FAQs
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Choosing a farrier for your horse(s) may be the most important thing you ever do. Face it: your horse sees more of your farrier (one hopes) than he does of your veterinarian, and your farrier has more to do with your horse’s day to day comfort and soundness than anyone except you. So, obviously, you want to go about this carefully, right?
Look
for the Letters: Certification
is a Good Thing. While there are many excellent farriers who are not
certified, you can be sure that a farrier who has taken tests and passed
a performance evaluation takes his craft seriously and is interested
in staying up to date. CJF (Certified Journeyman Farrier), awarded by
the American Farriers Association,
is the highest certification recognized internationally that is given
in the U.S. There are other certifications available as well. If your
farrier doesn’t have some sort of certification – s/he may be fine.
Or s/he may not. Visit the American Farriers Association website for
connections to certified farriers in your area. Almost every farrier
who is certified will display his certification publicly and proudly.
Look for it!
...Isn’t
Everything. Cheapest is not best in the farrier world. While
farriery charges vary quite a bit according to location, a little comparison
shopping should tell you what the usual and normal charges for good
work in your area are. Don't get caught in the trap of penny-wise,
pound-foolish! A bad shoeing or trimming job can cost you weeks of
training, hours upon hours of riding, and even big vet bills. A farrier
who spends money on new equipment, continuing education, a computer,
and a cell phone will not be the cheapest – but s/he may be a really
good investment.
The
Telephone is Your Friend. Your
farrier should use it, early and often. A farrier who doesn’t return
calls, or doesn’t call you when he’s late or can’t be there, isn’t much
use to you when your horse is overdue for shoeing and you’ve taken the
afternoon off work and you wait around for three hours and finally leave
and you call him and then he doesn’t call back for five days and.......
A farrier who doesn’t act like he wants your business doesn’t want your
business. You don’t want him.
What’s
My Line? Your
farrier should be familiar with the shoeing requirements and rules for
your sport. That doesn’t mean s/he needs to be an expert in the sport
personally – just have a good familiarity with the needs of horses who
do the work your horse does. So ask – Do you do sliding plates? Do you
drill and tap for cross country studs? Are you familiar with shoeing
gaited horses? If the farrier on the phone doesn’t understand your sport,
ask for a reference to someone who does. This goes double for any therapeutic
shoeing your horse needs. Don’t wait until your appointment for shoeing
to find out that your new farrier doesn’t know how to apply an eggbar
correctly.
Lend
Me Your Ear. Both
on the phone in the initial consultation, and in person at the first
shoeing appointment, your prospective farrier should listen to what you
have to say about your horse, ask questions as follow-up, and then listen
to the answers. A farrier who comes to your barn, grunts twice, and puts
on hearing protectors immediately probably isn’t going to help you much
when you need something special. A farrier who spends 15 minutes on the
phone telling you how wonderful he is probably won’t listen to anyone.
Ask
Around. Your best source for information on farriers, whether
you are new to the area or just ready for a change, is your veterinarian,
followed closely by people in your sport who are consistently competitive,
with sound horses – whether you plan to compete or not. Most people
just love to be asked for advice. Ask a lot of them. If one or two
names crop up again and again, that’s a good sign. Call that farrier.
If s/he can’t do your horses, ask for a direct referral from that farrier
to one s/he would recommend.
