Remind Or Don’t Remind Owners About Appointments?

Farrier Doug McCrindle of Ballston Lake, N.Y., doesn’t believe in reminding clients about their next hoof-care appointments. “I live by my appointment book, why can’t the client?”

For 34 years, McCrindle has scheduled the next appointment before he leaves the barn. If a client doesn’t show up for an appointment, he bills the client a no-show fee. Now semi-retired from shoeing, McCrindle has only used this penalty a handful of times throughout his career, and it never resulted in a firing. He equates his policy to that of many doctor practices and believes it aids in shaping client perception of farriers as professionals.

Get The Lead Out To Improve Your Skills

Roy Bloom of Bloom Forge says lead can be a great teaching tool at the anvil. The malleable nature of lead means you can easily cold shape it. The Drummond, Wis., farrier and expert toolmaker adds that it also allows him to check the precision of a tool. Bloom says to check with a plumbing shop or large fishing supply company to find a supply of lead you can work with.

Results In From Veterinarian-Farrier Relationship Survey

In early October 2014, equine veterinarian James Belknap of The Ohio State University presented results from an online survey. The survey asked farriers in the United States and the United Kingdom about vet-farrier
relations and working with vets on laminitis cases. Slightly more than 800 farriers took part in the survey and nearly 60% of…