Looking for suggestions… I am new to the area and just paid $55 for a trim which seems outrageous to me. Is that high or is that the going rate now? My horse is in Boyds.
If you got a good trim, pay your $55 happily. We live across the river in Fairfax County and good farriers are hard to find. I am fortunate to have a good one. A lot of factors go into price. How many horses did you have done at the same visit? Did you pay cash/check at the time of service or did he have to bill you? What services can the farrier provide if you need something more than a trim sometime? If he is paying for a big truck with lots of shoes, he has to pay for that inventory. How far are you from his other clients? If you are in an out of the way place for him, you should expect to pay more than the guy who has 50 horses and is 1 mile from the farrier’s home. Are you easy to deal with or a PITA? Farriers and vets often charge a little extra if a client is difficult or high maintenance.
I’m in NE Ohio and I pay $50 for a trim. My farrier drives an hour and a half to trim 3 horses on my farm and three on another farm about 7 miles from here. That’s double what I paid my former trimmer, but he dropped off the face of the earth without warning and I needed someone who knows what they are doing. He’s well educated and does a good job and that’s worth a LOT.
I board at a busy boarding barn. The farrier is there two times a week every week. He does anywhere from 5-20 horses a day. He is paid in full up front and then we are invoiced by our barn. I’ve never met the farrier, barn staff brings in and holds for us. My horse is quiet and is easy to work around. Charge is not extra, its included in our board. Cost just seems high for the volume of horses he is doing consistently.
I’m a barn manager in Boyds, so I’m familiar with several of the local options. I pay $50 per trim, it’s a good trim, and I write the check with a smile. If you’re looking for recommendations/alternatives, PM me.
50 is the going rate…
$55 seems pretty reasonable to me, if you came from an area where the cost of living is lower than I’m sure that might seem high. It also doesn’t look like the barn charged you a holding fee unless that’s another line item
Spent many years in MoCo. That’s about right for a trim, especially if it is a decent farrier. You really can’t get a whole lot lower than that anywhere in the DC Metro area.
And why should he charge less because of volume? It still takes him X amount of time to trim each horse. You’re paying for his expertise, you’re not buying in bulk 
Yep, that’s about right for a trim around here. I pay $120 for two front shoes.
