10/05/2022
On average it takes 3600 seconds to shoe someone’s well behaved precious fluffy.
The said fluffy will then go an average of 6 weeks until the next shoeing. That leaves 87,087,600 seconds to do what ever you want to your precious 4 legged fluffy. The following list are somethings that really don’t need to be done for the 3600 seconds a farrier is working on that horse.
- lotions and potions- please don’t cover every square inch of the precious pony in any creams or sprays, hoof treatments are a big no no. Being an adult man covered in a white gloopy substance or smelling like I’ve got a bad case of nappy rash isn’t ideal.
-feeding- haynets or buckets of feed are a huge bug bare for most farriers. Having to squabble with a food obsessed fluffy is hard work and we don’t wish to look like a scarecrow. Feeding for those 3600 seconds isn’t going to give you the instant condition you’ll need for the gymkhana the next day.
-Bathing,clipping,preening- having to deal with a dripping wet soapy pony isn’t ideal, I know a day of shoeing doesn’t leave us smelling that fresh, but we are Capable of cleaning ourselves. I find clipping just before or whilst shoeing insulting and uncomfortably itchy.
-family and friends- horses are a herd animal, turning out all your precious fluffys friends whilst those 3600seconds of a shoeing appointment, is fairly inconsiderate. Trying to convince a neurotic fluffy that his friends are having a rubbish time and there aren’t any lions waiting to eat him, is a tricky thing.
-advice- your farrier, trimmer or vet has taken decades to acquire some small snippets of half decent knowledge. If we willingly dish some out, it’s usually because we feel it’s helpful to keep you and your beloved fluffy alive and well, until we can see you for our next round of 3600 seconds, A few pieces of gold are as follows…
“Don’t buy an ex race horse, in the rare occasion it doesn’t try killing you on a regular basis, it will attempt to kill itself on an even more regular basis “
“Please stop feeding your fluffy, the shear fact you can’t get a saddle to fit isn’t anyones fault and it’s going to die”
“Please spend some time handling your savage fluffy” , I’m running out of spare body parts and my business card doesn’t state “I do this for fun “
These are just a few things that a farrier wishes the owner would avoid for those 3600 seconds every six weeks.
All credit for this must go to Luke Cain awcf
