Events
Groups
Rider Directory
Market
RideCamp
Stuff
Unless your horse is so well trained and quiet and gentle that she will
stand like a statue while he works on her, I don't think that it's
unreasonable for him to want you to be there to hold her. Also, you
should be on hand to put fly spray on if needed, and to pay him when
he's finished. I feel that that's only being courteous. Personally, I
want to be there to hold my horse each and every time it'd shod. My
farrier told me the last time that I didn't need to be home, he's
comfortable working with my horses alone because they do behave well for
him. But I want to be there so I'll know if he runs into any problems,
so I can discuss any questions or shoeing concerns that I have, etc.
> Second question. Lately after my mare is shod she is pretty sore in the
> front. My trainer wants me to switch farriers.
I'd want to know why she's sore in front. If the farrier is very
knowledgeable and skilled, he should be able to tell you the reason. If
he's incompetent, he'll not be able to give you a good logical
explanation (or won't want to admit if it's his fault). Since you are a
new horse owner, you really should take the time and effort to learn
everything you can about what your horse's shoeing needs are and what a
correct shoeing job looks like, and be able to tell if your farrier is
doing a good job for you. It can be very complicated and baffling to a
new horse owner. But if you want to give your horse that best care you
can, that includes hoof care (whether shoeing or just trimming), and you
need to become familiar with these things. It's like everything else -
if you want a horse just to look at, it doesn't really matter. But if
you want a horse that you can take out and do a tough endurance or
competitive trail ride with, then things like shoeing and hoof care are
things that you need to pay attention to very carefully.
>Should I just go ahead and switch to the
> farrier my trainer recommends or should I give this farrier a chance to
> "fix" whatever is wrong.
I'd talk to your farrier. Do some research first - check out the
articles on the horseshoeing pages on the web, observe other riders'
horses' hooves, talk to your vet. Your farrier may be quite capable of
"fixing" the problem; or he may not be the right farrier for your horse,
and the sooner you find another one, the better for your horse. Talk to
other horse owners in your area. See who they are using for a farrier
and who has a good reputation and who doesn't.
And, no - these certainly are not dumb questions. It's very good that
you are concerned about these things, shows you're on the right track!
Just remember when it comes to hoof care, the old saying "no hoof, no
horse."
Good luck!
Ruth
Events
Groups
Rider Directory
Market
RideCamp
Stuff