at the moment we are still 'cut off' so not sure if he will be able to get here - if lots have people have been phoning/texting him it would be quite forgiveable if he has forgotten to get back to you?

Maybe try him one more time before making a decision? I have had my farrier for 8yrs and know how much he values my custom.
 
I've had this before, I assumed he was just too busy to come for one horse (and mine had been awkward before) so in the end I said 'let me know if you are going to be too busy, I have a friend round the corner having her farrier out soon so could get it done with hers this time?' Then a time was arranged quite quickly. I wasn't going to change permanently as I like him and don't particularly like the other one available but was getting desperate and couldn't ride my horse!

Turned out his partner is having a baby so I guess he was just preoccupied, but glad I persevered as he will need the custom now and he does deserve it!

I think a lot of them are not naturally organised business folk, bless them!
 
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