The Count Down for an Arabian Breeder's Annual Open House
It's now officially only one week away. Normally by this time I have at least half of the horses show clipped. Also, the farrier has come for at least one visit because it usually takes at least two to do a herd this size. Not to mention all of the facility stuff that needs to be done. The list is long and usually overwhelming.
I'm afraid I'm nowhere near having that much work done this time around. To start off with my farrier has stood me up not once but twice. The first time without so much as a phone call.
Thursday, I scheduled my day based on him arriving at ten. That normally turns out to be more like eleven and sometimes even twelve.
I didn't get started clipping while I was waiting for him because clipping is just such itchy business. I just couldn't bear the thought of getting all that hair all over and then having to stand there holding horses for the farrier for hours unable to scratch some of the worst places I'd be itching. So clipping was out.
Instead I put some horses out so they could run off some steam before the farrier arrived. I tried calling him to see why he was late only to get his voicemail. So I worked in my gardens trying to get them spruced up for the big event. At least I made some progress there while I was waiting for the delinquent farrier.
Finally somewhere around 2.30 in the afternoon he returned my phone call. He was hauling horses and wouldn't be coming to my farm at all that day. He was planning on being at a neighboring farm on Saturday so he promised he come here after he was done there.
I reminded him how much work we had to do and about the open house. He assured me he was aware and we'd get it done. Probably only the shoeings on Saturday and then we work something out.
I bumped into him at the Region 5 Regional Championshps on Friday night. We spoke again about the perdicament I was in and he muttered about his schedule and hauling horses for the championships. By this time he was suggesting I might call another farrier to help with the trims.
I don't know about where you live, but here it's takes weeks and weeks to get appointments with the good farriers. I'd already tried to get someone to come in and help me the week before because Dandy was long overdue. The farriers I felt comfortable using were all too busy.
My farrier suggested someone I hadn't heard of saying we'd talk about it the next day when he came by.Well, Saturday came and went and still no farrier. He had told be around two or so and by three he hadn't shown so I called the farm I knew he was at. I talked with my friend there and found out , not only had he arrived two hours late but it would be hours before he was done there.
To be continued.....
Part 2
In the picture for the last post, Dare is sniffing poop. That one pile attracted ever single horse!
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((HUGS!!)) I hope everything from this point on works out smoothly!
ReplyDeleteGood farriers around here are tough to find as well. I had one call me at 6:00 the morning of our appointment to cancel (left a voicemail) and then I called and called and called trying to get ahold of him to reschedule. After three weeks the horse I had at the time absolutely HAD to get trimmed so the barn manager of the stable I boarded her at offered to get ahold of her farrier to trim my horse. A day or two after making the appointment the original farrier finally go ahold of me. Anyway, I had the barn manager's farrier trim her feet from that point on until he stood me up. No phone call...no nothing. I spent hours out in 90 degree temps waiting for him. The barn manager had stopped up while I was waiting and I found out he does that quite often and she was going to have a talk with him. She ended up "firing" him and I found a different farrier. I've never had a problem with our current farrier...she's ALWAYS on time if not early...a tad spendier than the two I've worked with prior BUT for the little extra I don't have to worry about being stood up or wasting hours waiting for someone who's extremely late. She doesn't overbook herself and makes sure she has plenty of time to get to appointments.
Anyway...you're horses are absolutely gorgeous! I so wish I were closer to attend your open house!
Shoers are like painters, very independent. Even down here they seem to have attitude. We did have one place up in California that became our favorite because they ran it like a Doctor's office. They even called the day before to remind us that we had an appointment, and they were always on time!
ReplyDeleteWhen is your open house again? I just might have to take a drive down to visit. :)
ReplyDeleteI love my farrier, she calls if she's even going to be a few minutes late, she has me booked for the whole next year in advance, and most importantly of all, she is willing to work with even my wildest horse. To her it's not about the $$$ it's about helping the horses. She's shown up here at 10 at night before (she lives 2 hours from me) because one of my horses had thrown it's package...
I love my farrier. I think you need to try to find one just like her. It took me 6 months to find her. I hope your farrier finally showed up.
Oh how frustrating! I hope you find a farrier soon!
ReplyDeleteThanks for the suggestions on transitioning Gunner when he gets bucky. I do have him transition when he picks up the wrong lead in the round pen. Eventually he will pick up the correct lead and hopefully he realizes when he does it right away there isn't the transitions up and down.
Good luck at your open house.
((((HUGS)))) from me too, you are constantly in my thoughts, I worry that you are getting everything done without too much stress.
ReplyDeleteI can never find a farrier either, and a good one is impossible so my horses go untrimmed for a lot longer than they should. The ones we do have over are the same with unreliability and I have had the odd one that has left my horses lame for weeks after trimming. That really makes me mad.
I am pulling for you, and hope that all goes smoothly and that you cope without too much stress.
Lori
beautiful horses! thanks for your recent visit to my site! ;)
ReplyDeleteHey MiKael, whats your farrier's age?? just curious.... :) oh and how do you pronounce your name.. is it pronounced me-kay-elle or my-kay-elle ?
ReplyDeleteKim, my farrier is in his late 40s I think, have never asked him his age, just know he's younger than me. But he's cute!
ReplyDeleteAs for my name, it's pronounced My-kell like you would say the boy's name, Michael.