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Farrier Etiquette
When I was a young kid I had a pony. My father, not really a "horse person" taught me early to treat the Farrier right. Have the pony ready and waiting. Have the pony well groomed and feet picked out. Hold the pony, and later my horse, still for the Farrier. Pay AND TIP the Farrier as soon as the job is finished. THANK THE FARRIER.
As an adult, moved from St. Louis, MO to N WI, I was surprised at how the farriers were different there.....but with good reason!
First of all the ones I had LOVED me.....
My horses were clean and ready.
My horses stood still and I held them.
I did not ask the Farrier to train my animals, even my weanlings stood nice for him and had had their feet handled and cleaned out.
AND I PAID RIGHT AWAY WITH A TIP.
OTHER THINGS YOU CAN DO TO MAKE YOUR FARRIERS TRIP TO YOUR PLACE MORE PLEASANT
Set up a place in the shade, even if he needs his truck over with him, find a place in the shade.
Don't ask him if he is thirsty. Just go get him a large ice cold glass of lemonade on a hot day or a cup of hot cocoa on a cold day. Just hand it to him between horses or when he is finished. Act as if you are going for your money to pay him.
It seems some people want an awful lot from farriers with no extra cash paid to them. They want Farriers to help them <read to do> catch their horses that love to run from them in the fields. They want the Farriers to train their young horses or new horses to lead and to stand at a hitching post. The owners have never lifted the new or young horses foot, not alone cleaned it before and want the Farrier to train the horses for that too. They want the Farrier to be on time but don't think twice of not being home at that precise time or staying on the phone <now with cell phones it is real bad> while the Farrier does all the work. And some people even believe that Farriers should be their veterinarians, and for no extra cash, not only give them horse health and healing advise, but also help them Dr. their animals.
I knew more then one person in WI that could never reach the Farrier to come out.....and I knew why.
Just some thoughts.....
Scroll Down For Ideas To Calm You Equine While the Farrier is Trimming or Shoeing
Your "Hay Guy"
And while on those thoughts.......if you are lucky enough to have a "Hay Guy", a guy that you always buy your hay from. He might even set your years worth of hay aside for you when it is cut. He might even load it on HIS trailer and bring it to you. TAKE CARE OF HIM TOO!Call or email him before you go to his place. If he delivers your hay have the area ready and the driveway clear of "stuff" and of animals. Have his payment ready. Offer him coffee or tea or water. Don't treat him like your servant, treat him like a guest. Sometimes people forget to say the simple words that mean so much "Thank you". You might even remember your "Hay Guy" and your Farrier at Christmas with a small gift. Leather Gloves can be bought for less then $10, and both your Farrier and your "Hay Guy" use a lot of pairs of these during a years time.
Believe me when I tell you that there are all kinds of people out there with animals that NEED hay and their owners WISH they had a good "Hay Guy" to rely on. If you find a good one and you treat him right, you might just get the best of his crop if you just act like he matters in your life.
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Ideas For Calming Your Equine If It Does NOT Like It's Feet Messed With
Deron and I have had equine, bought as adults, that did NOT like their feet/hooves messed with. Here are some things that worked well for us.
Even before Deron started doing all our animals hoof trimming, we used these ideas and they WORKED!
First of all. Groom Your Equine. Really and no kidding. Grooming, lots of brushing and leg lifting and touching will make a huge difference when it comes time for the Farrier.
We had donkeys, one in particular, that could get kinda naughty when it came to hoof trimming. Why? We do not know. I started brushing each of them while Deron trimmed. I also took "cookies" out in my pockets. When they gave their feet without hesitation, I gave a big "Goooood!" and a quick cookie. Then I would brush them on the opposite side of where the hooves were being worked on. While they were behaving well. I gave another "cookie" when they least expected it. With a "Gooooood!".
I was also the one that gave the corrections for not standing still. It came from me, the person with the brush. Not from the guy with the files and clippers. I stopped brushing to do it.
Honestly. It works.
The grooming, with the brush works. It calms them. They like it.
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In the high plains of South Dakota, USA