Conference noted::equitation

    We've had both experiences. Our current shoer recently charged us $5 to
    replace a lost shoe. Our late shoer didn't usually charge. I think he 
    charged in cases where the horse had caught the shoe and tore it off.
    That seemed fair because he'd have to do a lot of work with a bent shoe
    and torn up foot.

    My blacksmith over here charges to put a shoe back on - although he
    advises us to take the horse out on the roads immediately after 
    shoeing.  Obviously if you turn a horse out into a muddy field
    immediately after shoeing there is more likelyhood of the shoe being
    pulled off in the mud.
    
    Can't complain as his shoeing is excellent and first class.

    I've had thrown shoes several *weeks* after a shoeing, and my farrier
    replaced them at no charge.  I've been using this farrier 6 or 7 years
    now.  The fellow I had before that did charge for replacements - and
    I also didn't find his quality of work to be as high as my current
    smith. 

    
    My first farrier did charge $15.00 to replace the shoe - my new
    farier does not.  My kids take off there shoes all the time, so my
    Farrier wanted me to keep bell boots all the time (I have a 6 acre
    pasture)  so since I started to keep the bell boots on, I rearly
    loose a shoe now.
    
    Lou

    So far I have never had to pay my farrier to replace a lost shoe and
    ours have never lost a shoe later than 24 hours after shoeing.
    

    
    	My farrier will replace at no charge unless it's been more
    	than a week, then he charges $10. I think that's fair.

    My farrier in the UK never charges for replacing a shoe, even after 6
    weeks (my horses are shod every 7 weeks).  The only time I have known a
    farrier charge to replace a shoe is if the shoe was originally fitted
    by a different farrier.
    
    (He doesn't even charge when he has to provide a new shoe 'cos I
    couldn't find the lost one)    

    I have never paid for a shoe that has been thrown.  My father never
    charged to replace a shoe (within a normal shoeing period) and he had a
    horse that used to put his hooves up on the fence and ripped a few off
    that way.
    
    Karen

    (FYI:original noter)
    Well, I was a bit hesitant about it.  The shoes were on four weeks,
    this horse rarely ever looses a shoe and her feet are in good shape.
    If she ever looses one, it's usually just before the shoeing's due, in
    the summer when she's used a lot and her feet are growing fast. Another
    odd thing was that one of the borium tips fell off and he had to
    replace it, she must have been walking off center on the shoe.  He
    attributed the shoe loss to the mud (there is plenty), and suggested I 
    keep them in (no way!)
    
    Well, this is the first time I've had this guy, maybe it's a fluke, but
    if his shoes don't stay on, I'm not going to pay for it. 
    
    Time will tell,
    Sharon

    I'd see how it goes too to see if it is this farrier's shoeing
    ability.  I've had a bad experience with one farrier in terms of
    losing shoes and now don't believe it just on their say so.  I was 
    partners with a friend of mine with a horse and we had her farrier  
    shoeing him.  As long as she half owned him "our" horse never threw, 
    lost or had a shoe "pulled off by the mud".  
    
    I bought her out and kept the same farrier.  All of a sudden, *my* 
    horse was regularly losing shoes within a week of getting done.  The 
    field he was kept in was always dry - no standing mud.  Within a few 
    months the farrier told me it was the horses feet and he needed clips 
    on his hind shoes.  (It being my first horse and not knowing any better 
    I listened to him.)  Well we kept losing shoes and I ended up spending 
    about $20-30 more per shoeing than I used to be for all the clips 
    (which he eventually decided I needed front AND back.)  
    
    I switched farriers to one of the regulars at my new barn and surprise - 
    I didn't need clips on ANY of his feet any more and never lost a shoe!  
    The second farrier also didn't charge if you threw a shoe within a 
    reasonable amount of time.  The first one always did!  
    
    If your horse never lost a shoe before and if no conditions have 
    changed except the farrier, then she shouldn't be losing shoes now.
    I'd see if this becomes a regular habit with the new one and change
    farriers if it does.  
    
    Good luck!
    
    Caroline B.

    
    I thought about chaning my farrier due to the kids allwasy loosing
    them.  But I really like my farrier - she is allwasy one time, she
    gives me appoitment card before she leaves the barn - she is very
    nice to the horses - and she will not charge for the lost shoe.  She
    does not make me be at the barn for a lost shoe - so it's not
    inconenanceing me at all (just her) and she comes right out!
    
    If she did not do all that and I still lost the shoes...then I'd
    switch - it all depends ...
    
    Lou

   For about a year, I used a farrier who did not clinch tightly, stating
   that they didn't want to bruise the hoof.  This farrier was always on time,
   and did a nice job.  However, shoes were always coming off!!  And once
   my horse lost both of his front shoes - the same day!!  

   I don't remember if this farrier charged for tacking on the shoes, I was
   very annoyed at the frequency (every shoeing) and the delay getting this
   farrier to the barn for a lost shoe.  (My riding time is limited, so 
   finding out when I get to the barn that I have to wait a couple of days
   did not please me.)

   I did suggest/recommend that this farrier put a note on their calendar
   mid-way through our shoeing cycle to come out and reclinch!  Unfortunately,
   the farrier didn't appreciate the suggestion.  

   Obviously, I've switched farriers.

					-Caroline

Does my farrier charge to put on lost shoes - yes and no!!

I've recently had to have my gelding put down (pedal ostitis (sp?).  Due to 
the poor condition of his hooves, Georgie was constantly losing shoes, my 
farrier charged to have these put back on.  A bit of a pain, as it usually 
resulted in seeing the farrier every 2-3 weeks, but fair as it he wasn't 
losing the shoes as a result of poor work, just the result of naff hooves!!. 

On the plus side, he is always on time, does a very neat job, is good to the 
horses, and I don't have to be there, (he's even gone into the field caught 
the horse, cleaned his hooves off and done the shoes!!))  My farrier has 
never charged to put shoes back on my aged pony however, as her hooves are 
in good condition.

I'd go with the advise of previous noters, and see how it goes, if the 
hooves are the problem believe me you'll know, there'll be plenty of other 
signs;-{

Sarah

I had left a boarding facility to keep my horses at home - and the shoer there
was unwilling to shoe two in a driveway. So someone steered me to this new guy.
He did an adequate job on my horses for a year or so. Then one day - one of my
guys threw a shoe and took off a chunk of foot. Nothing too drastic - but it
required some creative trimming, bondo and nailing.

Unfortunately my new shoer was not up to the task. He nailed the shoe back on -
it was off about 4 days later - more foot was missing this time. We went through
this for about 6 weeks until finally there was almost nothing to nail to. I know
that the farrier was trying his best - he was always apologizing about the shoe
coming off. He was a nice guy but - things got to a point where he told me that
he was afraid to nail another shoe on (at least he was honest about it).

Well I put an ez-boot on the foot - and took the show to my former barn. I was
hoping to find someone there to get some advice from. My former shoer happened
to be there. This was definitely fate. I walked in with the thrown shoe and he
said - "Hey what did you do - buy a pony - where'd you get *that* shoe?" When I
told him it was my 16H TB's shoe he really did not believe me.

Well he felt so badly about it that he went over to my house, put a new shoe on
the stump foot, didn't charge me, and continued to shoe my horses until he left
the area. Before he left though - he gave me the name of my current shoer - and
she does a similarly excellent job.

Morale of the story - make sure that you have a shoer who knows how to shoe bad
feet as well as good -and - don't do what I did - I waited too long to find help
and nearly crippled my horse giving the incompetent farrier the benefit of the
doubt. If a shoe comes off more than once - it is a sign....