Dealing with Chatty Cathys

Oo that’s tougher. I’ve never had to deal with that, my farrier will chat while he’s working but has a tight schedule and won’t keep gabbing once he’s finished.

Can you make your schedule “tight” so you have a reason to bail at the end of the appointment?

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If it’s just one horse you have a couple of options. If the farrier is good and the horse well behaved, you can walk away with an excuse of needing to take a call, etc. Or tough it out for exactly the time of the appointment and then leave for an “appointment” immediately after paying.

If it’s multiple horses, go do something important with the others, or make feed up, or cobweb the stalls, or clean the toilet. Just leave to do something, anything, more important than being held captive by a verbal diarrhoeaist.

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As long as they keep working, I don’t care. If they hang around after, I’d do as others have suggested; make an excuse to move along.

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I had a farrier with whom DH and I were close. He would trim the horses, then hang around for an hour or more, shooting the breeze with us. We enjoyed his company so we never wanted to chase him away, but I always felt bad for his next appointment. Especially since he was usually at least an hour late to our place, probably due to having conversations with the prior client. We never worried about it much; he wouldn’t have been my farrier if I didn’t have the flexibility to wait for him, and to visit afterward. DH was a stay at home dad in those days, so it worked out fine for him, too. We really liked this guy.

Rebecca

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I … would be looking carefully at the quality of their work. :slight_smile: I’d be concerned about a lack of focus on the farrier’s part.

I’ve known farriers who conversed while working. But the true non-stop talking about sundry subjects is not something I can remember from any farrier I’ve known or watched. That’s hard work! But of course a seasoned farrier is fit for it and can talk, too.

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Hooo buddy let me tell you - one of my least favorite experiences with a farrier included a Chatty Cathy assistant. Now, I don’t think the chattiness CAUSED the problems, but it certainly didn’t help.

More to the point, I’m not a huge fan of standing there unable to get a word in edgewise while being told that:

  • I’m feeding all my horses wrong
  • horse owners just don’t listen to the real pros
  • I should put my horses on some random (expensive!) supplement instead of listening to the vet
  • my horse is just itchy (as he tries his best not to kick them through the wall for “scratching” his obscenely sore glutes with all their body weight)

while the assistant does the least balanced and most questionable job I’ve had to deal with in a while! My horse’s feet went from pretty tidy (though needing a specific package) to absolutely atrocious in TWO CYCLES.

I dealt with the Chatty Cathy by firing the farrier. Problem solved :relieved:

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I once hired an equine dentist for a new horse to come check her and float.

At first it was informative, telling what he was doing etc. Several other people were there at the time so came over to watch. Once he was done, he would not shut up but had moved on to talking about other people/clients and also telling jokes that were offensive.

I finally put my horse away and left. I was told he stayed another hour holding hostage the people who had gathered to watch.

No, I never used him again.

I suspect that some of the “rambling pros” who go on and on about issues in their field, but unrelated to what they are doing right now, probably don’t even remember what they said later. They just ramble. :grin:

I have never quite figured out how the ones who gossip about their current clients manage to stay in business. But maybe the clients don’t hear about it, or don’t care. Or maybe they do get fired by some who find out, and I wouldn’t know.

The ones who tell big stories about clients they haven’t dealt with in years, who may not even still be in horses, can be kind of interesting. If it is interesting. :wink:

Of course the ramblers are probably telling people about me, too, since they seem to talk about everyone. :smile: I don’t know what, but as long as they didn’t mention me by name, I probably wouldn’t care.

Does your farrier make mountains out if molehills too?

Why is that an issue? If you are there holding the horse then you can just steer the conversation in a direction of your choice or just ask them a billion questions?

My farriers and I have always talked while he worked but they are busy so it isn’t like they stay around after the job is done. I don’t do gossip and that I would nip in the bud.

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Argh. I also had an equine dentist do this exact same thing… while also bragging about his conquests and naming several clients who supposedly succumbed to his charms right there in the barn. Plus he apparently had the supernatural ability to know what was going on in a horse’s mouth without even looking. One mare had quidding issues but this genius looked at her without touching her lips and said she was fine. No, she wasn’t - and needed a lot of work done by someone else after his dismissive appraisal.

NEVER again. Others still rave about him but the BO agreed that he would never set foot on the property again.

My current Chatty Cathy is the hay guy - who talks nonstop about his favorite extremely extreme right wing conspiracy theories and his amazing guru of a “natural doctor” who “fixes” his back twice a month. Going by his beliefs, the country has been supposed to fall into complete ruin and desolation about every six months and only the wise folks who understand and believe (so, not me!) can see it coming. But it never happens.

I just nod and smile and occasionally politely disagree - because he may be a PITA but the hay is great. The sacrifices I make for this herd! :stuck_out_tongue_winking_eye:

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My farrier has been at it for forty five years. He is very efficient, and when he’s done he wants the check and to move on to his next client. By far the majority of the horses he does are in large stables and he just goes through the whole barn one by one. Usually there isn’t even anyone else there. I always hold my horse for him and we exchange news, but mostly he likes to talk about his kid (he’s a late and doting father). Although once we got on the subject of tango! Apparently he once traveled the world in search of tango, and used to teach it. Who knew! It was fascinating.

He doesn’t offer opinions of other people he knows, but he will say what he thinks if you ask him directly.

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At least my equine dentist did a good job. This mare was 17 and I’m not sure she ever had her teeth floated. She had sharp points cutting into her cheeks plus an overgrown molar all the way in the back. He did a good job. If he only talked politics, I could have dealt with him.

Actually for good hay, I “might” put up with offensive jokes. No, probably not. LOL

Set a timer on your phone to go off when he should be done, and when it goes off report “oh! I’m late!” And leave.

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My Chatty Cathy who is getting on my last nerve does not direct conversation to anyone at the barn. She is always shouting at her poor mare, called her a “feral bitch” a couple of days ago for no reason that I could see. Maresy may have shifted to one side while being groomed. Seems to hate every horse she rides, calling them a**h****, idiots, etc.

The latest is her stalking down the aisle on her phone, loudly describing the intimate details of her last date. :face_vomiting:

Unfortunately, the barn owner likes her and will not hear anything against her. And I like the barn (aside from her), don’t want to leave. I guess maybe earplugs for me?

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You can get some fairly good quality JLab Go Air earbuds for about $35 at Walgreens (they may sell them at other drugstores as well). They aren’t too obstrusive, if they aren’t noticed just point at them and go back to what you were doing with your back to horrible fellow boarder.

It is hard not to hate people who take all their temper at the world out on their horses, verbally. The name-calling, and so forth. The horses are so patient with this, but no doubt they do register that this person is irrationally angry and negative.

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I just walk off. But I think it hurt his fragile male farrier ego and he did some questionable work. So I hired someone new and made it clear that I am quiet and want to be able to get stuff done and do my thing.

That is yuck. The feral bitch doesn’t like her loud energy.

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Ugh. I’ll bet she’s a joy to share a ring with, too.

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Yikes.
I couldn’t tolerate that at all.
The lesson horses I work with are the backbone of the business and gems, every one of them.

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