Your Farrier.

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Hello, My name is lou as you can see and I am a pre-farrier, that is i am on a course which will prepare me to take my 4 and a half year apprenticship.

I am writing this post as i have seen a fair few posts on this site resently which are a bit anti-farrier should I say. Many of these post are asking for oppinions on barefoot/strausser technique and others are simply saying that the training that farriers are receiving is poor.

Firstly the training a British farrier recieves is THE BEST in the whole world - FACT. British farriers qualifications are recognised all over the world and are sort after.
Secondly, while the idea of the strausser technique is excellent (if you like that sort of thing) it should not be dont by any tom, dick or harry.
Thirdly. British farriers are trained to an excellent standard, they are skilled crafts men who know there job. They understand balence (someone who is not trained, trimming the horses hooves will cause and imbalence and potentially a knackered horse). They understand how limb deformation will cause damage and how this can be altered, aided or corrected with correct shoeing.

So what i would just like to say is, although you may all see the need to run off and buy a set of pincers and a rasp.. look to your farrier first, he is trained you are not.
And i would also like to say that, weather you like slagging farriers/farrier training off, i would like to see you do a better job. These are invaluble crafts men.
Thankx
Loux
 
Thankyou..
Just getting het up about the people bit*hing about farriers.
They work bloody hard and dont get much back.
I think its unfair.. there only Human.
Lou x
 
I do believe that in many ways.

But my farrier is awful he cold shoes!! (and as I can see in your siggy you do not approve of that!)
 
I LOVE my farrier; he's shod my horses for 10 years now. He is NEVER late, always turns up and will be at yard within 24 hours if one loses a shoe!
 
Totally agree my farrier is as (if not more) important to me as the vet I use and his knowlede of conformation and physiology is second to none.
 
My farrier is great and I don't care that he cold shoes - I've never had a lame horse in the four years I've been back owning them. He'd hot shoe if I asked but as far as I'm concerned what ever he thinks is best is fine with me.

And my two barefoot nags are also done by him. Same level of soundness. Perfect!
 
In respect to my farrier I always have my horses ready for the said time with dry clean legs & kettle freshly boiled!
I knew one farrier that if when he turned up & the horses weren't ready or had wet or muddy legs would leave. I totally agreed with that as it's not fun picking up dirty wet legs, so WHY expect your farrier to have to hold them wile he shoe's it?
 
...and don't forget tying their tails up too !

Seriously, I like to 'pick' a good team and that involves lots of mutual back scratching, consideration !!!

p.s not aimed at anyone, I just replied to last post
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I love mine too. Ex Army, so very punctual. Often he's actually early. Has managed to help with a potentially serious lameness prob, & the vet said it's down to the farrier that my horse is sound. Is also always on the lookout for new techniques / shoes etc that might help my horse. Simon Teale as he deserves the recognition.
 
Yes here here to recognising that farriers are great craftsmen and do a wonderful job,there are not so good ones like there are not so good plumbers or doctors or bankers, its the whole package that makes someone good at their job, i have an excellent farrier, really knows his stuff
 
my farrier is never on time extremley cheeky!!!! and i wouldn't change him for anything (having had some not so good ones!) he was straight when i rang him n said he would never be on time lol but always comes in 24 hrs if i loose a shoe and we keep him well supplied with tea a doghnuts!
 
Love my farrier(not literally his wife would kill me!!),have used him for years.He always there when he says which is a BIG problem for a lot of farriers up here!!.Is firm with horses,have only ever seen him use his hand to smack fidgety/ stroppy ones but is patient and detemined and always gives them a hug after he's finished.Tho prefers clean dry legs will do muddy wet ones with a slight moan!!In fact perfect!Oh and he hot shoes now (used to just cold shoe).
Will even give you coffee from his flask and choccy biks (some yards we were on didn't have any facilities and liked his coffee his way )
Don't know if this makes any difference but he is 'old school' taught by apperticeship not college etc.
He should ask me for a reference if he ever decides to change careers!!!
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[ QUOTE ]
But my farrier is awful he cold shoes!! (and as I can see in your siggy you do not approve of that!)

[/ QUOTE ] Good point Jess! I did think it was a bit hypocriticial of Lou to post this, when she is slagging off a multitude of farriers in her sig every time she posts
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My OH cold shoes and hot shoes according to the needs of the individual horse.
 
Well said. My farrier is absolutely wonderful. He literally saved my pony's life. My pony was diagnosed with Cushings and is very prone to lamintis, last year he had a terrible bout but thanks to my wonderful farrier and vet who worked together, he has now got imprint shoes and has stayed sound for over a year. My farrier is always cheerful and helpful and open to suggestions. If anyone is thinking of going barefoot, please, please, discuss this with your farrier - he/she has been trained for 4 years and is much more qualified than most so-called barefoot trimmers on whether going shoeless is appropriate for your horse.
 
[ QUOTE ]
Thankyou..
Just getting het up about the people bit*hing about farriers.
They work bloody hard and dont get much back.
I think its unfair.. there only Human.
Lou x

[/ QUOTE ]

Totally agree with most of what was said, and they DO work hard. Do not agree that they don't get much back though - the financial rewards are VERY good.

Mine gets £60 for less than an hours work and intends to retire by the time he's 45. He picks and chooses what he shoes (won't do anything that pulls him about) and is normally about 3/4 of an hour late.

Wouldn't change him for the world though!
 
[ QUOTE ]

Mine gets £60 for less than an hours work and intends to retire by the time he's 45.

[/ QUOTE ] He doesn't GET £60 - that is purely the price he charges you. There are a lot of overheads such as motor costs, insurance, cost of shoes/nails/gas, etc.
 
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Thankyou..

Mine gets £60 for less than an hours work and intends to retire by the time he's 45.

[/ QUOTE ]

If his back holds out that long.
 
Too be fair.. my siggy is a personal joke with some people. That is not slagging farriers off.
Nothing wrong with cold shoeing if it is done properly. As i have said it is a personal joke.
Nothing wrong with trims if they are done properly.. I am just fed up with everyone slagging farriers off onthis site when the fact of the matter most people would be lost without their farriers!
Lou x
 
Sorry - but I have to say I have never met a poor good farrier!!!! Poor bad farriers maybe. But at £77 for a set of shoes which cost the farrier about £5, a leased van - well we all need transport to get to work, and the cost of a mobile forge - what overheads does a farrier have that other tradesmen don't. My old farrier could shoe 10 a day - several days a week as he went to large yards. a standard set of shoes was £77 plus £1 per stud hole and extra for remedial shoes. so that is £770 minimum per day - less expenses of £50 for shoes so £720 for a day's work. Only petrol for there and back and a small amount of gas for the furnace. Rather a nice daily take home would'nt you say. if he only gets one day a week like that and 4 days with only 5 horses - unlikely but that would be another 20 horses so another £1440 a week so over £2000 a week. Not bad I would say. I know one farrier who had to work out what to buy so as to write off for tax and there is apparantly 100% employment for farriers

If your farrier doesn't make that either he is in a poorer aea of the countryside or he is not particulary good so he can't charge premium rates.
 
My (very good) farrier has a rather tempting array of holidays booked for this year, around which I have to book after pleading for his services!! - and several children put through school. My husband is an international airline pilot (several years training at his cost plus 6 monthly checks and medicals) and looks at my farrier in awe of his earnings.....
 
Have to say my current farrier is excellent. I've moved around the country a fair bit and so used a number of different ones and I would say my current one is the best of the bunch. He does a lovely job of dressing her feet, always turns up when he says he will (and on time) and has turned up at the drop of a hat when Jen's lost a shoe and I'm jibbering on about having a show tomorrow. I was very lucky to get added on to his books when I moved to my current yard as a lot of farriers in this area aren't taking on any more clients but he managed to squeeze me in. I always try to get him a bottle of wine if he puts himself out for me - eg if comes short notice to replace a shoe as I wouldn't want to lose him!
 
I think that the main gripes people on the forum have about farriers isn't the lack of ability or training....it's their inability to tell the time! It is appreciated that there can be traffic holdups throughout the day that can add up to a lengthy delay towards the end of the day but why can't they give the courtesy of a phone call?

My farrier I must say is very good, he's normally on time & phones if there's a problem. I've known some be extremely late & this causes problems for some owners who have come out of work specially to be there. Just the courtesy of a phone call is all most owners would want.
 
Personally i do not like cold shoeing at all, and unfortunately i HAVE to have a farrier for my cob (shes on permanent loan so have to have owners farrier), hes not bad, but then goes and charges £68!!!!
My other farrier who is fantastic, comes the next day, hot shoes and only charges £55 with leather pads
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I agree with your point of just anyone trimming feet totallly. My cousin who is a farmer and literally knows nothing about horses has started trimming his OHs horses feet. He said to me oh i'll do yours for a fiver. I was like NO way. You don't know what you're doing and will inbalance the feet. Oh course he laughed it off and said well ........s are fine! OMG!!!
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I think for the most part the gripe against farriers is that they do not seem to be able to communicate with their customers about lateness or not being able to come. Other trades and professions would be sacked on the spot if they failed to turn up on time but because farriers are usually few and far between, we as horse owners have to put up with it.
My farrier is great and I do not knock his work or attitude but there have been occasions when a phone call would have been nice rather than leaving me standing next to a horse on my drive way (I have no yard) with nothing else to do but wait and wait...I am self employed and cannot afford to hang around all day.
I do believe that most farriers are lacking in the commercial etiquette about customer service...and it would be nice for an element of that to be brought into the syllibus that is taught in training.
 
My farrier is a star! Ok occasionally late but he is so good I don't mine. He always rings if going to be very late (more than 1/2 hour) and always says sorry if he is late or has to cancel. Lots of farriers in my area won't do my cobs as they have full feathers and live out so sometimes I can't get them dry/clean enough, but he never complains. He also is fab with Gyp who can be nervous of men and gets bored so starts to eat him
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He is also a remedial farrier so any probs I don't need to get a extra one. He charges £60 for 4 shoes. But I think considering how good he is that he is worth it.
He will come out the same day if I have a lame horse/lost a shoe. And didn't charge me when Hattie went lame as I, by accident, dug out the thrush which was causing the problem so he didn't have to do anything but clean it up abit.
He is also very nice on the eyes
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