Shoes and refits

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WuzzBred

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Could anyone do me a favour, my mare was shod on Tuesday morning after having had shoes off for the winter. I’m fairly sure what she has on is not a new shoe. She’s only been ridden on a surface and the fields are so soggy she’s currently in as suffers from mud fever. If anyone could get a picture of a shoe that been on for two days I would really appreciate it Thankyou
 
FlyingCircus said:
Does it matter? 🙈 As long as it fits and obviously 3/4/5 weeks of use etc
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Yes it matters, she’s had shoes off for 4 months. No idea where the shoes have come from and he charges the same as a new set. This plus never ever being on time, plus charging vat if you do bank transfer but not cash is the final straw
 
WuzzBred said:
Yes it matters, she’s had shoes off for 4 months. No idea where the shoes have come from and he charges the same as a new set. This plus never ever being on time, plus charging vat if you do bank transfer but not cash is the final straw
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Steel is a very small part of the fees to shoe a horse. What we all pay for is skill and years of training. The shoes your farrier used will have been, I assume, fired and fitted specific to your horse and if they were not it is time to look for another farrier that you are happy with.
 
I tried to add a picture but it’s says file to large. £90 for a full set of refits takes the Mick I think, he never asks if it’s okay and he never tells he has done refits. He just assumes everyone is stupid. We do have another farrier that comes to the yard and he is reliable with turning up when he says he will so I will ask to swap to him
 
WuzzBred said:
I tried to add a picture but it’s says file to large. £90 for a full set of refits takes the Mick I think, he never asks if it’s okay and he never tells he has done refits. He just assumes everyone is stupid. We do have another farrier that comes to the yard and he is reliable with turning up when he says he will so I will ask to swap to him
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£90 is not taking the Mick. Years of training, vehicle to run to get to your horse, all the tools plus knowledge to keep your horse sound. All costs are going up and keeping horses is an expensive luxury.
 
WuzzBred said:
I tried to add a picture but it’s says file to large. £90 for a full set of refits takes the Mick I think, he never asks if it’s okay and he never tells he has done refits. He just assumes everyone is stupid. We do have another farrier that comes to the yard and he is reliable with turning up when he says he will so I will ask to swap to him
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£90 for a full set, even with refits, is at the lower end of what is charged round my way. He may assume you want the cheaper set, though it's only about £5 difference here.
 
Alot of Farriers charge the same whether they are new or are refits. I think at most you will get a £5-£10 discount for refits, but none of the Farriers round here do that (they charge the same). So £90 for a full set, even if they are refits, is still at the cheap end.
If they have been fired, and shaped to fit, and aren't worn thin, (they may have only been worn by someone else for a few days or a week) then can't see a problem.

The other things you mention though would be cause to look for a new farrier. Can't be doing with someone who is unreliable and hard to get hold of.
 
If you screenshot the picture and upload the screenshot it will reduce the quality and therefore file size.

Refits at best will be £5-10 off as that’s what a pair or set of normal shoes cost to buy. But not many do discount for refits.

It would be fairly unusual to reuse shoes from a completely different horse, however it may of been fitted to something else and then taken off or they may of been short of stock in the van that day and it’s all they had in that size.

What makes you think they are refits?
 
Should be able to tell with a picture if you can manage to upload it.

Regardless of the cost, I'd be annoyed on the basis if they aren't new shoes then they won't last as long either and also means you then won't have the option for refits if it came to it.
 
WuzzBred said:
It is for refits!!
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You really need to understand that the steel is a tiny part of the overall cost. The farrier will go through the entire process of dressing and balancing the foot, firing the shoes, fitting, adjusting and fitting, nail on etc. you are paying for his professional trade.

It is really disappointing that so many owners view their farriers as a necessary nuisance rather than a skilled professional. No foot no horse.
 
My farrier charges £5 less for refits. I'm always there when my boys are shod and he always tells me what he is doing and why. Is there any wear on the shoes? I can easily tell if my horses shoes are new or not. I think you wbe better off asking the other farrier on the yard to take you on. It's very very annoying when they won't get back to you. I sacked my last farrier partly because of that issue.
 
It's only £5 - £10 less for refits compared to new shoes.

What makes you think they are not new shoes?

My farrier used to change the shoe shape on my old boys fronts so it rolled more easily which helped avoid him over reaching with his hinds - I think he called it helping his break-over, but I could be wrong. Basically it means the fronts have slightly less travel/bend before they leave the ground so aren't in the way of the hind foot as it's falling. if that makes sense.
 
If the refit is worn thin then it’s no go. But if just scuffed and normal thickness, I don’t see a problem. I presume he would have discussed with you if you had been there. If your horse is coming back into work, she will be doing walking for quite a while won’t she?
The price of shoes is pretty high now, it is a bit of a shock if you havent shod for a while.
 
I assume your horse was hot shod and not cold shod ? If hot shod then the farrier would have worked the shoe to fit the hoof so I am not sure that it really matters if the shoe had come off a previous horse unless it is a poor fit in which case he has not done a good job but this would have been the case with a brand new shoe which also has to be worked to fit the hoof. I've never had a farrier take a fresh shoe out of the box and just nail it on with hot shoeing.
 
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