Just a little rant about farriers >:-/

marmalade76

marmalade76

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Ever come across one of these? Happen to have another farrier as a one off 'cause he happened to be in the right place at the right time. He then rubbbishes the work of your current farrier and tells you how he would shoe your horse differently, so you drop your current farrier in favour of this new guy who seems to be really keen to improve your horse's feet, but then fails to answer any of your calls and when he finally gets back to you (by text!!), only offers to come after dark for a field kept horse! If he really didn't want my business, why rubbish the farrier I was using before?? Humph.
 
I'd be wary of any professional rubbishing another professionals work. Depending on how it was done, it would make me think he was vying for my business. If it was so much putting the other farriers work down, but instead saying, "have you thought your horse might be more comfortable if you did x,y and z or have you tried such and such," then I'd be more impressed.

If my horse is happy and comfortable, then I wouldn't be changing farriers - its so difficult to get one in the first place.

Can you get your own farrier back easily? Hope you get sorted with one, and at least you found out early on, that he's not reliable. x
 
My farrier won't take on any other farriers work without a valid reason......I would be very hesitant to change to one who did.....but then I wouldn't use an alternative farrier who happened to be in the 'right place at the right time'......as far as I am concerned, my farrier is always in the right time at the right place, because I book my appointments in advance!!!
 
Perhaps you should have spoken to your original farrier first? It drives me mad when professionals run each others work down. If one of our customers use another farrier they never get taken back on the books. It's not worth the hassle
 
Maisy said:
My farrier won't take on any other farriers work without a valid reason......I would be very hesitant to change to one who did.....but then I wouldn't use an alternative farrier who happened to be in the 'right place at the right time'......as far as I am concerned, my farrier is always in the right time at the right place, because I book my appointments in advance!!!
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Totally agree
 
Countrychic said:
Perhaps you should have spoken to your original farrier first? It drives me mad when professionals run each others work down. If one of our customers use another farrier they never get taken back on the books. It's not worth the hassle
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Country Chic – I was on a busy equestrian centre with four satellite yards associated with the estate. If my horse lost a shoe, and my farrier couldnt get up to put it back on quickly he is very happy for me to ask someone else to do it, especially if I have the shoe, and they were on the estate. My farrier then was a remedial one, who came a long way for me, and didnt work every Friday or any weekends :-(

When a different horse was having remedial shoeing under vet, and came in at 5pm Friday with a slipped but still attached shoe, I could have kissed the kind farrier (who I wasn’t a client of) who had injured his back but still came out to sort it out on Saturday morning. I did phone the farrier responsible for the shoes but he was on a ferry going away for the weekend and also not local.

I am very grateful for the professional farriers and remedial farriers who have worked together with me across two horses, and who have helped us.

Give and take and helping each other out is what makes the relationship with farriers work IMO. And treating your farrier as a professional and having a professional relationship.
 
Maisy said:
My farrier won't take on any other farriers work without a valid reason......I would be very hesitant to change to one who did.....but then I wouldn't use an alternative farrier who happened to be in the 'right place at the right time'......as far as I am concerned, my farrier is always in the right time at the right place, because I book my appointments in advance!!!
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So your horse has NEVER lost a shoe between appointments?
 
Did you tell your original one? I have changed when I wasn't sure about previous one but I only told him after I had tried new one and was happy with his work (even then I made an excuse as I had moved anyway... best not to burn your bridges!)
 
mandwhy said:
Did you tell your original one? I have changed when I wasn't sure about previous one but I only told him after I had tried new one and was happy with his work (even then I made an excuse as I had moved anyway... best not to burn your bridges!)
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I haven't burnt any bridges at all (I'm not stupid), but he did do something recently that I wasn't happy with so I could go back, but not sure if I want to. Looking for someone else now, plenty of suggestions on FB.
 
marmalade76 said:
So your horse has NEVER lost a shoe between appointments?
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One of them had a loose one, once, but I wouldn't just use any farrier to put it back on again regardless....

.....but then to be fair, my farrier is amazing, I have NO issues and wouldn't ever want to change!!!
 
bouncing_ball said:
Country Chic – I was on a busy equestrian centre with four satellite yards associated with the estate. If my horse lost a shoe, and my farrier couldnt get up to put it back on quickly he is very happy for me to ask someone else to do it, especially if I have the shoe, and they were on the estate. My farrier then was a remedial one, who came a long way for me, and didnt work every Friday or any weekends :-(

When a different horse was having remedial shoeing under vet, and came in at 5pm Friday with a slipped but still attached shoe, I could have kissed the kind farrier (who I wasn’t a client of) who had injured his back but still came out to sort it out on Saturday morning. I did phone the farrier responsible for the shoes but he was on a ferry going away for the weekend and also not local.

I am very grateful for the professional farriers and remedial farriers who have worked together with me across two horses, and who have helped us.

Give and take and helping each other out is what makes the relationship with farriers work IMO. And treating your farrier as a professional and having a professional relationship.
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A bit confused, how is this relevant to my post to OP
 
bouncing_ball said:
Re suggestion to report him. I hope you never have a unsound horse and want a second opinion on his foot balance.
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My husband always quotes what a lecturer at collage told him. You shouldn't comment on someone elses work because you don't know the circumstances. The horse might have been a nightmare, owner might get it's feet done once in a blue moon, horse might have been a shoe puller. If someone asks to comment on another farriers work he says he isnt prepared to do that but the best person to ask is the farrier themselves or a vet. If they still arent happy we will happily take them on. If someone is trying to poach work they aren't good enough to get full books on their own merit.
 
Not very professional calling another professionals work :eek: I'd rather wait for my own farrier than use someone who just happened to be there.

Are you now left without a farrier?
 
My bf is an apprentice farrier and I have never heard him rubbish another farriers work to a customer (he comes home and tells me but then what man never thinks they can do something better than everyone else *rolls eyes*) I have heard customers ask for their opinion but never once have they said the farrier before has done a horrendous job. It just shows them in a bad and unprofessional light

Incidently, a dentist can out to a friends horse saying what a bad job the last person did....that last person was actually him, 6 months before!!!!
 
Who were you using Marmalade?- I recently changed my farrier back to one local to us (from one that I inherited with the horse), have been very pleased with the results :-). PM me and let me know if you want name of farrier that I use. oooohhh also my friend uses an excellent one just down the road from you.

:)
 
cptrayes said:
I did and I let the comment stand because there was no indication that she had attempted to discuss her issues with her horse's feet with her current farrier, she just swapped to one who was passing by one day.
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I did initially, but accordiing to him my horse was sound, when in my opinion and the opinion of the second farrier, he most definitely wasn't. And BTW, I am the OP.
 
avthechav said:
Who were you using Marmalade?- I recently changed my farrier back to one local to us (from one that I inherited with the horse), have been very pleased with the results :-). PM me and let me know if you want name of farrier that I use. oooohhh also my friend uses an excellent one just down the road from you.

:)
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I'll PM you, it might be a long one!
 
Oh Marmalade if only we were as perfect as some of the posters on here!!!
Clearly none of the posters on here have ever made a wrong decision!
As I see it you tried this other farrier because he happened to be around when you needed one, but unfortunately ongoing it hasn't worked out as well as it might have. I don't see the need for you to be slated on here for doing something perfectly reasonable which had every chance of working out better for your horse.
I don't like the idea of the new farrier slating your old farrier but although unprofessional I don't consider it to be the end of the world and worth getting all heated over.
I have tried various farriers over the last few years to find one I liked, oh and various hairdressers too :P
As this didn't work out for you I do hope that you either get your issues sorted with your old farrier, or find another new farrier who works out better for you.
 
I'd look for another farrier (and have done) if I wasn't happy with the way my horses were being shod too. It was just unlucky for you that the enthusiastic sounding farrier turned out to be more of a talker than a doer.
Finding a new farrier is always tricky because its such a small world and its difficult to take a leap of faith with a new one because you only really know their work after they've shod them.
Good luck with finding a new farrier, there are 100% ones out there who are great with both clients and horses, so don't be disheartened.
 
Thank you both. I am sorted now, have found a new one (who found yet another abcess yesterday, missed by the previous one!) and we'll just have to see how we get on. Feel much more cheerful now :)
 
Here's the thing, in all walks of life, not just this situation, one should be wary of a professional trashing another. But not just professionals, all walks of life.

You were not happy with current farrier. And I know what it's like to try and talk to one that really has no interest in what you think or can't stand you asking questions. But might have been much better to not switch to a trash talker. Not professional=not professional. Really it should be no surprise he's being hard to get a hold of. You should have tried to find a well recommended farrier that wouldn't rubbish previous farrier and to start fresh. Not just the guy my friend uses.

There is no harm in switching farriers. No harm in switching any professionals you pay, but as they say you live and you learn. We all make mistakes that is how we learn.

So you need to find someone who you can trust but equally who you will treat right too. I'm saying this as someone who has obviously made mistakes. How I wish I were perfect!

Terri
 
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