Sorry...a sort of farrier rant

alsxx

alsxx

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I will start off by saying I think my farrier is great, but when it comes to organising a visit it is such a nightmare!!!

I always book in advance, not that that seems to really help a lot of the time....He was booked in for thursday, and we agreed either first or last thing (as I work full time). So called last week to confirm time, and was told thursday was no longer good, he'd call me. So it changed to Tuesday, last thing (5 - 6pm), which is fine, I arrange to leave work early. I always say yep thats fine to the farrier and then beg for time off, I'm just buggered if he then goes and changes the time!!!

So then get a call this morning to say actually, its going to be 4pm....I am leaving work early at 4pm
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.....wont be there until 5pm.

So OH who has plans today and cant hang around for farrier has just swung past the yard to get them in for farrier. This isn't my farriers fault, but we are moving on friday so I have taken the beds up, and have no hay left (as not feeding it at the moment), so they are in on concrete for another 2 hours with nothing to eat (other than a feed which will last, hmmm 5 minutes max!). It wont hurt them, but I dont like doing it, and I dont like not being there for when the farrier turns up either.

Lesson learnt - book the whole day off work in future!!! My poor farrier just does not understand my employer is not too horse friendly
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i have the same problem - have to organise babysitters every time the farrier comes and it's always a nightmare. last time he was 2.5 hours late! then the shoes worked loose after 2 weeks, this time he arrived on time but the next day my horse lost a shoe, the next day! not having a rant about farriers but i just seem to be really unlucky of late!
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AmyMay - yes he does have a lot of clients and is a damn good farrier (when mare went to RVC Roger Smith said what a fantasticly balanced feet she had, gold star to my farrier). He does almost the whole yard, I know some people have the issue as I do re balancing work/farrier, I just try to be as accomodating as I can be, but sometimes there is nothing I can do if my boss wont let me leave work/take time off!!
 
I must be really lucky with my farrier then, as i just leave my horse in her stable with a cheque on the door, and my farrier just turns up pulls her out the stable does her feet and put her away, then leaves a card on the door for when she nexted booked in with a rough time guide. If there's ever any problems he'll just give me a call.
 
In theory I could do that, but I dont like to, I like to be there to make sure everything is ok, make him a drink etc....also I used to do this with an old farrier and was once charged for a trim that was not done!!!
 
Can't you advertise in your tack shop for a casual hand?
I know a lady who does this sort of thing - ie she doesn't need regular help, just the odd bit here and there when she is away or if she can't be there or whatever.
 
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In theory I could do that, but I dont like to, I like to be there to make sure everything is ok, make him a drink etc....also I used to do this with an old farrier and was once charged for a trim that was not done!!!

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I guess that's an issue, then, because I know I can trust my farrier implicitly to do what he says he has done, and that is why he has been our farrier for 12 years and I am happy (and he is happy) on the odd occasion to do them unassisted.

I leave him biscuits and a note, and his money in a safe place. My horses are well-behaved for him, and that comes down to him being kind but firm with them.

Occasionally my horses will have refits (or one of them will) and if I am not there, the farrier leaves £15 change (as I leave the full amount in case they both have new. I know I can trust him to be honest in this way.

If you can trust your farrier to do them alone very occasionally, and he is happy to do this, then I don't see the harm.
 
I could do, although when we move it will be my own place so not sure how I'd feel about leaving someone I didn't know too well with keys....but as its my own place, someone needs to be there to unlock the gate for him to drive in!

Had I known I would have asked OH days ago, but it just so happens that his dad (who lives in Loughborough and hence does not see too often!) is visiting his uncle in Surrey today so he was going to see him this afternoon which was why he couldn't hang around.

I'm just going to book a days leave in future instead of messing around starting late/finishing early, it will only be a problem if he changes the day again.
 
My farrier is fab, always comes on time on the right day....

....problem is me and OH work full time, sometimes OH can swing a shift swap but I'm office hours. So sometimes we have to rely on the other girl who has her horse done at the same time......which can be a problem...she buggered off once after her horse was done and left farrier to bring the horses down and put them back out, which he didn't mind but I felt really bad about it, especially as it was another livery who happened to be on the yard who texted me to tell me what was going on.....

So now either me or OH tend to put an annual leave day in at work.

Luckily my work is understanding, bless'em...I have been known to book my appointments around vets visits and other horse-related stuff
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It is difficult, if only to have a job with weird and wonderful hours!! Work are good and will let me start late or finish early, but when I'm already finishing an hour early, I can't then turn around the same day and ask if I can go even earlier, which is what happened today (but I didn't ask as I already knew what the answer would be!). Oh well, life is never simple!
 
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