A few weeks back, a stranger wearing a cowboy hat sat down next to me in row 21 on a late night Delta flight. Striking up a conversation, I learned he was a horse trainer who had just wrapped up a lengthy stay with nearly two dozen horses at one of the country’s leading shows.

Pretty soon, the conversation got around to horses, trainers, horse shows, judges and effective hoof-care. And he talked about the importance of having a farrier who can set up horses properly for a variety of show ring disciplines.

Investing In Quality Work

This gentleman and another trainer that works in the same barn fly in an outstanding farrier from 750 miles away every 4 to 5 weeks. The two trainers always guarantee the farrier at least 10 horses to trim and shoe. And they sometimes schedule (in advance) as many as 30 horses that fill out the shoer’s entire week.

When I asked what makes this veteran farrier so special, the trainer talked about his recent horse show experience. He’d taken better than 20 horses to the show and brought home a number of ribbons and trophies along with a huge amount of prize money for his horse owners.

$10,000 Savings On Vet Bills

The trainer went on to explain that hock and joint issues often lead to hefty vet costs during a lengthy show. He’s seen times when he wrote checks for over $10,000 for veterinary services at the end of a show. But for the past few years, he hasn’t had to hire a veterinarian to look at or treat any of his well-shod horses during the show.

The trainer attributes this dollar savings to the fact that the farrier gets these horses set up just right.

Sure, he’s paying three times the national average for trimming and shoeing. But with a big payoff in the show ring, along with a $10,000 savings in vet bills, he’s fully understands the value of investing in top quality footcare.