Close up of a variety of horseshoes nails in a farrier's cart.

Summarizing the amount of nails you use over a year or career could be a way to alert clients to the costs included in shoeing their horses.

Explaining Your Expenses Can Educate Clients About Footcare Costs


Pictured Above: Summarizing the amount of nails you use over a year or career could be a way to alert clients to the costs included in shoeing their horses

Farrier Takeaways

  • Clients typically have little understanding of what your expenses are, so explaining these can help them understand your rates.
  • Even a seemingly insignificant cost like an individual nail adds up over a year when you consider discarded nails.
  • Don’t wait until there is an objection to discuss your expenses with a client. Explain it in a proactive manner.

To build loyal customers, look for opportunities to educate your clients about footcare. This proves important when encountering clients who question the amount they pay for footcare. Rather than getting defensive, I like to provide insight. Most clients have little understanding of what it costs us to shoe their horses.

I never lost a debate with a client over pricing if I took the time to explain what contributes to my cost. I find that if you take the time to explain costs when you enter into the relationship with a client, then pricing won’t become an issue. Instead, we typically wait until there is a problem to have this conversation with clients.

With clients you already have on your books, don’t wait until a client asks about costs. For example, each year in a client newsletter, I share some information on my annual costs in shoeing their horses. This summary is on my clients as a whole, not on individual…

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Davefarley

Dave Farley CF, APF-I

Dave Farley is a farrier based in Coshocton, Ohio, and Wellington, Fla. He is a 2008 inductee of the International Horseshoeing Hall Of Fame.

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