Re: NEW: Farrier thread/question

["Duncan Fletcher" <dfletche@gte.net>]

There is no rule. This is one of a number of factors that need to be
evaluated in farrier choice along with price, competence (however you may
care to define that) - and what your alternatives are.

I will state, however, that not returning phone calls shows a poor
professional attitude. That I would not tolerate if there was any reasonable
alternative.

For what it is worth, my farrier will replace shoes no charge for the most
part. I will (generally) receive a return phone call the eveing of the day I
call. He will fit me into his schedule within 3 or 4 days, and if it was a
real emergency, I think we could work out another arrangement - trailering
the horse and meeting him perhaps. Out of 4 horses,  I probably run 1 or 2
lost shoes per year.

The exception to the no charge will be the cost of making the shoe (if it is
a hand made special shoe and cannot be found). The second exception is a
horse that continually throws shoes because of confirmation problems or
lousy feet that are not correctable. Also an owner than refuses the
necessary extra cost of an appropriate shoe (Out of four horses and 4 years,
the farrier has seen the need to use clips on only 1 horse for 3 months
after he tore a chunk out his hoof - so he is not one to run up the bill). I
believe he has told me, there are one or two horses he shoes that he will
not replace no charge.

I am a bit puzzled as to who was responsible for 16 weeks between shoeings
for horses on a strict 8 week shoeing schedule. My farrier might decide he
didn't need that client. But I may have misintepreted that last statement.

Duncan Fletcher
dfletche@gte.net


-----Original Message-----
From: Heidi Sowards <ribbitttreefrog@yahoo.com>


>
>Our farrier was out on Feb. 27. After a couple of occasional rides and
>after being gone out of town on 3/2 thru 3/5 I went out the morning of
>the 6th to brush my boy, saddle up and go for a ride. Notice a front
>shoe missing when I go to pick his hooves. (14 days after his shoeing)
>immediately called the farrier, left a message on his machine. (BTW
>rode with an easyboot) My farrier has yet to return my call, 5 days
>later. He will come out and invariably charge me (can't find the shoe
>BTW) and blame it on the mud. As a sidenote, you should know, this
>horse has hooves of iron, after an 8 week cycle, usually the farrier
>has to use brute force to get his shoes off and always comments on
>what tough feet he has.
>
>Is it justifiable to be a little ticked off that after a $75 set of
>shoes I will probably end up forking over $20 more? (This has happened
>a couple times last year also, and to Rick's horse so I am pretty sure
>he will charge me.)
>
>Is there a rule of thumb for how long shoes are supposed to stay put
>before you have to pay again. I think 4 weeks is very fair and
>wouldn't mind paying after that time. I obviously need a backbone, as
>he has gotten away with this too many times. (Or am I making a
>mountain out of a manure pile?)
>
>Heidi
>
>PS, he also convinced me that my horse was down in the heels and
>needed wedge pads. (They did look a little down and we had gone 16
>weeks without shoes. Both horses are on a strict 8 week schedule,
>either shoes or trims.)
>




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