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Making nice with my old farrier

1K views 4 replies 4 participants last post by  free_sprtd 
#1 ·
Please give me your honest advice or what you would do in this situation....

im so terrible with confrontation... When I first got thunder I used a farrier that was FABULOUS i mean wonderful. a little on the cowboy/quiet side, but did a great trim nonetheless. and he specified in mustang feet. Well, during the process of us trying to buy the house and i got all stressed out and wanted to move thunder to a new barn, i asked the farrier if he knew of any barns in the area taking boarders. he said his wife would let us use the place they were using. it was NOT by any means something that would work for my situation. I told him my barn was a big bad evil and i just had to get him out of there asap. Well, i told him i would think about it and let them know the following week. I never called him back and that was in april. I had gotten mixed up with closing on a house that never actually ended up closing, and i became extremely depressed and just used the barns farrier. I am still at the same place. the BO farrier does a decent trim i guess, but in 4 weeks, thunders got bowled out hooves and pretty decent chips and cracks. i have looked into all the other possibilities of weather, diet, ect and have come to determine it's the trim he's getting.

Thing is I'm too afraid of embarrassment to go back to my old farrier, even though i would love to start using him again. i feel like i might have hurt their feelings. Should I email them and feel out the water on how they feel about the situation??? or should i just try and find someone else?
 
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#2 ·
We've switched farriers about 5 times. We run into our old ones once in awhile at horse type events or just in town. I've never had one get upset or hound us about trimming. If he is a professional business man he should take it in stride. I'm sure your not the only one to ever quit him and then come back. I'm betting he will be glad to do a trim for you.

I'm editing this in :D
You should just call him and make an appointment. Don't bring up the past or give any reasons why you switched. If he asks be honest but otherwise its a new day and a new relationship. Thats what I've done in the past with business dealings. I figure they don't want to hear excuses or reasons and I feel its my own business what choices I make.
 
#3 ·
free_sprtd said:
Thing is I'm too afraid of embarrassment to go back to my old farrier, even though i would love to start using him again. i feel like i might have hurt their feelings. Should I email them and feel out the water on how they feel about the situation??? or should i just try and find someone else?
I think your farrier would not even question anything, just show up at the appointment time and maybe, at the most, chastise the current trim (don't we horse people ALL criticize everyone else?). I'm sure he's had clients that have left, left and gone back, come new and left and returned several times. By returning, you are actually complimenting his work so don't be embarrassed.

Besides, even if you do get embarrassed, isn't a red face worth your horse's best interest anyway?
 
#4 ·
I would just be honest. I'd call him up and ask him to come out. If you feel that he needs and explanation just tell him that life got a bit crazy for a while but now that things have calmed back down you would like him to take care of your horse again because he did a great job. I don't know of any business man that wouldn't understand and take it as a compliment. (i'm sure there are some out there but a quiet type guys usually isn't like that)
 
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