I’m a part-time Barefoot trimmer and, on occasion, will get a wee something - either an extra $20 or so in cash or a home-made goodie.
I never ever expect anything above & beyond what they pay me for my services, but I am MOST appreciative of those clients who choose to do so.
I always give my farrier something for the holidays. This year it was a bottle of apothocanna pain relief cream. I’d given her some to try and it had helped her. Other years I’ve given her products that I’ve made – soap, conditioner, body lotion. But I try to give her something extra at other times of the year, too. She does a bang up job on the horses, is extremely reliable and pleasant and worth every penny.
I have never been one to tip my vets or farriers. I pay promptly at the time of service, I am always there waiting when they arrive. I never cancel, I never complain if they cancel on me and I try my best to make the time they spend working on my animals a safe and pleasant experience. I always thank them after the service is completed.
That is tip enough. I have gifted them with eggs on occasion when my chickens are mass producing.
Not to take away from OP, but I have a question for this thread. I got a new horse and I switched farriers right away. She has only been done by him 3x now, however he and I have known each other enough to say “hello” and some small talk for maybe a year or so now. It is only recently I became a client. How would you guys tip? I’m seeing a lot of $50-100 tips and baked goods, should I treat it the same way, being a brand new client?
Thanks!
I gave my farrier a nice designed card using my horse’s photo and cash equivalent to the cost of a trim ($60). I REALLY wanted to tip more because good farriers are hard to come by and this guy is awesome - always on time, patient, friendly, etc… but with the government shutdown looming and $2,600 in vet bills this least month, I couldn’t swing it. His response to the card and the gift was so sweet and made my day - I got the impression that he usually doesn’t get much of a tip or even so much as a Christmas / thank-you card from clients.
My second farrier (for my other two horses) I baked and decorated cookies and gave him and his apprentice a $15 starbucks gift card each… they took the tin, put it on the ground next to their equipment and left without taking them. I am sure it wasn’t intentional, but it was a little frustrating to have spent hours baking and decorating cookies for them to leave everything sitting there. So I gave the cookies to the barn help and reused the gift cards for the vet.
I didn’t tip mine this year and I feel bad about it, but I couldn’t be at the barn when she came so I sent her a check in the mail.
In previous years, I always had a little something for her at this time of the year - good chocolates, a pair of nice warm wool socks, gloves, etc.
I will redeem myself next time I see her.
Hmmmmmmm. I am a tipping grinch I guess. Somehow I seem to always be on the giving side of tips, never the receiving end.
People I do tip: the Lady who comes every other week to clean my house (I pay her in cash): the cost of 1 week of pay.
The man who does stalls and cleans up around the farm: 1 week of pay (I pay him in cash).
People I do not tip: I guess it is anyone who I pay in by check or CC because they have a real business doing their job. Just as I would not tip a sales person in a store, or the gardiner (if I had a garden).
What is the cutoff line for tipping v. not tipping someone?
I tip my farrier some cash the last appointment before Christmas.
I’ve got my horses at home and there are just two–there are many farriers who won’t bother coming out to a private barn for 2 horses. He’s also very kind and accommodating with my QH with hock arthritis.
For me it’s about the amount of goodwill I want to accumulate with someone.
my farrier comes to me for just my horse who can be a little bit of a pill. If it costs me $30 in Dunkin cards to make sure he answers my text messages first when I’ve lost a shoe - I will keep supplying him with Dunkin cards until the end of time. Last week he had to come back a second time so I could sedate my horse for doing the hinds, so I added $20 to his check for the extra gas. It’s little things that keep traditionally under appreciated people happy.
This is so true! I have my horses at a private barn. One of my two and the other co-op border, are barefoot. To get a really good farrier to come to a private barn for 2 barefoot trims and one set of shoes, is not easy. My farrier is great and I always try to think of ways to make it easier and more attractive for her to come.
Yes mine comes to the (big, busy) barn just for my horse and it’s a hike for her. She’s been shoeing my horses for years and years, and I really want to keep it that way as she is 1) punctual 2) does a great job and 3) is cheap!
Always. I give cash when he comes in December. He is a wonderful farrier with no drama and does an excellent job.
Nope. He charges and gets paid MORE for each visit than MY doctor! If you want to be a professional and charge like one, then I don’t expect to tip you anymore than I would tip my doctor or dentist.
Culture and expectations? What I absorbed growing up was that you don’t tip business owners and professionals, but as a professional that’s worked in a few different fields, some people these days want to tip for everything. (I used to eat occasionally in a restaurant that had a strict no-tipping policy that instead paid their waitstaff a real living wage, and the amount of hate they got for it sometimes was surreal.)
That said, I totally don’t think of holiday gifts as tips, and I totally give holiday gifts to some professionals. What I aim for is something somebody would like but that they wouldn’t have gotten themselves, but if I don’t know them too well something tasty, a bottle of wine, or even cash works. Totally optional, though, and the core message is “I am thinking of you and wish you well, here is something nice”, not “I’m trying to buy better service” or “this is an expected part of our transaction”.
Yes, $50. He comes every other week as I have anywhere from 14 - 20 horses on the farm at any time.
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