I was recently engaged in a conversation the gist was, "if horseshoeing was only more reasonable", I guess I d like to find out what is "reasonable"? I take it to mean hoofcare in general not just attaching devices to hooves. I ve posted in this section to make it open to all for comment. thanks Ray
I just spent over $600 replacing the upper/lower ball joints, front rotors, front brake calipers, and new brake pads on my truck. That was the cost of parts from the discount auto supply. I also had a full day of labor involved. If I had taken my truck to a shop to have the work done it would probably cost about $1800- $2000. Either way, I miss a day of work. But I do wonder what it would cost for me to get somebody to come to my home and do the work in my back yard - not in a shop with a lift, with my dog pissing in their tool box and me asking questions about every detail of the job and arguing about whether or not the wheel bearings need to be replaced . . . can't we just use the old grease? Oh, and you'll have to wait for me to get off the phone and finish feeding the cats before I get in the truck and push on the brake pedal so you can bleed the brake lines . . . but don't charge me for the time you're sitting there unable to make production . . .
if you worked on a lot of horses for free, you could almost garuntee, some would want you too pay them for the priviledge of shoeing their horse, and they would still moan you had not paid them enough
Had a client text me saying because it is Spring Break she didn't need unneccesary expenses? Said come shoe in 2 weeks....fat chance that happening..then this morning a different client said that from now on I will be doing ALL her horses because a cheaper guy messed up one of her lesser horses and the vet ripped the other guys work apart...
In guilty of being the price shopper for the short while I had a horse before I started shoeing. Since then I've learned the value of education and you get what you pay for. Reasonable will depend on your area because of cost of living, the clientele you want, and the jobs market. But if you can't live on what you'd make shoeing 5 a day then you're not charging enough. Sent from my XT1030 using Tapatalk 2
reasonable for who exactly? The client who recently purchased the 60k dressage prospect or the one with the $250 trail horse or the one with the free rescue TB? and by the way all 3 have a grade 2 club on the right front and need some serious intervention.
reasonable fees=customers that have continuously kept their horses shod, on a 6 wk schedule, for 25 to 40 yrs. 1972 fees $32 plating, $30 for steel, $8 trims and current fees, $165 base rate 4 shoes, $40 trims in multiples, $45 for singles. I still don't think I've kept up with inflation but it's what the Michigan market with bear and It's been a pretty good living wage so far.
What the market will bear is key. You'll always find those that will bear more in a given market. . . but as a buddy says you get too high and it gets harder to replace work that's lost for whatever reason. Sent from my XT1030 using Tapatalk 2
I have slightly changed my philosophy in the last year or two. Like all markets it has become more competitive and people want more for less. I have a mortgage and wages to pay so like a few of my friends in the trade I could be quite quiet but full of principles!!! I don't have enough lame ones on the books to call myself a corrective farrier so these days I focus on the daily or weekly take. Obviously there is a break even point, if I can get a thousand pounds for one horse then that is better than shoeing 12 to get a thousand pounds, but one horse at a thousand may only happen once a decade, a thousand pound day doing 12 happens once a week. Shoes and nails cost me 10% of the take! and fixed costs are a constant so I keep them down or at least under control. I work from between 8.00 and 5.00 and graft harder some days than others, would I like more for less? yes, is that reasonable? for now the market for the min says no.
I'm into doing less for more. I've slowed down a bit each year for the past 3, and am charging a little more. My efficiency has improved and I know what I can get by on, and that's all I work for. I could charge less, do more, and in the end probably net more, but I'm pretty happy doing something I enjoy 5 days a week, and other things I enjoy 2 days a week. My attitude was more aggressive 20 years ago. I would love to be able to charge $165 per shoeing like Brian, then I could slow down even more. But $120 is about all the market will bear around here. Interestingly, the trim price is at $40 up here, same as Brian. Regards
I posted this here ,hoping to get a suggestion..or several from owners, we as farriers /horseshoers may exhibit a slight "bias" as to "reasonable" for myself, "a reasonable value" should allow me or anyone else to make a wage similar to a skilled tradesman,including insurance, benefits, some vacation and retirement, after paying the costs to operate the business! Ray
In truth Ray the pension thing may be problem for me, as for the last 20 years I have spent most of my money on women, drink and fast cars! The rest I have just wasted.
Just as long as it was well so spent David. Hell ya can't take it with when you die Sent from my XT1030 using Tapatalk 2
