Re: RC: RE: Re: Horseshoes???

[Pamnetus@aol.com]

In a message dated 3/20/100 12:48:52 PM EST, BMcCrary27@aol.com writes:

<< 
 I don't think I have ever had experiences with a group of workmen who are 
 more opinioinated and difficult to work with than farriers.  I KNOW there 
 must be good ones out there. My experience have been that they start out 
 being understanding, do good work, and are communicative, and then they 
 backslide on quality of work after a few shoeings, become uncommunicative, 
 and simply will not listen to the horse owner. Their attitude is often, 
"Look 
 lady, who knows more about shoeing a horse, me or you?"  I admit, I can't 
 shoe a horse, but I've been watching farriers for 55 years and the first one 
 I had was an older gentleman who was a master at his craft.  I learned a lot 
 from him, just by watching.  Some of the subsequent ones have been good, 
some 
 OK, some..disasters. Some could handle an uncooperative horse, some would 
 rough them up or fight with them.  Some were horsemen, some just 
horseshoers. 
 Some of them would stand you up...simply just not show up on the appointed 
 day.  Some moved away.  All my problems are now solved...our eldest daughter 
 shoes ours. She is SOOOO good!  She learned as a student at CAL POLY, San 
 Luis Obispo, CA, apprenticed with an excellent shoer in that area, and 
 started out just shoeing her own. Gradually, as our previous farrier was 
 declining in quality of work, reliablility and availability, she began 
 shoeing ours, then her sisters' horses, then a few neighbors' horses.  She's 
 a full-time mother and a part-time farrier.  She does one to two horses max 
 on any given day, but she rotates around until all horses are done on 
 schedule. And she charges a little less than most farriers currently charge. 
 The main thing is she is simply the most consistently good farrier we have 
 ever had. She is always learning, she is always willing to discuss a problem 
 with the horse owner, and doesn't have a big ego to maintain.  Lucky us!
 Again, I KNOW there are good farriers out there, but we've never been able 
to 
  >>
Your  problems with Farriers are sadly what I have had to deal with over the 
years. Why are the majority like this.  I know of two decent farriers in 
Reno, where by the way an ordinary shoeing costs $70 a horse now.  Is the 
work so hard after awhile they get an attitude?  I feel lucky my horses have 
kept sound over the years. Most have had very little schooling-just watching 
someone else or doing what they did on the ranch seems to be the norm.  Oh 
well, it feels good to let off steam on one of my pet peaves.  Pam    BTW You 
are lucky having that great daughter.