Build a relationship with your farrier...

Dirt is okay! Mud is not!

 

I have recognized that I was a complete moron as a horse owner when I had to maintain a relationship (or lack thereof) with a farrier. I was oblivious to the reasons why I couldn't get ahold of anyone to take care of my horses hooves and why they typically wouldn't come back for a return appointment. I blamed it on horseshoers; they are, after all, irresponsible drunks that can't hold a real job anyway. Right? Them are fighting words. Professional farriers, myself included, take their careers incredibly seriously. I can't imagine another set of professionals that spend their personal time and money as wildly as farriers do to advance their knowledge with continuing education clinics, meetings, books, certifications and competitions.

In my first year as a hoof care specialist I could've wrote a book on the aggravations of working with the public. If that book were to have been published I would've lost all of my clients because of my increasingly hostile attitude. Several years later I've learned to see the humor in life and I've been able to brush off the inconsideracy of many good intentioned, but unaware, horse owners. That experience has led me to the realization that the frustrations farriers encounter could be smoothed out if clients were willing to recognize their wrongdoings and work to correct a few inconsistencies in their procedures.

I've compiled a little list; I've left out the snarky attitude I often expose as much as I could because I appreciate each and every one of my clients and I hope that our relationships continue to grow. I strive to make your horses become better partners for you as much as I am capable of achieving, so my fellow farrier brethren and I could use your help.   

• Catch your horses for me. Please do not make my job harder by making me catch your horse in a twenty acre trap in the 110 degree west Texas sun. I am not his human and he doesn't want me to touch him. It's not fair for me to waste my time playing horse whisperer when I have other horses to attend to. Catch your horses and leave them tied for us or at least gather them into a small pen that makes it easier for us to catch them.
• Eliminate mud for me. You cannot control the weather and neither can I. Please dry off your horses muddy legs, I can handle dirt and mud in their hooves but when he has been standing in mud up to his belly I can't do as good of a job as he deserves.
• Make shade for me. Allow some sort of cover for me in the brutal summer heat; a tree, an overhang, your garage. I understand that your budget determines whether or not you can have a climate controlled barn but there are some ways you can prevent my slow decay in the elements. The sun is not only bothersome but it is dangerous when I work as hard as I do.
• Have some compassion for me. Sometimes I have to reschedule on rainy/snowy/icy days. I don't want to get behind with my work but if you don't have an adequate place for me to work out of the elements then I will find someone who does and I will have to switch you to more horseshoer friendly day or time. 
• Let me work. You may have a spoiled horse. That is okay if you want to operate like that but I cannot. You may need to leave the barn while I'm shoeing your horse because we have developed respect for each other but he does not respect you, therefore he misbehaves when you are present. Don't get defensive in this situation, recognize the difficult behavior I am having to deal with and then let me tend to it in a way I see fit. Don't get in the way.
• Work with your horse. I don't want to be a horse trainer. If your horse will not tolerate me working on him then you have work to do. I do not have time to turn an hour shoeing job into a three hour shoeing job. I will likely be inclined to quit working for you if your horses are inconsiderate of me or dangerous. I don't have a way to pay my bills if your horse injures me, my way of life is at stake.
• Keep your horse on a schedule. I'm not trying to take your money or do a quick job for beer money. Your horse's hooves will never stay in good shape and look like how you think they should look if you only get shoes replaced twice a year. It takes almost an entire year for a horses hoof to grow out which means that all of the flares and cracks you have let develop from negligence will never resolve if you're just trying to save money. I want to be able to stand behind my work and be proud of the condition of your horse's hooves and I cannot do that if you don't allow it. You should want to keep him in the best condition possible as well.
• Pay me. I understand that life happens. It happens to me as well. I'd be happy to let a good client hold off for a couple of weeks but when you go all the way until the next cycle without paying me and I see you posting pictures of your vacation on Facebook I may get agitated. I need the money too, after all, I already completed the work.
• Communicate with me. Tell me about yours and your horse's needs. If something is not working please share that with me. I want to do the best for your horse and I don't typically get to see him worked so I have no idea if something needs to change.
• Trust me. I'm not a vet, I don't claim to be and I don't want to be. If your horse needs vet attention I will recommend it. I'm not overly anxious about medical conditions and I will not suggest that you spend money unless I see it is entirely necessary.
• Be loyal to me. I hold you and your horses in high esteem. Not only are you responsible for my livelihood but I spend every waking minute thinking of ways to further my education to be a better asset to you. If a vet or fellow farrier talks badly of me or my work please evaluate it thoroughly before you jump on the band wagon. Come to me with your concerns and we can talk about it civilly, there is probably a pretty good explanation for something they are seeing and do not fully understand. I value you, please value me and my knowledge.
• Be courteous of my business. If you decide that we are not a good match for whatever reason it may be, please continue to be respectful towards me. If I made a mistake while working on your horses I would be happy to make it right if you allowed it and I would most definitely offer an apology for anything I unintentionally did. Horseshoeing is an art, not a science, it is fairly easy to make the wrong decisions and often necessary to make corrections. If you decide to let me go please let me know so I don't repeatedly try to contact you to set up future appointments and please do not talk negatively about me to other horse owners when I had been willing to fix, or discuss, our differences.

Build a working relationship and an open line of communication with your farrier, it will benefit both of you and you may be able to avoid the mistakes I made!