Market Research - Barefoot trimming

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Rem

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I am considering training as a barefoot trimmer in the UK and am carrying out some market research to see if it would be worth the money spent on the training. I would appreciate it if you would take the time to answer just a few questions for me:

Would you use a barefoot trimmer?

How much would you pay for the service?

What would you expect for that money?

Would you be happy to contribute above the fee quoted for travelling costs?


Please be honest in your answers and thank-you in advance
 
Rem said:
I am considering training as a barefoot trimmer in the UK and am carrying out some market research to see if it would be worth the money spent on the training. I would appreciate it if you would take the time to answer just a few questions for me:

Would you use a barefoot trimmer? NO

How much would you pay for the service? N/A

What would you expect for that money? N/A

Would you be happy to contribute above the fee quoted for travelling costs? No, I don't pay extra to my farrier, I wait until he has other customers in my area, it is never longer than a week


Please be honest in your answers and thank-you in advance
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I am very happy with my farrier, currently I have one shod horse and three barefoot - I can't understand anybody's desire to replace that level of skill and training with anything less
 
I'll dive in. I use UKNHCP trimmers. I am on my third one - they keep relocating (nothing to do with me hopefully...!).

I pay £35 per trim. In the early days when my trimmer travelled all the way from Wales to Blackpool just for me, I did pay travel costs too. Nowadays I am on a route so £35 is all I pay.

The service I get is second to none. I have a highly trained specialist who takes an enormous pride in my horse's hooves. I know that if I have a problem anytime I can call.

I also know that if I were ever to have an issue with any of the UKNHCP trimmers that I could not resolve, I can contact the chairpeople and my complaint would be dealt with with reverence.

I know trimmers are not farriers, but if any of the many farriers I used over the last 20 years were to provide the same service, I would still be using them.

The last farrier I used dug into live sole for no good reason without even discussing with me when I was stood in front of him. That was my final straw....
 
Would you use a barefoot trimmer? NO

How much would you pay for the service? YOU WOULD HAVE TO PAY ME

What would you expect for that money? MIRACLES

Would you be happy to contribute above the fee quoted for travelling costs? ERRRRRR NO


sorry but you did ask for honesty
if i have a horse who is having his feet trimmed and not shod i will stick to my fully qualified farrier.
 
Rem said:
I am considering training as a barefoot trimmer in the UK and am carrying out some market research to see if it would be worth the money spent on the training. I would appreciate it if you would take the time to answer just a few questions for me:

Would you use a barefoot trimmer? NO

How much would you pay for the service? Nothing

What would you expect for that money? N/A

Would you be happy to contribute above the fee quoted for travelling costs?I pay my farrier extra for travelling, seeing as he lives 100 miles away, it is purely academic though as I would not use a barefoot trimmer


Please be honest in your answers and thank-you in advance
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If you would like to trim or shoe horses, why don't you get a proper training as a farrier?
 
Would you use a barefoot trimmer? Absolutely, yes.

How much would you pay for the service? £40 ish

What would you expect for that money? A qualiied trimmer who will trim, discuss diet management and care and progress of the feet. Also someone who happily works alongside vets for remedial work.

Would you be happy to contribute above the fee quoted for travelling costs? Yes.
 
Rem said:
I am considering training as a barefoot trimmer in the UK and am carrying out some market research to see if it would be worth the money spent on the training. I would appreciate it if you would take the time to answer just a few questions for me:

Would you use a barefoot trimmer? If I could afford it but having 2 horses makes it too pricey, I pay £29 per trim with my farrier every 6 weeks and to have barefoot they normally come out every 4 weeks and nearest ones charges £40 per trim

How much would you pay for the service? I would pay up to £30 a trim but would prefer it to be every 6 weeks

What would you expect for that money? A good trim, look at horses movement, take into account work load and feed etc, time wise - would like 20-30 mins spent on each horse

Would you be happy to contribute above the fee quoted for travelling costs? No, this should be included in the price and I would expect the trimmer to be able to plan their days to best suit where they are going and when etc.

I would also prefer to know what time of day they will come out well before the day.


Please be honest in your answers and thank-you in advance
Click to expand...

Hope this helps
 
Same as Touchstone.

I'd rather the trimmer was in my area and I didn't contribute to travel costs as per my current situation BUT to secure the services of a GOOD trimmer I'd pay travel if necessary.
 
JVB - my lad was done every 4 weeks initially but now goes anywhere between 5 and 10 weeks depending on how his feet are growing/wearing/performing and for my £40 my lad gets at least an hours attention.
 
I would use a trimmer.
Would be willing to pay £20
Not willing to pay travel.

My farrier is happy to come out and trim my horse all round for £20.
I did have a little dificulty finding the right farrier so looked into trimmers but thought they were over priced with less qualifications.

Horse had fronts put on last time as ground was too hard and will have them taken off again in winter, a trimmer cannot offer that flexibility.

Why not train as a farrier
 
JVB said:
I would also prefer to know what time of day they will come out well before the day.
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How about a service where before the trimmer left the yard, they gave you a time that they would arrive on the next visit, in 4-12 weeks depending on what your particular horse needed?
 
Rem said:
How about a service where before the trimmer left the yard, they gave you a time that they would arrive on the next visit, in 4-12 weeks depending on what your particular horse needed?
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Wouldn't expect them to do that, imagine it would be hard unless they were established and had plenty of clients so could organise their time.

It's just I've had plenty of experience with farriers where they won't give times till the day before, or are hard to get hold of etc. Would just like couple of weeks to organise either time away from work or for someone to bring horses in etc
 
Ali2 said:
JVB - my lad was done every 4 weeks initially but now goes anywhere between 5 and 10 weeks depending on how his feet are growing/wearing/performing and for my £40 my lad gets at least an hours attention.
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I'd be interested to know who you use? I know of 3 trimmers in the north west, one I've met as someone at yard has just started using her for youngster with navicular.

Partly I think mine would need doing more often, I have 1 TB with awful feet, lots of coronet scarring so fair few cracks and mechanical lameness in hind leg so that foot is slightly different shape.

other mare is in lots of work so feet barely growing before being worn down so farrier is mostly just keeping them tidy, anything longer than 6 weeks and they start to crack, split and break off.

Of course, this maybe due to having a farrier as opposed to a trimmer but he is good...
 
I pay £40 every 6 - 12 weeks for trimming that is adapted to my barefoot horses' performance requirements. I also have shod horses so am not an activist!
 
Would you use a barefoot trimmer?
Yes have in the past, then had a year with a farrier and am now with another trimmer. First one was AEP, this one's AANCHP.

How much would you pay for the service? current one is £35, old one was £45.

What would you expect for that money? Their holistic service - diet, education, photos to chart progress, how much work.

Would you be happy to contribute above the fee quoted for travelling costs? No, and although one used to come from Glos to Somerset/Wilts border for me she didn't charge petrol on top.

The main difference can be shown by my recent experience. Moved yards recently and old farrier wouldn't come out as it was too far - it was actually nearer his home but he had no other clients on the yard. He told me this the week I moved, despite previously saying he would be fine to go there. Horses were due shoeing/trimming that week. Spent 4 weeks ringing, texting and emailing every farrier within a 40 mile radius, 2 answered straight away. 1 couldn't do it as too busy, 1 did say yes but couldn't fit me in for another 3 weeks from my call (horses would have been 4 weeks overdue). 1 who I know goes to the yard, didn't answer, never returned any messages and it was only by texting him every half hour I got a response - he couldn't fit me in, even to just remove shoes of my shod mare. Emailed a trimmer at 5 past 4 one day, she replied in 5 minutes and booked an appointment for the next week.

She turned up on time, was really informative, didn't slag off farriers or other schools of trimming, answered questions without getting offended. All a change from every farrier I've met.

I've now got 2 barefoot horses, 1's transitioning (fingers crossed successfully) at the moment, 1's never been shod. Yes the trim's more expensive but I prefer the holistic service and the communication.
 
I use a UKNHCP trimmer, but she only visits once a year. I do my horses myself - a farrier trained me years ago and I've only discovered 'performance barefoot' recently. I currently pay around £40 per horse - have three. I would be interested in a 'check-up' service, perhaps every six months or so, where I could trim and then be inspected (as it were!), for a bit less than the normal trim cost. I realise I'm unusual, and it would have to fit in with travelling to other clients.
I've learned a lot from my trimmer and from others on the internet, and I'd love to do the training too but unfortunately have a totally shafted back... ho hum.
Good luck with it, I think there will be more and more demand for trimmers as time goes on, despite the negative comments you've had further up this post!
 
I wouldn't pay a trimmer because I do my own. If I had too many and wanted one done I would pay £25 but not extra travelling. I would expect a competent trim for that. If I was a novice or nervous and had a horse to be taken out of shoes I would be prepared to pay more for all the handholding I might want, and advice on nutrition and work levels.
 
the watcher said:
I am very happy with my farrier, currently I have one shod horse and three barefoot - I can't understand anybody's desire to replace that level of skill and training with anything less
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That's because nobody has that desire. People use trimmers because farriers are not taught how to keep a performance horse without shoes. Their training assumes that horses eventing, hunting, jumping will all have shoes on. Some people use trimmers because they have experience of performance barefoot horses. Some people use trimmers because if they get the right one, they will have far more training about how nutrition affects the feet than a farrier does. Some people use trimmers because their farriers lamed their horses (me for example). Some people use trimmers because shoes lamed their horses and they don't want anyone connected with shoes anywhere near them.

Why on earth would the OP want to train as a farrier and spend a huge amount of time learning how to work metal and nail it to the bottom of horses' feet, when it's now perfectly clear that a very substantial proportion of horses being shod just don't need shoes??
 
cptrayes said:
That's because nobody has that desire. People use trimmers because farriers are not taught how to keep a performance horse without shoes. Their training assumes that horses eventing, hunting, jumping will all have shoes on. Some people use trimmers because they have experience of performance barefoot horses. Some people use trimmers because if they get the right one, they will have far more training about how nutrition affects the feet than a farrier does. Some people use trimmers because their farriers lamed their horses (me for example). Some people use trimmers because shoes lamed their horses and they don't want anyone connected with shoes anywhere near them.

Why on earth would the OP want to train as a farrier and spend a huge amount of time learning how to work metal and nail it to the bottom of horses' feet, when it's now perfectly clear that a very substantial proportion of horses being shod just don't need shoes??
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and there is still a substantial demand for farriers-
 
My Farrier is trained as a Farrier first and has the barefoot trimmers qualification. He told of barefoot trimming just doesn't pay the bills. So I am fortunate to have a Farrier who has taken an interest in nutrition and more workings of the hoof that some older Farriers don't. I wouldn't use a barefoot trimmer who isn't a Farrier first. And don't pay more than £30 per horse about every 6 weeks. I don't contribute to travel- they either cover the area or not and should group people accordingly.
 
Rem said:
I am considering training as a barefoot trimmer in the UK and am carrying out some market research to see if it would be worth the money spent on the training. I would appreciate it if you would take the time to answer just a few questions for me:

Would you use a barefoot trimmer?

How much would you pay for the service?

What would you expect for that money?

Would you be happy to contribute above the fee quoted for travelling costs?


Please be honest in your answers and thank-you in advance
Click to expand...


Both my boys are barefoot and i will ALWAYS use a trained farrier not a barefoot trimmer. A farriers level of training and knowledge far outways that of a trimmer IMO
 
JVB said:
Wouldn't expect them to do that, imagine it would be hard unless they were established and had plenty of clients so could organise their time.

It's just I've had plenty of experience with farriers where they won't give times till the day before, or are hard to get hold of etc. Would just like couple of weeks to organise either time away from work or for someone to bring horses in etc
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I already get this service. Is this not normal?!
 
would I use one?

maybe

how much?

I pay £29 per trim, every 6 weeks with my farrier who is very pro keeping horses unshod if possible. I wouldnt pay any more for 'holistic' care as I know enough about nutrition and what I don't know I research.

what would I expect?

the level of service I get from my current farrier who comes out when needed, when he says he will and who is truly excellent with youngsters.

would I pay travel costs?

no, I have three horses, have regular farriery and pay cash so I don't feel I should pay extra.
 
Would you use a barefoot trimmer? have tried an EP for over 6 months before so no.

How much would you pay for the service? i payed £45 per trim per horse- farrier is £30 and the horses feet look better.

What would you expect for that money? na

Would you be happy to contribute above the fee quoted for travelling costs? i would expect any price to include travel etc the same as a farriers prices do.
 
Forgot to say - I always get the next appointment booked with both farriers I've used and trimmers. The difference has been that sometimes a farrier hasn't turned up on time (and of course hasn't let me know), once a farrier didn't let me know they weren't coming at all, and then ignored all phone calls asking where they were.
 
I use a farrier who trains barefoot trimmers and works alongside one as he has work coming out his ears. He has just put his prices up from £25 per horse to £28. He has improved my horses feet immensly, they are happy, sound and healthy and they get done every 8 - 10 weeks depending on growth, work, time of year etc.
 
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