Dang, I hate to hear that about the ol’ Bay Man!
I’m back at work today so I can’t watch videos here, but you can still upload them if you’ve got time and I’ll watch them this evening when I get home. But as far as whether he needs pads or not, I’d just let the old farrier guy watch him and go with what he says for now. Just tell him that Bay’s as lame as you’ve ever seen him and he needs SOMETHING done and you’re going to trust him to figure out what that is, then let him try his best and see if that helps. And if it doesn’t, then you do what you said and go back to the vets and a new farrier. And I say that because I know that in conversations with my own farrier about some of his other clients, I’ve heard him remark that when people start telling him how to do his job that he does exactly what they say, whether he thinks that’s the right thing or not. ~:-/ So I found that to be some food for thought and filed it away in the back of my mind under “Things not to say to the farrier”. They’re a strange breed I tell ya.
I’m always very hesitant to start telling farriers how to do their job... so yeah - I’m hoping he’ll tell me.
My biggest issue with this guy is that he’s retired and I don’t know if he really wants to do this. That and he seems to think less is more. I don’t want less right now, I want that horse bubble wrapped if it will get me another year.
I mean, when I called him yesterday and said Bay was lame and I wanted him to come out, he said he’d come take a look and maybe bring trimming tools. I said he is very run forward and needs a trim and so do the other two, who also missed their trim appointments before Christmas... I need a full time farrier for all of them, not just advice.
He said he’d come out with trimming tools and if needed he’d go home and get his forge. I’m sure he’s qualified to do the work, I just feel like I’m trying to beg work out of a guy who isn’t really in the business any more. If I don’t feel like he wants to do all three today, I’m going to ask him if he wants to refer me to someone else.