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Expert
Posts: 2531
  
Location: WI | Silent treatment, text, ??
My gelding was reset last week, I had noticed he wasn't landing flat on his right front. He lands on the outside first, then rolls to the inside. I mentioned it to him and he said he's probably grown out (I get him reset every 5 weeks) and he could fix it. 1 week later and it is still the same. It just doesn't look right. I board and the owners farrier is coming out Thursday and I'm going to get a second opinion. I feel so bad, I've used the same farrier for 10+ years. Lately he just always seems in such a hurry, doesn't want to shape new shoes. Even though I like new shoes everytime, he always convinces me they look new. I think I'm on 3 resets with these shoes. He literally takes 15-20 to reset my horse, front and hind.
Or maybe this isn't a shoeing issue at all? |
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  Independent Cuss
Posts: 3978
 
Location: Dearing, GA | While the bottom line may not be a shoeing issue, it sounds like your farrier isn't doing any good. I might call him on the phone and express your concerns. If you're paying for a service, you should get what you want every time. I think a second opinion would be a good place to start, too. |
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 Money Eating Baggage Owner
Posts: 9586
Location: Phoenix | I did mine via text....but another girl in the barn kind of set up every appointment so text is how we normally corresponded. I went ahead and had someone else do the shoes and then told him I wasn't happy with his latest jobs (especially with his assistant doing half the work) and that I was sorry for not trying to work out the problems but at that point I didn't want to wait to see if it would get better. He was also rushing through jobs, reusing shoes and the jobs were getting really uneven.
My new guy takes his time, uses the forge to shape the shoe TO THE HOOF, and is just really meticulous in his work. And he's $10 less. He also works with a vet and continues to go to shoeing competitions to further his education and stay "tuned up"? I guess? I respect that and I like the shoe job so much better.
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 Expert
Posts: 1482
Location: on my horse | I would give him the courtesy of a call and tell him exactly what's bothering you, like you did here, and let him know that while you appreciate his services for the last ten years you don't feel like your concerns are being properly addressed and unless that can change you will be switching farriers (unless you're completely adamant about switching then just let him know you don't feel your concerns have been addressed and are switching). After working that long with someone I would definitely call them, and probably before I got a second opinion. I know my farrier talks to others around here so I would be very embarrassed if he heard around town that I had had a second person come out and look at his work. However, I know he does excellent work and has a great deal of pride in what he does.
Just another tidbit, I have a friend with a mare that lands like that, outside then rolls to the inside, her guy has her like that on purpose because for her foot shape, she's level. She's got some other issues including chronic laminitis and conformationally that's just how she travels. I was ready to get down her guy's throat when her mare lived with me (friend is navy and was at boot camp) and but once he showed and explained to me what was going on, and I double checked with our vet I ate my words 
ETA: I hope this doesn't come across as me not agreeing with you, I totally do, 15 minutes generally isn't enough time to get a good job done and he should be patient enough to hear your concerns etc. 
Edited by redmansmyman11 2016-10-04 11:44 PM
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 Having Smokin Bandits
Posts: 4572
Location: Woodstown, NJ | It's really hard firing your farrier! You become friends with them! Even the ones who you haven't had for a long time. I'm on #7 since I moved to my new place almost five years ago. Seven! Each one had a different issue. This last one I thought was going to be the best, the whole package, but turned out he might have been the worst. Possibly caused a mild mechanical founder in one of my horses. I was STILL going to work with him because I don't KNOW that he caused it for sure. The vet was not happy with the way he was doing their feet. So I was worrying about it. I'm probably going to have to fire him. But he did me a favor. HE fired ME! He obviously didn't like it when the vet called him to ask him to do things a certain way. I was nice as can be to him. Didn't blame him for anything. I guess he can't take any sort of criticism so he did me a favor and left the last time he was here without leaving an appointment card like he always does and didn't respond to my text asking about the next appointment. So I'm relieved!
I would say listen to your gut. All the times I let guys work on my horses too long, my gut was saying not to but I wanted to be nice, didn't trust my own eyes--hey, I'm not the expert otherwise I'd be doing them! Talk to him or not if you think he won't listen or doesn't have the skills, but definitely do the responsible thing and contact him however you normally communicate with him, text or phone, way before you're next appointment, and let him know. Use an excuse if you have to save your feelings and his. He'll figure it out. But let him know. |
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Assistant to the Braun..
Posts: 1249
Location: Texas | I recently went through this. I had alot of signs that he was not doing a good and correct job. It got to the point that all my horses were coming up lame and the final straw was when he told me that my horses feet were bleeding when he shod them. All 6 of them. I was livid and started looking around and noticing that their performances were not where they once were and they stayed lame or cranky all the time. X-rays showed no sole and toes to long ect. Long story short he refused to fix the problems per what the vet wanted and tried to call my husband and tell him that I verbably attacked him, which although I was upset I was very professional with him, he had just been caught doing wrong. He made excuse after excuse attempting to blame me. I had him for over 10 years and it was an easy break up because he was not putting my horses first. I now love love and love some more my new farrier and 8 months into it my horses feet are so much better, they are happier and performing good again. Come to find out the majority of my old farriers clients were experiencing the same problems and he lost many of them for doing crappy work.
15 minutes and not shaping shoes is not adequate. He should be fitting the shoe to the hoof, which requires way more than 15 minutes. I think I would get a second opinion and then contact him and tell him how you feel. It may be time to move on for you and your horse's sake. Good Luck!!! |
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Expert
Posts: 2531
Location: WI | I got the second opinion - he got a size larger shoe and we are working on getting rid of some flares on the inside of the foot. That looks to be the contributing factor. I have made the decision to switch farriers. After talking to others, I'm not going to contact the old guy. If I wanted to keep him, I would express my concerns. But I'm not, so best to just let it be. I guess a few other girls have fired him in the last year as well. |
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Married to a Louie Lover
Posts: 3303
| Our last 2 have left it up to us to schedule our next appointment, so we just didn't.
Maybe that's not the right way to go about it. The first of the 2 knew I was peeved when he left the last time. Other folks in the area swear by him, but he was getting fast and sloppy with ours (he's a neighbor so we were close and convienent).
The next one was an old Hs rodeo friend of my SO and was dDiving quite a ways to do ours. He said the last time he was here at my little horse wasn't ready to be reset yet, call him in 1-2 weeks - despite my asking to have the the horse done. Sure as poop, within 2 days of him being there the horse ripped a shoe off. This along with reliability issues turned us off pretty quick.
Honestly, we're done with farriers. I have a friend mentoring me in barefoot trimming. |
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 Strong Willed Woman
Posts: 6577
Location: Prosser, WA | One I just told I was trying someone new. I thought he was doing an alright job but honestly had a dilemma because I kept hearing he was cheating on his wife. I didn't know her well but certainly didn't want her thinking I was involved with him. The new guy was also a bit cheaper so I used that for a reason. He was ****ed. He called my home phone AND my work phone to chew me out. Such a POS. Glad I quit him. Turns out he also slept with my ex sister in law while she was still married to my brother. Farrier had been in my brother's wedding. What a jerk. |
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 Expert
Posts: 2013
Location: Piedmont, OK | I had one I had to let go. He was letting toes get too long and I told him twice I wanted the toes taken back and he did not do it. He called to set up my next appointment and I told him I was not happy and going to try someone else and would get back to him. |
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 Elite Veteran
Posts: 1118
Location: The South | soonergirl98 - 2016-10-11 3:36 PM
I had one I had to let go. He was letting toes get too long and I told him twice I wanted the toes taken back and he did not do it. He called to set up my next appointment and I told him I was not happy and going to try someone else and would get back to him.
That is exactly what happened with us. Gave him more than enough chances to make it right. Good farriers are too hard to find so we went barefoot and never looked back. I never knew our horses' hooves could look so good! |
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Member
Posts: 7
| I think that a visit to your vet with your farrier would be the most beneficial for all three of you. A few radiographs of the foot would prove without question whether your farrier is doing a good job. |
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Elite Veteran
Posts: 1141
Location: Somewhere across the SABINE | My old farrier i had for 15 years, he IS THE BEST in our area for sure, however he let a personal issue come between 2 clients that wasnt any of his business.
number 2 i had for 8 years, my 7 year old gelding was just diagnosed with navicular earlier this year. I have done a lot of research and I honestly believe it was farrier caused.
he would rush through his shoeing jobs, leave a ton of toe, shoes wouldnt stay on I can keep going
Im going to call him, i just havent yet :( |
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