If a farrier scrwed up your horse would you tell others?

[Gingerwitch]

As above - the poor horse is now under the vets and in a plaster cast to support his hoof until we can try and sort some kind of a shoe out for the poor mite

 

[GrumpyHero]

I'm not one for badmouthing but if a farrier is particularly bad at his job (to have caused an injury to a horse!) I would definitely not keep it a secret.
I wouldn't go round telling everyone but if someone were to ask -i'd tell them straight.

 

[Gingerwitch]

It was that bad the horse was developing stress lamintus and was apparantly physically shaking during the shoeing - really angry as i did not even get a call to say the poor horse was in a state/lame - he was put back in his stable and left for me to find.

 

[Leg_end]

Report them to the FRC ASAP. That's what I did.

 

[philamena]

Poor thing! God yes, in that situation. I'd tread carefully in how I did it, as it can backfire if people think you're interfering or are otherwise attacking them for their choices, but if you're absolutely definitely certain that a farrier / vet / whoever is at fault, then I think we have a responsibility to horses in general to make sure the people we know know what happened so they can take responsibility for making their own decision in that situation themselves. Same with any professional - if someone's going to put their trust in them with something so precious as a horse's wellbeing, then I think we shouldn't worry about offending sensibilities.

ETA - absolutely report them as well.

 

[AmyMay]

No, because that's slander. But you should raise your concerns with the FRC

 

[Meowy Catkin]

Surely it's not slander if you are telling the truth and can prove it?

ETA. leg_end - did you get anywhere with your complaint to the FRC?

 

[Scarlett]

Report them to the FRC ASAP. That's what I did.

Can I ask what sort of response you got? I tried raising a concern with them when my vet got involved ref my horses feet and they weren't interested....

 

[Tiffany]

I would certainly write to the Farriers Council and hope the farrier concerned isn't on the complaints committee which is what happened with me.
If anyone asks me about the farrier in question, I tell them my experience with him which is true so I don't feel I am doing anything wrong.

 

[wyrdsister]

One of my horses was pretty much written off by my farrier. I was fairly upfront that her problems had either been a direct result of naff shoeing or from compensating for it, but never mentioned the name unless specifically asked. If someone asked for my experience with x farrier, I tended to stick with a 'barge pole' reply.

 

[Meowy Catkin]

I would certainly write to the Farriers Council and hope the farrier concerned isn't on the complaints committee which is what happened with me.

Oh no! What happened?

 

[philamena]

No, because that's slander.

It's not slander if you're factually accurate and pass on your experience in the right way. Your key legal defences against someone's claim that a criticism of them is slander include: that what you said was the truth, that you are sure of that because you have taken steps to ensure what you're saying is factually accurate, that it was in the public interest (rather than for your own gain), that before you say anything publicly you offer a right to reply, and that the tone in which you do it is factual and reasonable and purely based on facts you've set out to establish. So if you do it in the right way, it isn't slander.

 

[Leg_end]

Surely it's not slander if you are telling the truth and can prove it?

ETA. leg_end - did you get anywhere with your complaint to the FRC?

Can I ask what sort of response you got? I tried raising a concern with them when my vet got involved ref my horses feet and they weren't interested....

Mine is complicated as I am also taking civil action so this has to be completed before the FRC process. It has been logged with them and I will pursue it further once the civil side is done.