Huh. That really must be a rarity. If that is true, prices have not changed since I was down south… and that was over ten years ago!
This!
My horses are barefoot. Nothing shod in over 20yrs - with the exception of the TB who sloughed 1/2 his sole (abcess from hell) in 2007 & needed front glue-ons for 3mos.
I’ve had the same farrier since 2000 for trims only (he recommended the guy for the glued shoes, as he did not have the equipment).
In all those years, his price has gone up $10.
I pay by check when he’s here. Or rarely, by mail in a week if I’m short in the bank.
Receipt would just say “Trim 3”
He’s gonna get hugged next visit 
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You own a luxury pet. And judging by his shoeing needs, probably compete (in a luxury sport). So this line made me laugh hard.
In my area of NC, this is a competitive rate for specialty shoeing on a dressage horse (competing). I agree with the poster above who said ask what the additional cost is for wedge pads and the additional cost for Equipak.
And while you can buy those materials for $60, that doesn’t mean he should sell them to you for $60. Markup is everywhere. It is a cost (or source of income) of doing business.
Costs are rising everywhere. My vet charged me a fuel surcharge the other day, but said that it was supposed to be temporary. I pay for the expertise. Do you think that your farrier does a good job? Are there other farriers around you who can meet your horse’s needs? This all factors into what a person is willing to pay (what the market can sustain).
Best of luck offering suggestions to him!
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I’ve had only one farrier who provided itemized bills. I only have one horse at the moment and he isn’t shod, so payment is cash and pretty straightforward.
I’ve had to find a new farrier recently as the latest one moved away and was surprised that the new guy is still charging the old going rate in the area. With the increase in fuel prices, I fully expected to pay at least a few $ more.
I’m beginning to realize that good farriers are few and far between and I don’t mind paying more for their expertise and professional service.
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Yes, you can learn to do the pour in pads yourself. I actually have done the whole prep and gluing of Easyboots (Love Child) - sanding, butane torch, positioning, gluing. It’s a learning curve for sure. The glue set up super fast! Fortunately, you’re just looking at pour-in.
My farrier was happy to trim and let me do the rest simply because it’s time and labor intensive. Who knows, your farrier might be happier just doing shoes and letting you mess with the pour in material. There’s the initial investment of tools but it might be well worth it.
My bills aren’t itemized at the moment, all are basic trims so no point. But…I am quite happy to pay what is asked: 80 on the drafts, 60 on the pony. I’m paying for the expertise, the time, the equipment, and someone else breaking their back underneath the horse. As he was doing the pony last week my farrier was cursing about his new nippers: $250 a pair and they aren’t quite right. They don’t last very long either.
But honestly, my back is very happy to have someone else do the work, especially the hard trims on the big boy (lots of heavy, dense hoof)! My farrier is not quite forty, I can already tell that I will probably have these drafts (one is just 3) longer than he will be willing to trim them…
I recall paying $140 for four shoes with borium studs 25 years ago, so 300 plus doesn’t seem out of line for four shoes, wedges, and pads.
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Oh my, some of these fees are high but I’ve heard of those fees in local show barns. 
My young farrier just increased his prices in March by $5, first increase in the 6 years I’ve used him. I now pay $145 for a full set of shoes with clips, hot shoeing. $46 for trims.
Nothing is in writing- he tells me the fees. Borium nails on the winter resets are $5 extra but that’s the only add on I use.
Verbal for my farrier, though he will itemize if asked. I pay with check or Venmo at time of service, no waiting for someone to write up an invoice.
I pay about $300 for 4 steels and leather pads up front. It’s not the materials, it’s the know how. I think I am grandfathered into my current rate because he has increased his prices several times over the years because of cost of living and of materials- but also to make sure his prices are commensurate with his experience, as he has spent a great deal of time continuing his education, to the benefit of his patients! He spends 90 minutes to 2 hours on my horse, and he wants to price so that he can take the time he needs to do the job right. As a result, I pay a lot of money for equine orthotics, but knock on wood, I do not pay a lot of money in soundness issues.
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Mine does itemized-ish. He scrawls out what he did and the base cost, minus the cost of shoes that I supply ($$$ soundhorse), and if we do anything different (drill and tap, frog pad, snow pads, borium) and what that costs. He doesn’t break down cost per piece of supplies, labor, gas. Side note on the supplying of the shoes, he asked me to order them since they’re too pricey for him to carry on his truck and a “PITA to remember to order” since he only has a handful of clients in them. I feel confident he’d be pissed if I tried doing this with any other regular farrier supplies. Like others, happy to pay what he puts his prices at since I know he really keeps up to date on veterinary and shoeing stuff. He’s really turned my horse’s feet around and is incredibly accommodating if we need a shoe put back on the night before a show and has a great relationship with our vet.
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not for nothing, you can lame a horse pretty easily with pour in pads, by giving them a sole bruise. Even with an experienced farrier it happens occasionally. I’d be cautious of DIY pads.
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I’ve never gotten an itemized invoice. When I’m given one amount due for my multiple horses, I have asked how much is for each horse.
FWIW my farrier only charges $95 more for 4 pour-ins plus drilling/tapping for studs ($255), above the cost of 4 regular steel shoes ($160). Seems like a steal compared to other prices on here! I’m in a fairly high-COL area too. I order my own shoes, pads, etc sometimes and there’s no discount for that.
The most I’ve paid recently for four steel shoes was $275, to a fancy CJF who made my horse’s feet look like this after two cycles:
Needless to say I stopped using him! Goes to show you don’t always get what you pay for. Those photos still make me cringe.
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I am always there when my horses are done and pay in cash and I don’t think I’ve ever gotten a receipt even. I do imagine most of the farriers I’ve used can or do send them out when needed.
@Libby2563 Those are some of the worst feet i’ve seen in a long time. It only took 2 shoeings to get there??
How long did it take to fix it?
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I pay $300 for four steel shoes hot shod with pour ins and leather pads up front. Farrier is unbelievably skilled. Takes about 1 1/2 -2 hours start to finish. He’s A CJF who is the president of the AFA chapter of my state… married to an equally skilled equine veterinarian. We talk at length about costs of supplies, the cost of travel, and all around inflation. He was telling me recently about price hikes on a bundle of leather pads …. The cost of the pour in and the gun to squeeze it out the tube. Let alone the cost of the fuel for the fire or the cost of gas to drive a rig sufficient to carry all assorted farrier accoutrements. Perhaps the itemization is because all of parts of the whole equation have jumped. And lots of owners don’t see the big picture. No way in hell would I nickel and dime my beloved skilled farrier. He’s my hoof hero
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two different farriers for two different horses. No itemized invoice for either. One charges 150 for a trim/reset, including travel, and when shoes are needed, an extra $30 per pair - usually communicated by voice or text.
The other has a strange schedule. 50 to trim barefoot horse. 150 if horse wears 2 shoes. 250 if horse has shoes all around. There is never an extra charge for new shoes. Now I can’t speak for any extra complexities like pads, studs, special types of shoes, etc as both of mine are thankfully straightforward.
Yikes!
