What Has Happened To Our Trade?
by Bill McDonald
Folks in the BWFA I am writing some things here that may anger some, so what. I have been a farrier for 27 years and have seen a lot of changes in the industry, most for the good. Today we have the best tools, a lot better shoes than ever before. But we have many sloppy shoe jobs. I work on horses from all over the USA & CANADA while they are at John Lyons for there cert training. The things I see coming in there is very appalling. These folks are spending 60k plus to be certified, but how can they learn and the horse advance when they are shod wrong??? I have had to FIX some of the worst, I've pulled mule shoes off 1 that was supposed to be a Reiner, the shoer told the owner they where "baby" sliders, many I see have 4 different toe lengths and 4 different angles. These folks are looking at making a living with horses but there horse hurts and can not produce, those are the trainers tools, ours are the hand tools, forge, anvil and foot. With out the proper tools how can we produce a product, the foot is the most important tool we have. But many people do not know how to take care of the foot, or feed the foot properly. Members we with in this assn need to get off our buts and start doing better, I charge 2 times the going rate here in western Colorado, and stay as busy as I want, you on the other hand have to shoe 2 to 3 times as many to make the same profit as me, so we get in a hurry, cut corners, and have to do 12 a day while I do 3 or 4. Then the inevitable happens your shortcut blows out, so they call me or someone like me and really have to pay to fix it, now your name is mud, Ole Bill's a hero. Many times all I have done is jerk you junk off the foot BALANCE the foot and take the horse back to the basics. Within 1 week the horse is back to his old self. So how can we help, slow down, go to clinics, study, practice in the forge, buy the best tools you can. When I first started shoeing I thought I could never feed my family and upgrade my rig, an old timer told me to take $2 from every shoe job and put back for tools, darn it worked, but today you should put back $10 or better. Some of you have seen my rig, and I keep trying to upgrade that and my education.
Folks lets try to upgrade our standards. I am my worst enemy as I pick apart each foot I put down and ask myself how I can make the shoe job better. Study the horse how he moves, how he wears, and his actions while you are working on him. Many things go into the good shoe job are you doing all you can to better your self or are you doing just enough to get by???? Lets all try and do better and gain the respect from the owners and trainers to be the most important link in the horses health car and training..
Until next time keep hammering
Bill McDonald CMF
Delta Colorado