Rant!!!!!!! Farrier bashing...

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I am sick to death of people on this site

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Why is it that everyone on this forum seems all to happy to slag their farriers off

[/ QUOTE ]Everyone? You know, that's easy enough to test, if you have the time and patience. But more importantly, not every individual is good at their job, especially as the job becomes more specialised. If a farrier screws up, why isn't someone authorised to complain? We moan about our horses' behaviour, our YOs, instructors, liveries, friends, parents, kids, dogs, each other and even ourselves, so why should farriers get special treatment?
 
To jump on the same band wagon - my farrier is also fab. He's always on time and does a great job.

He is also a mine of useful information. Having just moved into the area he's given me loads of useful contacts - don't know what we'd have done without him and he'll be getting a crate of beer for Christmas!
 
I love BOTH my farriers, the one I use at home is fabulous, friendly and professional, will come out at the crack of dawn or after his tea if need be, but he's always on time. The one at work puts up with sooo much, is great with the youngsters and understands when we have a nervous horse in that would be happier having it's feet trimmed in the field. He is thanked for his time and efforts with endless cuppas and bacon sarnies
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I am sick to death of people on this site......

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My farriers and my work's are among the best in the country. I've never said a bad word about any of them and I've had more foot problems in the last three years than most people have in a lifetime!

I have to say though, that overall, I've come across more bad and mediocre farriers than great ones. There are also many who are a law unto themselves regarding time-keeping and appointments, etc... People pay for a service from their farriers and if they are moaning about them on here, they probably have good reason to.
 
I do not like my farrier. he is a tart and thinks he is god's gift to women just because he has fit body... he swans around with his shirt off and will grope you in the back of the stable if he thinks he can get away with it.

That says he is reliable, resonably priced, treats the horses nice and does a good job with their feet so I will tollerate his odious presence for that reason
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He also has some very sweet and friendly apprentices who actually ARE fun to have around and a good laugh.
 
My current farrier is great. My farrier in the UK was great too, however, I got a farrier out for A once who was f*cking awful. He did a shocking job and I've got the photos to prove it. Luckily he didn't make A lame, but he quite easily could've done.
Rubbish farriers do exist and I will post the pics and winge about them. So there
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Our current farrier is excellent, been our farrier since he was an apprentice (about 15 years), we had a short time with a bad farrier before that (two shoeings) and changed, previous to that had two excellent ones, one retired, one moved. I did not whinge about the bad farrier, I changed to a good one! The current one rings on the day he is due to check the time he is coming and change it if necessary, books us in for the next time when he is here. We do always keep him suplied with coffee and cigs and always bring the horses in and be here ourselves. He was also excellent with the heavy we lost at Easter, who had to be sedated for trimming. He was more concerned about her and me than about himself. I am hoping that he will be our farrier for a good many years to come.
 
I love both my farriers, i have two because 2 of my youngster hate one of the farriers and my old mare hates the other one (i never book them both on the same day) so i just have both and i have to admit they are both great, always phone if they are running late.
Too many people have the "oh while you are here" attitude, and just forget farriers have other clients booked in for that day.
Also many people forget that their farrier has been out all day bent over half the time dealing with difficult horses.
Yes there are impatient, not pleasant farriers but if they are good pay what they ask, every thing else is going up in cost and a good farrier is worth keeping hold of
 
My farrier is fantastic. Expensive (aren't they all?), but worth every penny IMO.

I can get hold of him when I need him. And he is very willing to see my horse in between appointments if I need him.

Tim Rooney - if anyone is interested. I highly recommend him.
 
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Farriers are highly trained and highly skilled people

[/ QUOTE ] some are, a fair few regrettably are not
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I think very highly of my barefoot trimmer, but equally I won't have a problem using my sister's farrier if the time comes and my mare requires shoes (except my pocket might go a bit "ouch"!
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The nature of forums tends to be you get more negative stuff than good. When its good, people are out doing and don't post, when things are going wrong, people use these places to vent their frustrations and try to get more information or support on a subject, hence why you tend to get more negative farrier posts.

Not much to write is there if you have a good farrier/trimmer/vet/instructor/livery yard/horse etc etc.

"I love my farrier" threads really won't get much attention!
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my farrier is brilliant and i do post that point quite regularly when the opportunity arises.
I know that farriers go through years of training and it's not an easy job and some owners are a pain but surely farriers are aware of that before they go into farriery, and if they don't then perhaps they should have looked into their chosen career a bit more carefully
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there is no getting away from it , there are bad farriers out there, ones who's attitudes to horses make you wonder why the farrier didn't choose a different profession. there are ones who think that leaving you waiting at the yard all day only for them not to turn up is an acceptable way to run a business!
if I employed a painter and decorator who didn't turn up when he said, hit chunks out my walls because he didn't like them, got paint all over my carpet and then blamed me for having a carpet then I'd bloody well complain about him to anyone who would listen and i'll bet Nailed would too!
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Ive met more bad farriers then good farriers

my NEW farrier is brilliant and my ponies feet have never looked better, non of mine are shod but thier feet are now lovely, this farrier is always on time and quite good looking (his apprentice is even better looking).

my old farrier destroyed my ponies feet in just 2 trims and he was well over 2 hours late both times, pony went from having good feet (according to old old farrier who retired) to being crippled with wonky feet, my new farrier was horrified and has put in a complaint about this with the governing body. Luckily new farrier has managed to put it right biut it took some remedial shoeing to do so.

So what your saying is that i cant moan about the idiot that destroyed my ponies feet? I cant warn people that he does such a shockingly bad job that even anouther farrier is reporting him?

I had anouther farrier years ago that because my pony was leaning on him a bit he swung for the pony with a hammer! he was thrown off my yard very quickly and told that i'd take a hammer to him if he ever came back. Now i dont mind the farrier elbowing them to get them to stop leaning but a hammer is just not on.

thats just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to bad farrier experiances.

people rant because there are actualy bad farriers out there, you might not have met them but others certainly have and they want to let off steam as well as warn others about the crap ones.

If anyone asks then i will happily reccomend my new farrier, he does his job well. I'm not going to post every time he does a good job that would be etremely boring and along the lines of.
had farrier up today, he was on time and did his usual good job so nothing to report!
hmm yes i can see that interesting alot of people.
 
Very well said, My blacksmith is fantastic. If i ring him when ones lost a shoe, he often will come out at about 9-10pm and pop one on for me. My elderly mare who he's shod since she was a youngster is quite stiff now and when he gives her feet a trim he'll massage her legs and is fantastic with her!
I dont expect him to do the whole yard in one go but he ends up doing about 20 and will turn up on time and won't leave till he's done them.
He means so much to me i'll feed and water him he's amazing and without your farrier you wouldnt be riding your horses!!
 
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Gosh, SouthWest, if you are obviously in a similar area to me, where can I find this farrier? Hehe!

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Really? Are you sure? I'm based up on the Blackdowns, Wellington is my nearest town, so I am absolutely on your doorstep, you could probably come up and admire him if you want.
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I''m sure he would love it and would leave me alone for the afternoon. I mostly just hide in the indoor school while he is here, poor old Buster was practically on his little cob knees after a 1.5hr schooling sesh yesterday LOL
 
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Out of 4 farriers I've had, only 1 (my current one, who is fab) has actually been reliable and good with the horses. Like any other trade there will be good and bad, and people like to come on here and vent.

I think as well with these things you get what you pay for, and I'm happy to pay that bit extra for my farrier because he is so good.
 
My farrier is great!! When Meg had laminitis his precision work from the x-rays was a sight to see, we worked as a team with the vet to get her right, & her feet look great now, he is always on time, chatty & polite, perhaps a bit expensive at around £80 a set, but as mine only have fronts on thats fine, he does Megs heart bars which he hand makes, for the same price as a normal set because they go a good few shoeings & doesn't charge me for Kizzy's stud holes, what a star!! I truly believe you get what you pay for, & another less experienced farrier may not have been able to get Meg right.
 
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