Question 1

Are you a fully registered and insured farrier?

Accepted Answer

In short yes.

I hold the Diploma of the Worshipful Company of Farriers and I'm registered as a farrier with the FRC (Farriers Registration Council) who govern all working farriers in the UK.

I'm also fully insured for public liability and professional indemnity via Eastlake and Birchell.

Question 2

Are you a remedial farrier?

Accepted Answer

In short, yes.

Although any qualified farrier is a remedial farrier. We all deal with issues relating to hoof health on a daily basis. The term 'remedial' has been banded around for some time to make certain aspects of our job sound more interesting and sadly used to make some people sound more interesting. It's just a marketing ploy.

Any decent farrier is confident tackling problems in the hoof. Although like doctors we do tend to have specialists who devote their time to certain conditions and like any general doctor any decent farrier will know that certain cases might require the assistance of another farrier who has specific specialist knowledge in that area.

Question 3

Are you a barefoot trimmer?

Accepted Answer

Yes....

But all farriers are.

This is another recent marketing fad designed to make something we do sound more interesting and make people money - sometimes to the detriment of the horses health and well being sadly.

Farriers would much rather trim any horse than fit shoes. It's easier for us. It's better for the hoof. But barefoot does not work for every horse due to a number of outside factors like workload, yard conditions, health, size etc.

Horses are naturally barefoot, but man came along with paved roads, concrete stables and put weight on their backs. Some hooves cannot sustain these additions without the application of shoes.

I'm more than happy to discuss if we can remove the shoes from your horse and go barefoot. But this isn't just a simple case of whipping the shoes off and carrying on as normal.

Keeping a horse sound whist in work without shoes is achievable in "some" cases, but requires a lot of alterations in how that horse is managed overall by the owner.

Question 4

Do you hot shoe?

Accepted Answer

Yes.

Question 5

How do I book an appointment?

Accepted Answer

You can call me, send a text or WhatsApp message. It helps when enquiring if you have a postcode or What3words location handy so I can schedule you around other work in your area.

www.what3words.com

Question 6

How often do I need a farrier to my horse/pony?

Accepted Answer

We generally recommend between 6-8 week intervals, but this can change with the horses condition, workload, and seasonally as well.

Question 7

Will you shoe/trim my horse pony without me being there?

Accepted Answer

I will only carry out work with either the customer or friend/relative with me on the day. It is not safe for either myself or the horse/pony to be worked on without another responsible adult with us.

Question 8

Will you catch my horse/pony from the field?

Accepted Answer

No. I'm not insured for this, nor want to spend time chasing a horse who isn't familiar with me around the field.

I've spent enough hours chasing my own ponies round fields, and they knew who I am!

Question 9

Do you require anything on my yard to shoe/trim effectively?

Accepted Answer

It's always preferable to have a hard surface to shoe/trim on. This makes the job easier for farriers and more comfortable for the horse/pony, allowing us to make a better job overall.

However, we realise that this is not possible in all circumstances and don't mind getting dirty.

A cup of tea is also beneficial! And if you really want to spoil us chocolate hobnobs!

Question 10

How can I pay you?

Accepted Answer

We will invoice you directly on the day of work, our invoices have a payment link which works with most major banks and all debit cards, we also accept cheque payments.

We prefer to be paid on or before the day of work. Our invoices are strictly to be paid within 24hours of receipt.

We do not offer credit services for Horseshoes!

Question 11

What do you charge?

Accepted Answer

Our prices vary due to the nature of each job. Please speak to us about this when you book and with some simple questions we can give you a better quote for the work.

But as a rough guide:

Trim: 30-60 pounds. Dependent on horse/pony size
Shoes (Cold): Set 80-100 pounds. Dependent on horse/pony size
Shoes (Hot):  Set 90-160 pounds. Dependent on horse/pony size

We can offer discounts for multiple horses at one yard/ livery/studs/or horses in training as this saves us travel costs.

We do not generally charge a travelling fee for any work. However if we are required to travel over 20 miles for a trim or meeting a vet etc, then a travel fee will be applied.

We do not charge to replace lost shoes that we have fitted within four weeks of us fitting them.

We will always discuss costs of shoeing/trimming/remedial work with the customer before commencing any work.

Question 12

Why are Farriers so expensive?

Accepted Answer

Simply put, we are not.

UK farriers are amongst the cheapest in Europe. French and German farriers are charging nearly double at the moment.

Our prices have had to rise recently due to the increase in all our costs. Fuel, insurance, vehicle maintenance, steel, gas, stock and equipment have all risen dramatically with inflation and world events.

However the price for our work has not risen at the same levels.

IMPORTANT INFORMATION

Frequently asked questions