The farrier I was using made both of my horses lame. This was the second time. I had the vet out and x-rays done. Vet even spoke to him on the phone regarding the issues, the farrier fixed it the first time and then after that, he seem to get lazy and not fix the issue, this happened with both of my horses he was doing. Do you think I should have to pay the Farrier for this? I mean I don’t pay a plumber to break my pipes.
Mind sharing the specifics of the issue the farrier was addressing?
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Sure.
Horse 1: leaving the hind feet too long and causing a negative angle. X-rays taken and vet gave input. Fixed it once so I know he knew what to do. Then went back to his old ways next time around and put her shoes on crooked.
Horse 2: put glue on shoes came back for next shoeing, Horse had one foot way too long should have removed shoe and trimmed but instead just added the putty/glue to the back on the heel and the side. Horse has a dropped fetlock and has to keep his toe from getting too long. All of this making the problem worse.
These things I have discussed prior mentioned above and he avoided being able to come to shoe when I was at the barn and came at 6 weeks which we had spoken about him coming at 4.5 weeks repeatedly due to both of my horse growth patterns. (Also based on vet Rec)
These are just things I feel are blatant and not lack of knowledge or ability.
Best thing would be to just pay him and then move on to a new farrier.
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If the farrier performed a service, then yes, you owe them money.
And then you fire them, and find a better farrier.
If the vet has to tell the farrier how to do the job - they should have been fired before now. So, allowing them back is sort of a “buyer beware” situation.
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Pay the farrier and find a new farrier •
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Add me to the group that thinks you should pay the farrier and then find yourself a new farrier.
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Pay him and move on; if he can’t/won’t retain the vet’s input then nothing good can come of this.
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Agree pay and move on. It takes a bit to cause negative palmer angle. It doesn’t happen over a couple of cycles. How long has this farrier been shoeing your horses ?
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Pay the farrier. Fire the farrier.
Can you ask the vet to recommend a farrier in your area? Asking because when I moved here from California, I used a farrier popular with a lot of boarders. He did a horrible job on my trail horse. Didn’t make him lame, but it was appallingly bad. The vet agreed and, as diplomatically as possible, recommended several farriers from which to choose.
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Payment was due when the service was performed.
How did the farrier avoid you, on purpose? I specifically schedule my farrier when I’m available. As the owner, It’s my responsibility to be present for my practioners. Without you being present, it’s hard to say if there was a reason for the shotty job. Did the farrier forget how the vet wanted your horse shod? Was your horse being difficult to shoe? I doubt he purposely avoided you, especially if you didn’t leave payment for him.
Pay him, thank him & move on if you’re unhappy.
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Why didn’t you say something as he was shoeing/ or at the end so it could be fixed ? You obviously can see what the farrier is doing.
I never have to worry about my farrier doing an excellent job but I am lucky to be right there as my horses are done and I do look at their feet after he is done, just because.
You had the horses done so pay up and hopefully find a new farrier you don’t have to advise on how to properly do their job. So frustrating.
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Pay him, and move on.
The equine community can be very small, you don’t want a reputation for refusing to pay. Word gets around and then you can’t find a farrier willing to take you as a client. It’s not worth the money saved.
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Another vote to move on. If you consulted the vet and the vet told him what to fix, you didn’t receive the service if he reverted to his old ways. You shouldn’t have to hang over the farrier’s shoulder to assure that he/she is not making your horses lame. You can’t be the only one having problems. Pay him, perhaps, but think about small claims court.
We had a new boarder arrive at the barn with a farrier no one knew. She had a problem with shoes falling off. He forgot to do the clinches. Fortunatley he disappeared, having fallen out of love with a rich local farm owner. HO was there for a few months and also moved on.
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Thanks for the input. He has been paid. I’ve moved on. He just was a huge jerk over it and was lying to me about date and time coming to the barn so I wouldn’t be there. He was a vet recommended farrier too. Onward to a better farrier.
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The amount of damage a bad farrier can do is staggering. The good ones are gold.
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In my area there’s a network of farriers who are always organizing workshops, going to clinics, etc. to build their knowledge and skills. There are a couple farriers in the area who don’t participate in this community, and not surprisingly, they lame up horses now and then. If I were looking for a new farrier, I would ask candidates about how they keep up their knowledge and skills. If they can’t be bothered to update their skills, I’m not hiring them. I hope you find a good one!
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