Higher farrier service rates

[MyMiniGal]

Mine charges $20 for one mini, but if I had more, it would drop down to $16. No call fee, and no fee for her not being haltered, which is good, since I have her boarded, and his appointments for the area, doesn't hit when I can be there, since I work. But, my mini is an easy catch. She sees the halter and comes right to you. I do make sure the barn know's that he is coming and at what time. I have no idea, if they help him or not. From the trimmings, I would say he ties her to the shelter post. He does an excellent job.

 

[Max's Mom]

I am amazed from reading this how little some farriers charge! My farrier comes every 8 weeks for just my one mini, and he is always on time for appointments and is very good, and so I consider it reasonable that he charges me $35 for the trim and $10 for travel. I think you should increase your prices, especially for the clients who only have one animal. That is a lot of time just getting to their barns. It also amazes me to think of people who wouldn't have their horses clean and ready for you. How rude! You are a professional and you should be treated as one.

 

[izmepeggy]

I LOVE my farrier..She charges $25. per Mini.I have two.She is ALWAYS on time..Calls the day ahead to confirm the appointment..I always tip her $5 per visit.When she arrives they are already haltered and the feet have been picked.She always listens to my concerns,when a lot of farriers will brush you off.When I call she knows my voice and calls me by my first name..She slips me in when needed,like right before our parade.She is worth her weight in gold and I have gotten her many clients which thank as much of her as I do.Raise your prices and don't feel bad about it.

 

[happy appy]

I pay $20/horse big or small. The farrier is always on time or has called if things had to change. She takes her time and always double checks the horse on the walk in and out for way of going and soundness. Remembers that one of my minis needs only to be rasped and to be left a little long. We book the next apt at the end of the visit. I seem to be getting in a few rescues right now and she always takes her time with the new nervous ones, and she doesn't charge extra for those ones either. I am also there to help, I have everyone brought in to the stalls and ready when she gets here. I don't get charged a visit fee though but she normally has 7-9 to do on a visit.

 

[eagles ring farm]

We pay $20 per mini and new foals 1st trim is free (just a nice gift to us)

we have our horses trimmed every 8-10 weeks . Our farrior does not charge us for a farm call fee but he is 5 minutes from us

We are always there and always hold all our horses and stay while he trims. All are well behaived except maybe a foal here or there on the first trim

even though we do work with picking up feet every night

Our farrior works another full time job and has a business of his own on the side. So he has stopped trimming most full size horses now

he only has a couple clients as he is too busy with other things

I think your price at $20 is very reasonable and you should not be handling unruly horses time after time without owners help for that price

and I agree if they only trim a couple times a year it should be higher

 

[jeanniecogan]

I have always had my horse horses ready. i have a nice level barn isle that is well lit. My farriers appreciate that very much. They complain about the same things you said. I never have gotten a discount, and have had to fire a few, 2 in the middle of shoeing for striking my horse with a rasp , one actually jabbed him in the gut. My horses are always worked with and trained from little babies on. it is part of the 10 day training they all get. i am not rough with them but know how important it is for the farrier not to get hurt. My son is a farrier and i have seen the abuse he put up with when he was first starting his business. when he got enough good customers he fired his abusive customers and now has a good clientelle.

I agree that you are being abused by your customers and have to put your foot down. Horse people must respect their farrier. Make up the list for the first of the year and stick to it. most will come around and you will get referrals from them. your business will grow. You need to have confidence in yourself. Good luck

 

[Tab]

I think $20 is fair. And btw thank you for talking me out of trimming. I've trimmed my own minis for umpteen years and once in awhile I get tempted to offer trimming other minis, just minis, no biggies! I have seen people sitting on them to trim them without any hoof problems. That's crazy!!! It's so easy to train them as foals, I wish people would socialize and train their foals.

 

[rabbitsfizz]

I think your pricing is fair but I would just add that I think you should charge by the mile for call out- that makes you traveling a fair way worth your while and fairer to the people who live nearer to you. This is what most Vets do and you are a vet for feet! I also agree you should have a price leaflet and I think you should consider charging more for remedial farriery - this will make people think twice about leaving an animal three months to save money!

I do think you should leave your prices as they are, for this year only, for DECENT customers, who have always played the game for you- just a little "thank you" , but I also think you need to warn them your prices will go up in 2015. So long as you have it all written down it will be straightforward but there is NO way you should be catching and haltering animals- if they are left in a small pen as the owners cannot be there, fair enough, if they are left in a filed knee deep in mud, NO WAY!! You need to get a little bit tougher with them. I have waited all day, back when I used a farrier, and he turned up at the right time a week late!! You are offering a good service, now take pride in yourself and charge accordingly.

 

[Boss Mare]

I pay $50 per trim, have since the year 2000. No exceptions; one horse or ten.

I would up your prices! Do the math, even though you love what you do more money is always nice and makes life a little easier.

I run into that problem too as a dog groomer (commission pay) - make exceptions for some clients, don't charge enough, don't charge for extras / extra time, etc. People freak over a $2-$5 increase, but it's simply not worth my time for some of these people who complain about $5 then drive off in a nicer vehicle than I do or have more expensive name brand clothes. Be firm. Don't underestimate your value. I like Bev's idea of charging for additional things; catching, not home, etc.

Or charge $___ for ___ (however long it takes you to do a maintained trim). Then charge $___ per additional 15 minutes? Half hour?

 

[2minis4us]

I pay $35 for each of my minis.

 

[MindyLee]

Well I rewrote my adds and adjusted my rates. I will be sending out cards to clients on my changes and yes a couple are not getting the new rates as they have always been super good to me. However, any new or not regulars are going to see a change as I need to make it worth my wild as most farms only have 1-3 critters and live in the boonies.

I have pondered about doing this for 2 yrs now and Im finally gonna do it. I take a ton of pride in my work and with working a full time job and a farm full of critters, I think its time to do this.

I did'nt get too carried away and have been giving heads up to a couple customers so far.

I would like to thank everyone with their advice and opinions as it helped very much.

 

[paintponylvr]

I will have to come back and read all of the posts...

BUT - I've paid as much as $35 (years ago) for my smaller shetlands and mini sized Shetlands and $50 for full size horses. Currently I pay $20/current year foals; $25 for Shetlands & $30 for my large horses. On days when any of my guys "act up" (have had as many as 4 w/ major weather changes), I'm charged anywhere from $5 to $20 based on "how bad" they are. I've also tipped my farrier - though not every time. I give a Christmas gift to my farrier(s) - now, most times a card that can be used for fuel is most appreciated - amounts have varied depending on where we are at at the time financially.

Generally, all of my ponies are caught and tied up in their pastures before the farrier arrives (I feed in the morning, they stand tied at their buckets). I then halter them w/ MY halters and we either trim them in their pastures (fair weather - summer or winter) or I bring them into the barn or under a tree. I currently don't have lights/electricity in my barn - so we've changed a few appointments based on that (dark/rainy/freezing weather). Now it's more difficult to do that - I have a "real" work schedule since starting this new job - I'm not as flexible as I had been the last 4 years when working a part time job that I could swap days around if needed. We have a standing appointment every other Friday right now and I track who gets done. Sometimes, we determine that I have one (& this year as many as 3 at a time) that need to be done again w/i 2 to 4 weeks. Usually, every one is rotated thru in an 8 week period. The early part of this year when first she and then I was sick, we missed a few appointments and they were off schedule - going up to 12 weeks between appointments (not everyone). We've done as few as 4 and as many as 9 in one day. Even in the ones that aren't being worked, I've had a lot of popped abscesses coming thru the hoof walls and some weird growing patterns w/ this wonky weather and resulting living arrangements.

I have one mare that she has refused to do. Seems the more I handle her, the worse she becomes. I've talked to my vet about some tranquilizer like trainers use for clipping - but we don't seem to be on the same sheet of music there... I've been able to trim the mares' hooves myself on the fronts - I'm glad that she generally breaks off in back. It's not pretty, but she's never gotten very tall hooves or elf slippers, so we are doing alright. No, she is not where she should be, but again, I do the best I can do.

If necessary, I have twitched mine - a squeeze w/ my hand on the muzzle or a shoulder roll twitch, a "humane" twitch, a chain twitch or a rope twitch. I have used a nylon halter w/ a chain - over the nose or run so that the chain rests under the upper lip. I have "eared" my own - only on ones I KNOW not to be overly sensitive in the ears and I don't twist or pull them down. I have grabbed them at the base of the tail and lifted/held. I've picked a couple of foals completely off the ground w/ the tail hold and an arm under the neck/throat latch.

All the farriers that I've had since 1995 have carried their own halters/lead ropes in their vehicles. They have all stated that they have used them - in some instances even when an owner has provided one - simply because they trust their equipment more. Some have also carried twitches, leg ropes or hobbles, and fly spray along with any tools required for their trade.

I have had to ask the farrier to put down the pony's hoof a couple of times while working. She likes to keep each hoof completely off the ground while she shifts around. I prefer that they get to stand on their hoof between doing the bottom and then bringing them forward to do. I have quite a number of ponies that this does upset and I don't consider it fair to them.

Both in MT and here in NC - I've had many farriers just plain say "NO" to doing ponies and arabians. I've got a friend who is using a farrier now (and he's GOOD) that I spoke to several years ago. He charges very reasonable/competitive rates NOW for this area - but when I paid to have him stop by and give me a consult when I was looking for a new farrier - he wanted $50 for the ponies and $75 for the Arabs - all just trims and coming out and doing them every 8 weeks. I didn't have that kind of money.

I have had a large number of farriers not show up and not call. When I took an unpaid day off from work - that hurt - and after two appointments, I was looking for a new farrier. This happens a LOT here - I don't know about other states. This was occurring even with cell phones and appointment books. This just flat out amazes me! Currently, my farrier and I keep in touch not only by phone (she doesn't get texts or email on her phone and I don't generally text anyway) but by computer based email. Both she and I have called the night previous to an appointment - to verify we are "on" for the next day. A couple of times, one or the other of us has been running late in the morning - either due to a family emergency or to horse stuff or (gasp,

) just waking up late. We CALL and let each other know!! A couple of times, we've then switched our appointment. One time, I got the call that our youngest daughter had connected my baby truck to a tree - we put ponies away, she rode w/ my hubby and I (extra person for vehicle/person extraction if needed, she didn't have another client after me that day) while we went to deal with the accident. W/ us then following, my hubby was able to drive my little truck home, daughter stayed at her friends' house and they brought her home later. When we had the truck repaired, we didn't drive it the rest of the way into town, but had it towed. I covered lunch for my farrier that day! We did the rest of the ponies due that day during the week following.

On a normal month - my farrier comes out 2 or 3 times. BUT w/ weather changes, health and changed appointments - she has come out as many times as 6 while working to catch up if needed (after she/i were sick and when she was out of commission w/ a badly sprained wrist).

I've also been surprised by the number of farriers and vets that go to clients where the client isn't at home... And the farrier or vet has to catch the horse in a pasture before they can perform the days' necessary work. WOW! I can't even imagine that - I don't want my horses done when I'm not there, personally. Guess I'm different that way.

I don't have a problem with a farrier raising their rates. I'm expecting mine to go up this year. BUT don't wait until we've done all my beasties and then tell me. Please make sure that I know before we do them all - I pay cash and I have to budget for each one that is done. IF you wait to tell me, I may not have the correct amount - making both of us very unhappy!!

 

[Foxhaven]

Charge more.

I pay $35 for minis, $45 for my donkey, to the best barefoot trimmer in the region. She has taught me more than I can absorb... including how to do my own trimming, why this and that is best, how to feel the structure of each foot and why one horse should not be trimmed identically with another. She has sold me top notch equipment, nippers, files, that are way beyond what I can find at Big R etc. She saved my butt with Sam the donkey with a thrush infection. He is difficult too... some abuse in his history. She taught me how to work with that, humanely, too. Charges next to nothing to QC my trimming and touch up where needed, and most importantly, how to SEE what is slightly off here or there, and why.

I always pay her more than she asks. Well worth it.