Linda, Iagree with alot /most of what you have said, I disagree with the placement of blame solely on the "simple minded horseowner" and in these situations place it on the farrier/ironhanger/hoofcare provider who allows themselves to be put into the situation that they feel is too dangerous,or who choose to work for folk who don t show concern for the welfare and safety of others. Ray Steele
I agree ray..its as easy as saying train him or pay someone ..we call it he aint earned a trim yet..or get the trainer to dope itc if farrier is not ok with it..theres some hot jumpers I refuse to run a needle in ad I cant afford to buy them if it goes wrong..but most at that stage stand..but theres the rare few..if you do this full time u can not chance gettingvhurt over one knothead.. ive never had a owner get upset over a refusal. .
I do my best to convince breeders / owners that they really need to address hoofcare from the" Getgo" I don't understand the "earned a trim?" with babies I will be doing...I would much rather be the first guy to trim because I don't ever need to stick or have one stuck on a baby I start on. no Trainer just the animal Handler that was in me before I became a Farrier..
Gary I admire you guys that train and have that kind of time..I just aint got that kind of time ...fortunately a large part of my work is horses at boarding show type barns and right or wrong they are well verced in giveing shots..no we dont give real babys a shot they must be around two or close to it...ive never had any troubles with babys born on site of farms ...but new green starters yes wnd those I dont have no time time hoble..train..whisper..carrot stick..run backwards. .twitch..beg to be still..or stand and watch a trainer work with it...I use my time to lunge the horse or see it under saddle ..over rails..and talking with trainer about what needs I can meet ...I all ready spent a good 2 hrs with the horse after all that and full shoes..im not a fast shoer as you can see..I know putting needle in a horse is a big no no.. and I use never do it..but shit man I got tired of the snatch and beatings..and im no cowboys trainer..im there to shoe not train..let me do my job..I have found clients learn to expect things..start training they end up leaveing it to you..tell them up front get him trained they do..I dont mind going slow and easy with horses and willing to do that to build trust.. but I ask the bad ones to stand or they aint worked enough to earn a trim..
Before the Cutters moved away from my area? I had a barn that I worked at every Tues. One day I shod the show horses, next week might trim the broodmare band, well standing girls..next week trim weanlings next to their mothers for their first trims. Yearlings the next and two yr olds, the next anything else then it was time to start all over again...
I you only know what I go thur! Here is something else to consider too, Farriers should do. A local farrier gave me an account he didn't want; well it's not a good or safe situation. I never rescheduled; just told the client that he needed a vet out, asap. ---that's all I say on the subject---- I know a local farrier who ""lost all!!!"" of his work when his big barn's owner died. I will help him find work that is good; not bad work; if it's too far, or I am unable or I am not capable of doing it do to time constraints [a daughter], ect. I will not give out that other account. I would never do that to any other farriers; never have; and I don't wish the same on me.
Well I'd still mention the other job, but with a warning of what's there. Never know how hungry the other person is.
Linda, now i m really confused, i don t understand how your local farrier "lost all" his work because his big barn owner died. Did the farrier work only for this owner, if so did his (the big barn owner) horse/horses die also? the horse,if alive still needs care, as with many of your stories, i have trouble following. If there were/is other horse/s in the barn belonging to other owners, did they quit taking care of the hooves? Nice of you to "help", but have you ever thought that when you find him some other"good safe "work,you will probably be booting some other farrier off! just a thought ray
since I know personally as a peer; I won't say too much. He worked for years (15+) on this estate as the only farrier. He did NOT do much on the outside. when owner died; estate went to the son; son fired everyone that had been there for years and got cheaper help; including an illegal to do the feet. He is enjoying his new lifestyle. If another farm had to let go their farrier and find someone else; and I can't do it; I will at least tell him it's up for grabs I have let others know about work that I can't get to.
Linda, for me you have already babbled too much........... you stated "lost all", now you state"he did not do much on the outside" which i take as a part of the sum, so then i presume that he did not loose all , ray
well when up to 70-80% of income drops. others are helping him; hope he is ok. he's not the only one either. one guy had 200 TB head on farm; one day came to do the horses; horses all shipped out; farm up for sale. He went to shoe for more show barns; he's back in full time too.
Not unusual in the TB industry, pre recession anyway, large yards and stud farms are common, upsides and down sides for a business, the down sides obviously proved in this case.
I was trimming a horse and a little boy was holding another horse about 15 feet away. He was scared of the horse. His grandma was making fun of him for being scared. I assumed he was just being a baby. The horse started to get out of hand for him So I stood up walked over and took the lead. I said something like do this. At that point the horse, like a wild animal, bit me and struck me with both front feet. Except for the bite everything else just hurt a little bit, Once I was done with the horse teaching it some respect, I turned on the grandma. Chastising her for making fun of the kid when the horse acted like that. I told her the last time something like that happened to me was with a Half wild jack donkey in the desert. Her response was simply, the horse has never attacked the boy. I finished trimming the good horse and the bad horse. Then I told her in as kind of words as I could muster you need to get someone to get a handle on that horse or it is going to kill you and your grand kids. See you in six weeks hopefully. I pulled the boy to the side and said don't screw around with that horse Unless someone like me is around. This was two days ago
Tejun, I used to give my clients a written policy that stated clearly that I would not work on horses for a client that allowed children or any animal other than the horse I am working on (dogs or pigs or chickens, etc.) in the work area. Eventually I realized that anybody stupid enough to allow such working conditions is also too stupid to recognize the value of having a professional give their undivided attention to the horse at hand. 'nuther words, you aren't charging them enough that it compels respect for your work or your safety.
Happens me all the time to Tejun!!! people that that dont know whitch is head or back in a horse.. it`s a miracle more of people dont get killd..
Years ago I accompanied a client to a cut rate "stable", actually a bunch of horses on a dry lot with a lean to, to assess a horse he was looking at buying. He had gain to catch it and another horse was just looking aggressive about stealing that grain. It was the owner's daughter's horse and i told the owner that I really didn't think that horse should be in a public facility. He tried to assure me the horse was fine, but I asked him to watch. I took some grain out and that dink suddenly lunged at me with mouth wide open, grabbed my shirt (missed me) and tore most of the left side off of it. I had a red sharpie in the pocket which he bit in half and when I turned back to the owner with red all over the front of me, I thought he was going to have a heart attack. I assured him that it was not blood, the only damage was to objects, but I never saw that horse again. Owner had gotten the message.
