Re: RE: Re: Horseshoes???

["Maggie Mieske" <mmieske@netonecom.net>]

OK, guess I have to interject here....no objections because although I toot
Nelson's horn too much, we run into the same stories with many of our
clients.  Very few have had a farrier they liked and those that they did
got out of it for one reason or another. First off, you gotta get a farrier
that LOVES horses and LOVES his job...I can't believe how many don't.  Many
don't even OWN a horse!!  But I can tell you why the good ones perhaps get
discouraged and quit...at least in our area.  The base of our clientele are
the people who don't count the cost.  They accept the responsibility of
owning their horse no matter what the cost for whatever be it shoeing,
feed, vet, etc. Those who cut corners to save a buck are the ones who will
desert us as soon as they find a farrier (usually someone part time...no
disrespect to Barbara's daughter... it's just a fact) who charges $3 less
(or even $2).  They are the ones who shoe their horses in the fall and
"ride the shoes off" telling you they'll call you in the spring.  I can't
wait until our base is so solid that I can tell these people there's NO
room in the schedule for them!  There is a wonderful article on
www.horseshoes.com called "Why can't I keep a farrier?" and "Finding a good
farrier".  They are very good (though the one gets a little arrogant at one
point about how HE is the one who knows how to shoe horses) and
informative!  I think some farriers don't realize that their profession is
a service industry (but don't dare to try and charge a $5 or $10 trip
charge.... people will scream bloody murder!) and that satisfied customers
are repeat customers.  So are educated customers!  You can't please
everyone all of the time....I have learned to have a very thick skin.  But
it is so much easier when all parties know what to expect from each
other....Nelson asks everyone up front what THEY feel their horse needs
(sometimes we get the nasty reply "Well, YOU're the farrier and that's what
you get paid for!")... but how much easier if someone knows what angles and
lengths of toe best suit their horse as well as the kind of shoe, or if
they need pads, etc.  It's a partnership with everyone involved with your
horse...you, the farrier, the vet, the trainer, etc.  Nelson gets
discouraged with some of the people out there who treat him as a manual
laborer as opposed to a professional with education and knowledge...too
much of that could drive anyone back to truck driving. I hope that doing
this as a team keeps both of us positive and focused on the long term goals
we have which are basically to HELP the horses he works on. (Oh and to feed
our family and our horses and pay a few bills!).   Nothing gives him (or
me!) greater satisfaction than to help a hurting horse feel better, move
better and become useful again or to help an owner figure out a problem
they are having with the horse's movement or his mental health by improving
his hoof health!!  The list could go on and on...give farriers a fair
shake.  Try to stand in their shoes (haha) but don't excuse any for the
behaviors or attitudes you have described here. There ARE good farriers out
there...sometimes they just take some finding!  And having the daughter go
to school is an excellent idea...our plan is to send OUR daughter to
farrier school (maybe vet school, too!), apprentice under Nelson and
someday take over his clientele when we have made so much money that he can
retire (yeah, RIGHT!).  Won't happen at $60 a shoeing...$70 isn't so bad. 
Some of our clients used to have farriers come up from southern Michigan
and paid as much as $125 for shoeing only the fronts!! Some from the north
trailer south and a front setting with pads runs about $175.  No kidding!! 
 I guess we live in the wrong area of Michigan!!  The price we pay for the
trails we choose!  :)


Maggie Mieske
Mieske's Silver Lining
10601 S. Richards Rd.
McBain, Michigan 49657
http://www.netonecom.net/~mmieske
mmieske@netonecom.net

----------
> From: Pamnetus@aol.com
> To: BMcCrary27@aol.com
> Cc: ridecamp@endurance.net
> Subject: RC:    RE: Re: Horseshoes???
> Date: Monday, March 20, 2000 4:16 PM
> 
> 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.
> 
> 
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