05/27/2026
RESPECT THE FARRIER!
No, Iโm not talking to your horse, Iโm talking to YOU.
๏ฟผ
Recently, Iโve seen posts empathizing with horses who struggle with the farrier, and holding farriers accountable, but I didnโt see any empathizing with farriers, and holding us owners and trainers accountable, so here I am.
I also trimmed today, so Iโm feelinโ it๏ฟผ.
Sure, Iโve seen the typical posts that talk about disrespectful horses, but I think itโs high time to stop deflecting and blaming our horses for what is actually OUR disrespect and lack of responsibility.
We donโt just have a responsibility to our horses, but to our farriers.
I made a living trimming professionally for about a dozen years, I blew my shoulders out on it, got burned out on it, I know how demanding it is, so Iโm a stickler for being appreciative of our farriers and setting them up for success.
If things donโt go well, we donโt get to blame our farrier for what is OUR lack of preparation.
Blaming our โdisrespectfulโ horses is pretty lame as well, no pun intended.
Trimming is physically hard work, itโs dangerous work, and itโs technical work.
First of all, we donโt get to complain about the quality of work if our horses canโt stand still.
Second, our farrier has every right to get firm or use restraints if they are concerned for their safety and we insist they continue.
If we arenโt comfortable with that, yes, we do have EVERY right to stop the session at ANY time and reschedule, but our farrier should be compensated for the missed appointment, and it will be our responsibility to prepare our horse for the next appointment, whether we do it ourselves, or pay a trainer, or plan on sedation, or schedule enough time for our farrier to give breaks or train, IF they agree to that and will be compensated for their time.
We should always compensate our farrier a training fee if they do agree to train on our horse, or reschedule if they donโt have the time or inclination to do so.
We should not complain that our farrier just didnโt have enough patience with poor Fluffy.
It is OUR responsibility to prepare Fluffy to be patient and comfortable with the poor farrier.
We should not blame farrier impatience for what is actually frustration when we expect our farrier to train on our horse without compensation, or without their agreement when they donโt have the time or inclination.
If our horse needs to put their foot down more often than normal for some reason, and doesnโt have good duration, itโs our responsibility to make sure that can happen without our farrier getting torqued on, and compensate monetarily for that extended time.
Itโs amazing how patient a farrier can be when they arenโt getting tossed around, and are actually getting compensated for overtime like any other professional.
Our horseโs bad joints are not an excuse to contribute to the deterioration of our farrierโs joints.
If we have an arthritic horse, we should visit with our vet about using some pain relief before the appointment, for the sake of both horse and professional.๏ฟผ
If the horse simply needs trimmed with the foot lower, we might consider giving a tip; the farrier will probably need a masseuse, unless theyโre fortunate enough to be as short as me.๏ฟผ
Farriers love their job, they love our horses, or they wouldnโt be doing what theyโre doing, but itโs really difficult for them to love their job and love our horses if we arenโt pulling our weight.
That means doing what is necessary to get our horses comfortable physically, and having them used to getting their feet picked up, handled, tapped on, rasped on, held between legs, with the same duration that will be expected by our farrier, BEFORE our farrier shows up.
But it isnโt always about foot handling.
If our horse canโt confidently and patiently stand on their own for the same duration that it takes to get their feet worked on, adding a stranger whoโs asking them to do it on three legs isnโt going to improve the situation.
Our horses should be comfortable standing, whether itโs tied or with us holding them, for the same duration it takes to get their feet done; we can use a hay net to facilitate some patience and peace of mind initially.
Finally, we should never, EVER expect our farrier to put up with herd bound issues. If our horse canโt stand still, we should bring in a buddy so our farrier can do their job.
Separation anxiety should be addressed on our own time, not our farrierโs.
Being respectful of the hard work that a professional puts in not only physically, but intellectually, and skill-wise, doesnโt mean we have to get harder on our horses, it means we have to get harder on ourselves, and show a little more appreciation.
โA person who feels appreciated will always do more than what is expected.โ
