Price of shoeing - keeps going up....

I have never heard of anyone paying that much. The going rate in my area is £60, although fortunately my horse doesn't need shoes, no way I could justify £78 every 6 weeks.
 
£20 a trim when need doing (last done in january) Farrier calls in every 8/10 weeks on route between clients & home to check them for me & does them if needed.

guess im really lucky as my boy is barefoot & has feet like bullets.
 
This is very interesting as I recently asked for a new set of shoes, with road pins and ready to put onto the horse, to take to events.

The cost of the shoes was £20. I take mine to the forge so no traveling costs but overheads at the forge. I pay £65 a set plus £2 for road pins.

If a farrier says it is to do with the VAT I would check that they pay VAT. The extra VAT of 2.5% is in fact very small on a set of shoes.

A trim if done while the farrier is shoeing other horses should not go up. It cost them no more and does not take long.

I pay £20 for my little Forester to be trimmed as she is done when my friends farrier comes so no extra traveling.

We all have to live and make a living but when I take mine to the forge I often see the other farriers come to buy their shoes, they seem to have a nice chat and a cup of coffee while there. Do they charge US for their time while having a chat.
 
Thank you for all taking the time to reply to my thread. It's very interesting to see the price differences around the country. I think I may have to er'locate to NI if the price goes up even more!
Luckily I share the horse with my mum. She pays the Livery fee and I pay the farrier and feed/bedding. So at least the cost of keeping the horse is spread out.
He's a lovely farrier and has a lot of gossip form the big yards in our area! But, the Yard Manager only pays £65 and her farrier travels a 48mile round trip to get to her!
 
AndySpooner said:
Really, self maintaining hooves are the goal for most committed barefooters, it's nearly 2yrs since anyone but me touched my horses feet, lucky I guess.
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Not lucky for your horses in my opinion, you often get what you pay for and I really don't think you can compare the 2.
I could give my horses back a massage for free but I think I'll stick to my physio!!
 
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I think maybe you misunderstood!

Self trimming doesn't mean owners trimming their own horses feet, it means the horse doing a sufficient amount of work on an abrasive surface to maintain the length and shape of its own feet.
 
paulineh said:
This is very interesting as I recently asked for a new set of shoes, with road pins and ready to put onto the horse, to take to events.

The cost of the shoes was £20. I take mine to the forge so no traveling costs but overheads at the forge. I pay £65 a set plus £2 for road pins.
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I often hear people complain that the cost of a farrier putting on a set of shoes is a lot more than the actual cost price of the shoes themselves. This is because the farrier is providing a PROFESSIONAL SERVICE that has entailed many hours of training and an arduous apprenticeship. You pay for that service just as you pay for the services of other professionals such as solicitors, chiropractors, dentists, architects etc! They do actually need to make a profit you know!

A trim if done while the farrier is shoeing other horses should not go up. It cost them no more and does not take long.
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I disagree - if the overall costs of diesel etc have gone up, then price increases should be across the board. Why should your friend pay more for a set, whilst your trim remains the same price. The increase in travelling cost should be spread between the two of you.

We all have to live and make a living but when I take mine to the forge I often see the other farriers come to buy their shoes, they seem to have a nice chat and a cup of coffee while there. Do they charge US for their time while having a chat.
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What a ridiculous thing to say! Shoeing horses is a hard and physical job so why should you resent them having a break during their day?
 
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We are in Essex, and a full set is £65, seems to have been that price for a while, our farrier does keep on making noises about an increase, but it hasn't happened yet. To be honest I really rate our farrier so if he does put his prices up, I'll still happily pay for the peace of mind! Incidently he has started selling other products like Keratex out of his van, it is cheaper than some of the local shops so I buy it off him - this extra trade is probably supplimenting his income!! He said he has a trade account with them and is allowed to sell it on, so everyones a winner!!
Now, if I can just get him to drink tea without the 4 spoonfuls of sugar, I'll be saving even more money!! Does anyone else find farriers like a lot of sugar in their tea??
 
I feel very fortunate that a full set of shoes only costs £40 for me including stud holes in summer. Farrier is excellent and does a good job but think cost is kept down as i livery on a riding school and he also shoes thier horses so when he comes there are usually 5/6 horses needing doing per visit.
 
Gone up around here too... not that I pay it because we don't have shoes anymore. I do it meself :D. It's not hard. Anyone can do it if they wanted to.
 
I pay £75, hotshod, with studholes and road nails all round. It's a lot of money, but I've used my farrier for seven years now, and he's kind to the horse, reliable, competent...and punctual! I know I could get her shod more cheaply, but if it ain't broke then why meddle with it?

It is the only thing I am still mad at my bloody father for :mad: He was one of the best farriers in our area, so when he b*ggered off, it really grieved me that I had to start paying for shoes :eek::D He disappeared in 2000, and back then a set of shoes was £37.50 if I recall correctly - scary or what!
 
maggiesmum said:
I think maybe you misunderstood!

Self trimming doesn't mean owners trimming their own horses feet, it means the horse doing a sufficient amount of work on an abrasive surface to maintain the length and shape of its own feet.
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Fine as long as the owner is skilled enough to balance the feet when needed and to have sufficient knowledge of reading the information in the foot so that a prophylactic approach can be taken. Farriers do more than whack shoes on or rasp hooves.
One of my unshod horses pretty much maintains his own feet, but farrier checks him when he comes for others and balances his feet beautifully, particularly when he has a growth spurt. His growth rate varies considerably through the seasons and the miles he does on roads and tracks, he still needs attention now and then.
I could give my horses their vaccinations myself, but the vet does more than just jab and run. His expertise is assessing the horse each time he sees them. So it is with the farrier.
Who rasps their horses teeth ? Are feet less important ?
 
Lives on a boat??

Sounds like the life actually. Went on a yachting hol and would give horses up if I could afford a nice one........ like a Sunseeker :D:D:D yeeeaaaahhhhh right!!!
 
My farrier came out yesterday and informed me he has upped his price for a full set from £65 to £70 - he just couldn't keep it at £65 any longer - the yard farrier that most other people use put his up to £70 months ago so I suppose I got off light but still £70 for a set when I was paying £55 4 years ago is a helluva increase so it just show how much the costs for the farriers have jumped up too :(
 
horserider said:
Fine as long as the owner is skilled enough to balance the feet when needed
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Horses with self trimming feet are skilled enough to balance themselves when needed.

And occasionally they can look very odd, and very different from what a farrier would shape them to. Horses with a lack of straightness for any reason in the leg or body will build a foot to match that lack of straightness. If the lack is a temporary issue, then the foot changes as schooling or fitness brings the hoof straight. It's very interesting to watch this process with a bent horse that is corrected by schooling over a couple of years.

If the lack of straightness is permanent, the horse produces the best foot it can to match its body. Farriers interfere with that at their peril. Rockley Farm has a couple of horses with VERY odd looking extensions on their feet which were completely unsound in shoes (which is why they were given to her for free) and are completely sound with their odd looking feet, provided she doesn't try to trim them to look the way we expect them to look. They are now full time hunters when they were basket cases.
 
Interesting cptrayes :)

All of mine are barefoot at the moment. One retired and feet are fine, one on long-term field rest and has never been shod as has brilliant feet, one being tried barefoot as she really does not like the nails being put in, and one barefoot as a trial.

I have found, since going to four trims, that my farrier, who I've used for five years, cannot be contacted :o:confused:. My horses are not a pain to do, we are always there to hold/deal with them, we (usually, except twice when I've left the money at home and not had enough on me!) pay cash at the time, and we are in an area he frequents, therefore I can only assume that four trims at now £25 each are not enough to interest him. I have seen another farrier in action and been impressed with his work, so we are going to try him. No idea what he charges though. Its a leap of faith as no-one but my old farrier has touched Dizz since I got her - she needs careful management due to the wonky pelvis and suspensory ligament damage. Part of the reason for trying her shoelss is that she slips on the roads, even with four road pins in each hind :eek::rolleyes:, barefoot and she has never slipped :D:D

Sorry, that turned into a bit of an essay :eek::cool::D
 
Little Legs Eventing said:
My old farrier used to charge me £101 for a full set!!! No road nails, stud holes or anything. Unbelievable. Before I moved house my old farrier charged £76 for a full set so yes it is a bit ridiculous!

I too remember the days when it was £40 a set!!
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lol I remember when it was £5 a set .....thinks me is getting old !!
 
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