is this a bit much and does it sound right, farrier

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westparc

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i had to change farrier as i had had enough of my farrier not turning up.
so used one of a friend as she rated him, he does a really good job and i am pleased with what he does but

he keeps picking on things that dont need to be mentioned
he is adiment that she needs her feet doing every 7 weeks but there is never really any regrowth
and refits all the time but charges the same amount
he charges £45 for half a set whether its a refit or not and £70 for a set which i feel is really expensive
and since i have changed she really snatches and stressy about her back legs being done which she never has done before

i know some of you may think im making a fuss but im not sure what to do
 
I pay £50 for a half set and £75 for a full set and of yes, VAT is on TOP of that.

I also have my horses shod every five weeks in the summer and six weeks in the winter.
 
Theres not only 2 farriers in the world. See if you can have another one, even if you only use him once. I would say the horse being happy is no 1, its not worth making her 'scared' of the farrier, because she'll have ALOT more meetings with him
 
I'm not sure what advice you are looking for but farriery once every 7 weeks sounds fine to me (mine are done every 6 weeks). Refits, I don't have a problem with. It doesn't matter to me whether the shoes are new or not so long as they don't wear out and last the time. The shoes are not really what you are paying for, you're paying for his time, so I wouldn't quibble about that. Have you not noticed if he is doing something different to you when he holds up her back legs? If you have then just mention it to him.
 
westparc said:
and since i have changed she really snatches and stressy about her back legs being done which she never has done before

i know some of you may think im making a fuss but im not sure what to do
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You are not making a fuss and it sounds like your horse is giving her opinion loud and clear to me. :)
 
7 weeks is a fairly long time to go without a trim, we do ours every month. The prices sound about fair, we are ever so slightly less but i know people around the country pay a LOT more than that! Refits are the same price as new shoes as the farrier still has to trim the feet, shape them and the shoes aand fit them correctly so there isnt really much of a difference in his time or skill that you are paying for.
The back legs issue could be that he is re-shaping them slightly and your horse is feeling the difference. It could well ease after they get used to it.
We've had horses come to us who have been really badly shod and when our farrier shoes them correctly, they take a little time to adjust to the difference of being able to use heir feet properly.
 
7 weeks sounds reasonable, from my experience 7-8 is normal. How long were they going before?
Most farriers charge less for refits but not all - ask around to see how much a refit and new set costs.
 
I could get two of my horses shod with the amount of money you're paying :eek:

But then I'm very lucky as my farrier is very cheap :D £20 front shoe (includes trimming of back), £40 full shoe, £10 trim!
 
We pay £50 for a full set, but have them done every 6 weeks without fail.

However if your horse is hating him, find someone else!
 
The money side sounds about average, the time, again, about average.
Have you only used him once or twice? If so, it's a new person, and your horse probably just hasn't gotten used to him yet, I'd play up if some random stranged started grabbing my legs! Unless you can see the guy pulling your horses leg harshly, or doing something to make her kick out, I wouldn't worry.
I pay £60 for a full set of refits, £64 for a full set of new and I think a trim is £18? In my opinion thats a pretty cheap price.

Maybe the poor guy is just trying to give his advice/opinion? He is a farrier afterall haha.
If she really doesn't need her feet doing every seven weeks, then just tell him that.

You could have a much worse farrier, believe me! But as mrchives said, there are plenty of them out there to choose from!
 
I think that when people start to dictate to you that they will visit every five or six weeks, this is more often than not so that they can plan their diary. The growth that horses put on their feet will change through the seasons, and some horses can and do go a lot longer between shoeings. Conversely others may need the farrier more frequently, one horse I used to use a lot had to be reshod every three weeks in the summer as her shoes became that thin you could shave with them.

I was lucky I suppose in having a farrier who would work with me and plan his visits around the horses requirements.
 
Are you a farrier? Did you do 5 years training? I'm not trying to have a go but probably not as you are asking questions on here, yes do not trust everything you hear but he has had the training and if you dont trust him dont use him. I would love a farrier that is constantly pointing things out about your horse, did you already know it was a problem maybe not so he is pointing them out so you can keep your eye out and do something about it before its a problem. My horse is reshod every 5 weeks he may take a cm off max I left him 7 weeks over christmas and felt really bad. Sometimes to hoof does not grow evenly heels grow slower than the toe so if you leave it too long you wilol be causing an inbalance which could lead to further problems.
 
Agree its not just about regrowth but balance is vital. I don't think 7 weeks is unreasonable at all.

Full set - £80 for my big lad, and we're done every 5 weeks given how his feet grow - again, its about balance.

The plus though is that it is only £65 for refits - but only because of the extra work involved in making his flipping boats!
 
Every Farrier will be slightly different in their approach and thinking, it is not an exact science, and every horse will be different - my hunters are shod every four weeks, the RS horses every six weeks and a few of the ponies have gone 8 weeks for their trims while others are trimmed at six weeks.

Talk to your farrier and get him to explain what he is trying to acheive and if he any worries or problems with your horses feet and Hind legs - if your still not happy then call another Farrier, when you find one that suits you and your horse - it money well spent !
 
You could also have a read of all the barefoot information and consider that as a choice, rather than feeling that shoeing is the only route. Google Pete Ramey as a start!
 
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