Rubbish farrier... thoughts please.

libertylou

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I recently decided to put my girl on loan to people who had been sharing her. She is back with me after only a short time. I changed my mind on the loan after a few things that were said didn't add up. When I went to pick her up last weds she had sores on her face where she has been put out to graze with a head collar on which was too tight with a grazing muzzle tied on to it.

What has annoyed me more is the state of her feet. After asking around I have been told that the farrier they used has been banned from many yards. I have added some photos and would like you thoughts? Can a farrier be reported? Who to? It looks like the shoes have just been whacked on and nails put in anywhere.

It ended very badly when I picked her up. I was asked to refund money that they had spent on two new rugs (I don't have the rugs- they do!!) and for livery costs (even though they don't pay livery)!! I am just glad to have my girl back.

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AndiK

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Personally (and I am not farrier) I would not be happy with that at all. On the one photo the nails look far too low and the general state of the hooves looks poor.

In your position I would a) take photo's - which you have b) Call out a farrier you know and trust and ask him his opinion. Ask him if he would mind giving a statement for you. Then I would go about finding out who I need to complain to.

If I were you I would be hopping mad, in the first instance about the state of my horses feet and secondly because of the money and rugs. Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr :(

Hope you get this resolved xxx Glad you have your horse back and safe xxx
 

StormyMoments

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i wouldnt be happy with that tbh the nails are too low, her hoof is over hanging the shoe, and her feet are in poor condition, the cracks below the nail wouldnt be there if she had been shod properly :/

i would go to a farrier with a very good reputation and ask their opinion and go on from there. i would be truly peeved with the state of the horses feet and having to pay for the rugs and livery! thats completely up to them if they want to spend money on her you dont force them to buy rugs! x
 

starbar

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Yes, I agree with the title of the post....very rubbish farrier.

Nevermind the appalling shoeing, the feet need a good trim and rebalancing too! The heels look way too long and I wouldn't be overly happy with the shape of the foot either.

If it was my pony, I would be getting a farrier out to get those shoes off and give them a good trim as a starting point and take his advice from there.

Well done for getting your pony back! :)
 

Pale Rider

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In addition to the shoeing being poor, if she has only been on loan for a short time, presumably this is the only shoeing she has had from this man. If so I have to say that her hooves look pretty poor in any event, and have started to break down.

I would take her shoes off and give her feet a rest from shoeing.
 

libertylou

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They have had her since may time. We were sharing. My marriage broke down and I had no time for her so they took over her care whilst I funded shoeing, livery, feed. They asked if they could have her on an official full loan at the end of July. I agreed, but then like I said, things were being said that didn't add up. I would ask them not to do something and they would do it anyway. So I changed my mind. They became very aggressive when I told them of my decision. Tried to demand money. Like I said I have asked around and found that this farrier has a bad rep. Has been banned from numerous yards.
 

rambling

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Definitely not a good job and I'm sorry that the loan/share has turned sour.

However you say "I recently decided to put my girl on loan to people who had been sharing her. She is back with me after only a short time. "
so her feet must have been going that way before she moved.
I'm not sure you can be bringing a complaint against a farrier on hearsay, especially as it may only be one shoeing.

Is there any possibility it could be a DIY job ? It looks like they were just tacked on with no dressing done to the hoof beforehand.
 

cptrayes

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Photo number two shows nails that have been reclenched some time after the original shoeing. This is what mine used to look like whenever I tightened up a nail. I'd go so far as to say that I think she might have pulled the nails out of that side of the foot and they have put three new nails in and clenched them themselves, it looks like an amateur job to me - and VERY different from the other side clenches. The pony is way overdue for shoeing and you'll have trouble reporting the farrier if she's been left too long and the loaners have done a DIY job. I'd just be happy to have her back in my care if I were you. You need now to sort her diet out, her feet are poor quality irrespective of the shoes.
 

frozzy

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If they have only had her a short time on full loan then I am afraid you have to take some responsibility for the state of the feet yourself. As others have said it looks like a DIY job to tighten clenches.
Be very sure of all the facts before making a complaint against the farrier concerned.
 

MadBlackLab

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Personally (and I am not farrier) I would not be happy with that at all. On the one photo the nails look far too low and the general state of the hooves looks poor.

In your position I would a) take photo's - which you have b) Call out a farrier you know and trust and ask him his opinion. Ask him if he would mind giving a statement for you. Then I would go about finding out who I need to complain to.

If I were you I would be hopping mad, in the first instance about the state of my horses feet and secondly because of the money and rugs. Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr :(

Hope you get this resolved xxx Glad you have your horse back and safe xxx

I agree with this however you need to prove that the horse's hooves where in good condition before you had her handed her out on loan. Please don't take it the wrong way I'm not saying you neglected her hooves I'm just pointing forward what the other people may say about it.

Glad you got your girl back
 

lazybee

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The farrier's not to blame for this one. She's long overdue. Just looks like someones done a quick rasp and clenching prior to you picking her up.
 

Snowysadude

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This thread interests me after using the most rubbish farrier I have ever come across recently. Horses shoes cost me £176 (bar shoes with gel usually approx £140) and they charge £90 a normal set. On day 1 he pulled one of the shoes (only ever pulled one shoe previously in the 2 years I have owned him and that was again using an awful farrier), they came back out re shod him and put more gel in. After a week he pulled both fronts whilst just trotting in the school :O, back out more gel in. A few days later one of the gels just fell out, then a week after the other gel has fallen out and now 4 weeks on I am having to remove nails from his shoe that have slipped and are making him lame (going to pull one shoe today and poultice as assume its punctured his sole) whilst desperatley waiting for other farrier to come back from holiday! Going to write a formal letter of complaint to the head of the company of farriers I use with pics I take today.
 

ILuvCowparsely

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firstly I agree with others , these nails are far far to low, as the feet grow these are going to weaken the security of the shoes and are more than likely going to get loose and come off only a few weeks down the line.
Also when these shoes do come of or are pull off if horse treads on the inner bars they will tear the hoof off as well, thus making the feet even worse.

1.a I would get proof of the farrier being band from other yards, livery owners / YO in case you need to take this further ( a statement or written letter)

1.b) When you have done that and got some hard evidence even other peoples pictures of their horses feet before and after and any hard evidence they have letters etc . I would also report him and send copies of the shoeing to the Master Farriers Association. You need hard evidence . Copies of the loan agreement in case you need to go to S.C.C.

2 get some good hoof supplements

a) Formula4feet
b) Hoofmender
c) Farriers formula
d) Surefoot
e) Biotin

3. Judging on the clenches I would say these were only put on a week or so before pictures which could mean the last shoes were left on too long thus the result damaging the hoof at the bottom which we can see, also if they were left on to long she could have lost one or two shoes before the farrier , also resulting in the tearing which we see.

4. The rug issue, that's their problem they bought the rugs, they can keep them or sell them. Unless you signed a contract saying what ever they buy for the horse you will refund them when loan comes to an end. Then that's their loss , no ground to stand on.


5. Livery again same as above that's their loss.

6. looking at the white foot I would say the horses diet has been very changeable causing the appearance we see. I know we see change from winter too summer. but still the bottom part which is 3/4 down looks healthy enough but above the hoof looks sunken in , ie dips in.
I can also say the bottom part is prob when you were feeding her , which explains the change in foot growth.

I would take her shoes off and take reg pictures over the next weeks until this issue has cleared up for evidence


I would def take this further.:)
 
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Alphamare

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I agree with cptrayes it looks like a home job to me. The horse looks in desperate need of shoeing not recently done at all. Those clenched look tightened and like nothing has been removed from the foot at all.

Are you sure the horse has even seen a farrier?

I would be looking to get yours out to shoe ASAP they will probably say the same thing.
 

AmyMay

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This thread interests me after using the most rubbish farrier I have ever come across recently. Horses shoes cost me £176 (bar shoes with gel usually approx £140) and they charge £90 a normal set. On day 1 he pulled one of the shoes (only ever pulled one shoe previously in the 2 years I have owned him and that was again using an awful farrier), they came back out re shod him and put more gel in. After a week he pulled both fronts whilst just trotting in the school :O, back out more gel in. A few days later one of the gels just fell out, then a week after the other gel has fallen out and now 4 weeks on I am having to remove nails from his shoe that have slipped and are making him lame (going to pull one shoe today and poultice as assume its punctured his sole) whilst desperatley waiting for other farrier to come back from holiday! Going to write a formal letter of complaint to the head of the company of farriers I use with pics I take today.

Bar shoes actually come off very easily - it's why you see horses shod in this way wearing over reach boots in an attempt to help keep them on. And gel will often come out (especially if the foot is not prepared properly) as you are relying on it adhering to the sole of the foot - as opposed to leather pads which sit underneath the shoe.

So I'd not be too quick in making a complaint.
 

amandap

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Photo number two shows nails that have been reclenched some time after the original shoeing. This is what mine used to look like whenever I tightened up a nail. I'd go so far as to say that I think she might have pulled the nails out of that side of the foot and they have put three new nails in and clenched them themselves, it looks like an amateur job to me - and VERY different from the other side clenches. The pony is way overdue for shoeing and you'll have trouble reporting the farrier if she's been left too long and the loaners have done a DIY job. I'd just be happy to have her back in my care if I were you. You need now to sort her diet out, her feet are poor quality irrespective of the shoes.
Very interesting post.
 

calon

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I would say thye look well over due and horn in poor condition also so poor job or not its bad to tell without knowing exactley how long they have been on they will however look much better once re done for sure .
 

Alphamare

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I would also say that given the current length not only has no hoof been removed most of the nailhole damage that you see will be removed when the horse is shod next. The length of the hooves, the position of the nails and the amount of hoof over hanging the shoe all says the horse has not been shod in a while.
 

dumpling

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I think they just look extremely long overdue. I wouldn't say it's been a diy job as at the toe clip it's been rasped at some point. I'd get a good farrier in to sort out her whole balance,etc she needs the heel shortened amongst other things.

I'd also review her feed? Ensure she's getting vits& mins, biotin as her hooves look prone to cracking.
 

Snowysadude

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Bar shoes actually come off very easily - it's why you see horses shod in this way wearing over reach boots in an attempt to help keep them on. And gel will often come out (especially if the foot is not prepared properly) as you are relying on it adhering to the sole of the foot - as opposed to leather pads which sit underneath the shoe.

So I'd not be too quick in making a complaint.

Hes been in them for over a year all through winter with previous farrier and gel daily turnout in boggy fields and kept them on. Perminantly in over-reach boots so trust me I know hes never lost a bar shoe just a normal one once until current farrier so its not that he pulls them easily! Since previous farrier moved to sweeden I used 2 farriers (one not experienced enough to do remedial and said so), then moved areas and used another and then moved again so using a 4th so have witnessed many different ways of setting the gel etc.

Also never lost a gel with shoe still on let alone after just one week of them being put in! Other farriers couldnt belive the gel just falls out one said to contact the company that made the gels to confirm its not designed to just fall out (at £30 a foot I would hope not). The mesh sits under the shoe and helps adhere it to the sole of the foot and goes through the gel keeping it sitting in the foot. When put in the shoe properly this does keep it in! This farrier did not even set them properly no pads on after filling foot its why they fell out, they have apologised and given a full refund (offered a free new set and I declined) so they are in the wrong this time!
 
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libertylou

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They claim she was done on the 27th August, I don't believe them. I have the farrier coming out this week.
When she first went on the share/loan her feet were in excellent condition. No cracks!! My marriage broke down in May and I found it hard to find time for her. The lady who had her asked if they could take her on full loan and I agreed. Over the course of the last month things were said that didn't add up and I made the choice to remove her from the loan. I am glad I did.

I don't think it was a DIY as the name of the farrier they gave me has been known to badly shoe and as I said has been banned from other yards.

I have put her on seaweed and biotin, and she is on happy hoof with her feed. They kept her out 24/7 and I have been told that she was brought in to stand on the yard most days for 4-5 hours with no hay, would this have affected her feet????

Thank you all for your comments :) appreciated.
 

Kaylum

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Poor you and poor girl.

Moving forward from this when you find another farrier first of all ask them if they make their own shoes. This is not taught as standard anymore. The only ones that learn this practice are those that are taught by the old masters. Basically shoes are bought in ready made. Quicker than having to spend a good few hours making them from scratch the night before for the next days jobs. Hence the reason why those who enter shoeing competitions are such masters of their trade as they have to make them from scratch in front of judges and thus the shoe fits the foot not the other way round. Horse owners dont realise how much time it takes to make a set of shoes.
 

cptrayes

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They claim she was done on the 27th August, I don't believe them.

.

Not a snowball's chance in hell that this was shod 27th August 2011. Last year maybe :) ?

DO NOT feed seaweed unless you know that your grazing is low in iodine, iron, and manganese and plenty high in copper. It can overdose iron and iodine and prevent the proper absorption of copper.
 

libertylou

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Not a snowball's chance in hell that this was shod 27th August 2011. Last year maybe :) ?

DO NOT feed seaweed unless you know that your grazing is low in iodine, iron, and manganese and plenty high in copper. It can overdose iron and iodine and prevent the proper absorption of copper.

My thinking exactly!!!

I did not know that about seaweed- thank you! What about biotin? x
 
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