Re: uh-oh, Insulted Farrier

["guest@endurance.net" <guest@endurance.net>]

Linda B. Merims lbm@ici.net

Keri <Endure4fun@aol.com> said:

>I've been reading these posts about farrier problems.  When someone is having 
>shoes put on and the farrier is having an intern do the work, do he/she ask 
>first?  After all you are paying for the farrier's experince, not to be a 
>"lesson" for an intern.  Yes, I know they have to learn some where, but 
>should we have to pay exp. farrier's prices when he/she is having a "student" 
>do the job?  Shouldn't we have the choice who we want?  After all we are 
>paying them!

Well, in my former farrier's case, it's not quite like that.
The apprentice does the "routine" part of the shoeing, and the
farrier does the "skillful" part of the shoeing.

Specifically, the apprentice pulls the shoes and does some
preliminary clean-out of the feet with the hoof knife.
The farrier does the trimming, the fitting of the shoes,
and the nailing.  The apprentice does the clinching and
the final rasping.  (It was the way this final surface
rasping was being done that disturbed me.)

Frankly, it has always kind of mystified me where and how the
apprentice acquires his experience doing the "skillful" stuff
of trimming and fitting.  He undoubtedly does--I've seen
the previous apprentice work solo since he left this farrier
and he is excellent--but he never performed these functions
on my horse.  And this isn't something you pick up by
simply watching.

Linda B. Merims
lbm@ici.net
Massachusetts, USA