2024 Respective Responsibilities

Big River Equine provides a high quality, professional farrier service. To get the best trimming and shoeing results, the Farrier and Client have to work together in a cooperative effort. The following is a list of Respective Responsibilities that will help enhance our working relationship. 

I encourage you as the client to get involved, to learn, to ask and share any thoughts about the trimming and shoeing process.  There is a considerable amount of knowledge and experience that we may share.

I have dedicated myself to this profession in order to provide the best possible service for you and your horse(s). During your appointment, I try to make time to address all of your concerns or questions, but if you have additional concerns or questions please ask, email, call or text.

Farrier Work Conditions and Horse Evaluation Procedures:

1. The scope of Farrier work is vast.  In order for us to work comprehensively, it's important for you to recognize your ownership responsibilities.  As the horse owner, you are the primary care provider. Your frequent cleaning and inspection of the horse's legs, feet, shoes if shod, and following the Farrier's recommendations will help make the trimming and shoeing process most effective.

2. An appropriate place must be provided to trim and shoe your horse.  The place must be located inside during bad weather, free of manure, mud and clutter, well lit, flat and safe.  Safety for the horse and the Farrier is a joint responsibility.

3. The horse is my primary client and the needs of the horse are my first concern.

4. It is your responsibility to be present to hold your horse during the appointment or to make arrangements for an adult family member, friend, neighbor or staff member to be there in your place. In rare circumstances I may have an apprentice or helper hold your horse for a $30 holding fee. This will need to be discussed and agreed upon with a minimum of 24-48 hours prior to the appointment.

5. I am currently undergoing pain management therapy for my back so the following is extremely important. I can only bend over and work on so many horses a day. If half my time with your horse is spent cleaning out mud, gravel, manure and other debris from their feet, I will not be able to do my best work trimming and shoeing. Please have your horses feet picked out by the time I arrive. If you have multiple horses, please have them picked out and waiting in a clean dry area. While picking out your horses feet may not seem very taxing, imagine picking out 48 feet a day, before you can even begin the work you were scheduled for….I sincerely thank you for your cooperation and understanding.

6. It is your responsibility to have your horse(s) up and ready, well mannered and reasonably dry and clean with feet picked out BEFORE your scheduled appointment time. It’s a common courtesy all farriers expect but may not voice as loudly as I do. Please groom your horse appropriately for farrier work so I can be as thorough and accurate as possible. I simply cannot give your horse my best work when their legs and feet are muddy, when I am getting dirt in my eyes from dirty belly’s, trying to work around blankets, wraps or fly boots or the horse is stomping and kicking at biting flies. Wet/muddy horses are not safe to work on and cause damage to our expensive tools when feet are packed with mud and gravel. During fly season, please make sure you have your horse(s) adequately fly sprayed and have extra on hand. If you do not have fly spray, I will use mine and apply a $5 charge per horse to your bill.

7. During shedding season, please do not shed your horse out while I am under it.

8. I may refuse to work on a horse if it is too wet or too dirty to do a well balanced, safe and accurate job. This will be considered a “non-emergent / reschedule request or cancellation the day of your appointment after appointment has been confirmed” (see above, 2.4) and will result in a charge of 50% of the estimated final bill total and I’ll work you back in when I can.

9. Please do not hose off muddy legs unless there is ample time for them to dry prior to our appointment or if you have towels available to dry them off. If your horses legs are incredibly muddy, please thoroughly wipe them down with a towel. Wet legs are slippery and dangerous for the horse and farrier.

10. Grinder training: Due to my back issues I have switched to using a grinder only. Manual rasp trims are much harder on me and using the grinder makes me more efficient. I have successfully transitioned all my client horses over to the grinder with minimal objection on the horses part. I have found that the majority of the horses prefer it, especially our older arthritic friends. The grinder has less vibration than a rasp and I can hold the horses legs in positions that are more comfortable for them and myself. The grinder is faster and allows for me to get a really great trim done quickly with minimal stress on my lower back. During the first few appointments with new horses I will spend time acclimating them to the grinder. I have ear pom poms to muffle the noise and that seems to help a lot. It will however, be your responsibility to do additional training sessions in between appointments if needed. If training fails to get them comfortable with it I may ask that we use sedation for a period of time to take the edge off with the goal of eliminating sedation over several trim/shoe cycles. There is a $15 upcharge for manual rasp trims during the acclimation period.

11. If our appointment is during feeding times, please do not feed other horses while I am working on your horse.  This only serves as a distraction to your horse and a hungry, distracted horse does not stand well.

12. Do not apply hoof dressings or Hoof Armor immediately before our appointment.

13. I do not refit the work of other farriers

14. I may ask to observe the horse in motion (Walk and/or trot).  This will help me to evaluate your horse's way of going, make needed corrections, assess lameness, etc.

Horse Behavior:

1. The horse will stand better and I’ll be able to work better, if you do not tie your horse up for an extended time period.

2. If your horse is too energetic, I may recommend that you lunge or ride your horse before your appointment.

3. It is your responsibility to discipline your horse if the horse is not behaving.

4. I work with every horse patiently.  I do not employ brutality.  The horse may smell or nuzzle me, but I draw the line at them trying to eat me.

5. In the event a horse may aggressively bite, kick or strike at me, I may have to open hand slap the horse in order to let the horse know that such behaviors are unacceptable to me. 

6. If the Farrier work cannot be finished due to the horse's behavior or discomfort, then you will need to call in a veterinarian to tranquilize, block your horse or request Dormosedan® Gel.  This may result in rescheduling your appointment to another day and you will still be responsible for payment of the full appointment even if the work is not completed due to behavior concerns.

Fees and Billing Procedures: Click HERE