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2021 Farrier Costs

I am in Northern Virginia.

For one with shoes all round, and pads on front, and another with just a trim, my farrier charges $260. I forget the exact break down.

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I’m in Nova as well. Paid $250 for very skilled farrier to do 4 shoes/2 pads on my old lease horse. Trim for pony is $50. The late Paul Goodness shoed the medium we leased when she came back into work after foundering; it was (I thought) very reasonable at around $375-425.

I imagine the cost of materials must be higher than usual right now. My general feeling is it’s a tough job
& reasonable won’t = inexpensive. The only hing that drives me crazy is on lease horses where I’m contractually obligated to use whichever farrier the trainer uses, and they charge more & are not nearly as skilled as my preferred farriers. Grrrrr.

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North Carolina, $160 for one horse with shoes all around, aluminum + pads on the front. This is for a farrier who only comes out to do my horse and was recommended by my vet, as I refuse to use the barn farrier.

In the past 5 years I have used 3 different farriers (as there were specific farriers the barn asked boarders to use) There is a large difference between the price points of these farriers, but it is very worth it to use the expensive farrier here. Other farriers in the area that i have not used, but have had quotes when i was looking around also charge around $30-40 for a trim.

The first farrier, charged $35 for just a trim. He would trim the foot, while gossiping about other horse owners in the area. He would disregard what i asked for, ie bringing up a heel, and would trim all horses to one style of foot, and made the foot very small for the horse.

Second farrier charged $20, as he lived on the farm and did not have to travel. He would also be chatty about people in the area. Would claim he was fixing my geldings pointy feet, and the new turning in on my mare. But they both kept getting worse.

Third farrier. $60 for a regular trim, never gossips, just talks about the horse, how his horses are doing and different training and care methods. He measured angles, watched how the horses move, diagnosed a dip in my horses shoulder (causing saddles to never fit that trainers, vets and saddler fitters did not diagnose) as caused by the large angle difference between my mares front feet, and diagnosed my gelding with contracted heels causing his very pointy toes. After a year with this farrier, my geldings heels are perfect, the toes are rounded and not pointy, and my mares shoulder dip is gone, and her turning in is almost completely solved.

With these 3 farriers, i am definitely getting what i am paying for.

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NW Michigan, $40 for a trim.

Where are you?

Central North Carolina

$130 for plain steel shoes every 5 weeks, no different for resets vs new shoes. Ponysaurus’ feet continue to look great.

I’d paid more if he raised his rates. He is well versed in performance horses, is on time, is kind and patient with my horse, communicates well and provides pleasant conversation when he comes. I have tried to tell him that if he wants to change me to a better time and day (he comes at 7PM on a Monday!), that’s fine. But he always declines.

Regular increases (usually yearly or bi-yearly) should be considered standard, as the purpose is to keep up with inflation. Many equine professionals do not do this, though, due to customer push back.

Central Florida:
$40 barefoot trim
$75 front shoes
$150 all four shoes
$180 all four with front pads (new pads that need cut to size); $170 all four with front pads (reusing existing pads)

My farrier appears to be one of the more reasonably priced in this area, and he does a great job. Some I’ve heard of charge $75 for a barefoot trim, $250+ for four shoes.

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Southern Maine, where there has tended to be a shortage, especially since one of the 2 best retired a couple of years ago. My farrier of 20 years is the other best but doesn’t want to do as much driving. We are too far out this time around.

Fronts only are $150 with a Natural Balance Light (steel) and a 2 degree pad for pastern angles. We switched to an Avanti shoe about 2 years ago, and it is terrific. Breakover is much easier but isn’t changed. Same pricing.

We have switched to a strong flexible young man who rode with our farrier for several months before the pandemic hit. He went to the Cornell farrier program. He has been riding with another farrier for larger barns while he builds his business.

Same shoeing is $140.

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I’m paying $45/trim in middle Tennessee. Which, considering I’ve been paying at least $40/trim for over 10 years now, I feel is a pretty good deal.

Willamette Valley Oregon. Mine charges $55 for trims. I pay $300 every 5 weeks for 4 steel with quarter clips and pads. Shoes are slightly modified because of ongoing issues. I’m not sure what he charges for “standard” work.
Yes, he’s very spendy. But he knows his stuff inside out, meets me at the vet when needed, educates me when I ask, calls/texts me when needed. And shows up on time.
Some things you just can’t put a price on.

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Yup. Good shoeing & trimming are both an art & science.

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$50 trim with a barefoot trimmer. Chicago suburbs

NW Connecticut.
The two drafts are 80 a trim. The elderly, arthritic pony is 60. I’m definitely not arguing, since full blood drafts…just are not fun. And one is young and wild.

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$25 for trims. $40 for fronts I think, not usual for me. $50 for four. Georgia
He charges more if he is in the sun/rain/wind, also if only a horse or two. I usually have at least ten so that he gives a break and they are all very well behaved, in stalls when he gets there, clean and he works with lights and a fan on mats.

Showing up on time and replying back is worth a lot in and of itself.

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I feel a little better about my prices reading the above posts. Chicagoland, front shoes $125, trim $50. My farrier did say he’s charging new customers more now. Until 2015 I was paying $85 for front shoes, boy was I spoiled. Though there is a farrier who charges $65 for fronts and $85 for 4 shoes around–I’m tempted. None of my horses have had any special issues and I saw no difference going $85->$120—at least no good difference.

I’m in the panhandle of WV right outside of NoVa, I pay 50.00 a barefoot trim plus tip 10.00 a horse. I’m his only client outside of Loudoun and Fairfax, but he has been trimming for me for two years in Waterford. I make sure horses are in, clean, fly sprayed, and well behaved.

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Howdy, somewhat distant neighbor!!

Yes, I have eight currently, which is why I started this thread. An increase on one or two, fine. An increase across my entire barn? sigh

Regardless, it seems we’re in line with what is “normal”. I’m in DFW and the new rates are going to be:
Trim: $50
Basic steel fronts only: $150
Steel fronts with pads: $175

My farrier really is the best in the business, and I do adore him. I just remember the days with him where it was $40 per trim and <$100 for steel fronts. I’m a firm believer in “no hoof, no horse”, but for a gal with a barn full of straight forward horses, with no problem feet, and only one sometimes a problem young horse - inflation hurts. :joy:

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