Northeastern MA. Trim, 4 slightly fancy shoes to improve breakover, and front “sporthorse” pads is about $250. Resetting and usually new pads is $200. Every 5 weeks, because one of my mare’s talents is growing hoof. I know people in the area who pay much more, and some who pay less.
I think with 8, farrier school would pay for itself quickly!!
1 Like
Howdy back at ya, neighbor!
Colorado - 4 shoes, 2 front pads $250 every 5 weeks. Excellent farrier and I NEVER have to worry about the shoeing!! Worth every penny as he can also do custom shoeing if needed. Does the same great shoeing job every time.Given how much shoeing affects the horse’s soundness, I would never go by price.
Take really good hoof photos before you swap farriers. (Look up how to take them and which ones you’ll need if you aren’t familiar) .
Southern California. $200 for for flat steel shoes. $70 for a trim (different barn; different farrier).
I have heard that the price of steel is going up which will impact prices.
1 Like
A barn full of no problem horses precisely because you have an excellent farrier.
A good farrier is worth their weight in gold.
4 Likes
My farrier raised his prices this year.
$280 for wide-web aluminum front with leather full pad in the summer and a snow pad in winter. Steel behind. Every 4 weeks, so yes, it costs more to shoe him than to feed him, even if you count prescriptions and supplements. In MD.
My farrier is the reason my horse is sound. I can pay him or I can pay my vet. My choice. He’s an excellent farrier who continues to invest in his own education and he trains apprentices to prioritize that too. So I see the monthly check not only as fair compensation for his work on my horse, but also an investment in making sure we have good farriers in this area in 20 years.
It’s an expense for sure, but I’ve seen the work of people who charge in the $150 range and they don’t need to be working on my horse. The other area farrier I know who has his level of experience and produces good feet in their clients year over year charges in the same rate as my farrier.
3 Likes
We’re five dollars cheaper on trims in north Florida at $35. The rest is comparable. Mine haven’t needed fronts for awhile. I put rocks down in their paddocks and their feet toughened up. 
1 Like
I see too many specialty shoeing cases here and for the most part they are caused by the farrier not trimming correctly. Including things like soft tissue injuries (suspensories)… A good farrier is really truly worth their weight in gold.
3 Likes
Yup. My farrier is very aware that I’m in this for the long haul with my mare and he shoes her accordingly. There are things he could do to “help” her issues but in the long run would end up worsening things. So rather than take the easy way, he’s been incredibly patient and spent a lot of time thinking outside the box.
That said – he’s been quick to point out that I, as the owner, am a bit of a unicorn in that regard. He’s told me he very much appreciates my willingness to be patient and let him work through this the ‘right’ way.
Truly good farriers are very hard to get to come out around here, especially when you only have one horse, so I am very grateful to have him.
2 Likes
Boy, isn’t this the truth. My farrier has taken care of my horse for about 10 years now. He inherited my family as clients from our previous farrier upon his retirement. At that point we had two horses at the same farm on the same schedule. Well, in the intervening time we’ve gone from two horses at that farm to one horse at that farm to two horses at another farm to one horse at one farm and one at another farm to two horses at the same farm to… Oh, and mine is every 4 weeks and the other was every 5.5. And we’re on the outside of his radius. I’m very grateful that two of his other clients have since moved to my farm, and one of them is even on a 4-week schedule. And, grateful that he kept seeing my one horse even though it was out of his way.
3 Likes
Northern Ontario
I more so meant that my horses don’t require extensive padding, specialty shoeing, etc. I mentioned in my post I’m a firm believer in “no horse, no hoof”, but even with the best farriers in the world some horses are predisposed to crappy feet (especially stock breeds like mine that are 1200 pounds on tiny hooves). Mine are not those types of horses.
1 Like
Ocala Area, work down by a two person team of lead CJF and assistant who focus on sport and performance horses:
Trim all four: $40
Front Shoes only, steel or aluminum: $125
Four all around, steel or aluminum, and re-using pads: $225 (I have a mare that needs a shot of dorm to do her hinds, so she gets a bit extra added to her bill)
Four with two new pads (front or back): $275
Four all around with theraputic trimming/wedging/pads: $300+ depending on labor and what’s being done this cycle in order to keep him sound
He does not charge to put on thrown or pulled shoes, but he comes at his convenience.
1 Like
My boyfriend from a long time ago went through the Cornell farrier program as well. At that time, they were told it was being closed and theirs was the last class. I wonder if they restarted it. This was late 70s / early 80s. He worked with the Kriz brothers after Cornell.
I’m in north/central Arizona. My current horse is at a mid-sized Paint and AQHA show barn. I’m not in training but I do use the services of their farrier.
Just paid $150 for plain, simple shoes on all four.
Vancouver Island:
$70 for a trim,
$225 4 plain steel all round. He’s one of the 2 best farriers on the island, each on par with the other, but he comes to my barn, the other doesn’t travel quite this far from his home
Also in Dallas. 4 steel shoes, no pads, nothing particularly special/problematic. very well behaved horse.
Current Farrier (CJF)= $185 (LOVE HIM! comes out to just do my one horse from other side of metroplex)
Former Farrier (CJF)= $215 (reputation for being “the best in town”…I agreed with that title for years. Until I didn’t/couldn’t agree anymore)
Farrier that does 95% of the hunter/jumpers in my barn = ~$150 (no hate, just not my jam, also VERY hard to get on his books)
More “backyardy” farrier that does the western/trail horses = $130 (you, uhhhh, get what you pay for here…)
Mid Missouri . My horses are on a 7-8 week schedule ( my preference).
I pay $ 35 for trims.
$ 55 for front shoes / back trim.
$ 60 for front shoes with pads and that putty stuff in between for cushioning when my mare needed it after vets diagnosis and being severely lame.
My farrier is an excellent one. Is on time, comes when scheduled ( or will call well before and reschedule if need arises) Is my vets " go to" with lameness issues and my horses adore him. I have been blessed to have found him and have been using him 2 years now.
My mare is sound and in work again due to him.
1 Like
