Lady Farrier Take 2

Please step inside my world for a minute. Many people don't understand how important it is to be on time. How running late can mess a lot of things up. It is not just about being rude keeping others waiting. Sometimes a time is scheduled because it really needs to occur at that very time.

Lady Farrier and I had agreed to meet at 6:30 am today to do both Gem and Pete.  A farrier appointment used to be a simple matter, but nothing is simple these days. There were a lot of factors to take into consideration:

1) Pete only fully trusts Dusty. Whenever he meets someone knew he gets extremely nervous and really relies on Dusty to help him through it. Dusty has to be present.

2) While I don't start until 11:30 Wed, Dusty still starts at 8 and that means Wyatt needs to go to school by 7:30. Thankfully school is a 5 minute drive from the barn.

3) I haven't fixed the trailer yet, so there is only 1 tie spot. There are no lights in the cross tie area of the barn and it is too dark to work in there before 7:30.

4) It is next to impossible to work around the horses solo with Wyatt.

We had it planned out the best we could. Dusty would get up at 5:30 and leave for the barn by 6 to get Pete ready. I would get myself and Wyatt around and head out to be there by 7 when she should be finishing up with Pete. Dusty would play with Wyatt while I got Gem and put her in the crossties and then he could return Pete to the pasture and leave to take Wyatt to school while I worked with Gem and Lady Farrier. A little complicated, yes, but it would work.

Except Lady Farrier showed up a half an hour late. Again. She was 20 minutes late last time, but had some excuse or another and I let it go. She didn't even apologize for being late when she showed up. Unfortunately, being this late screwed everything completely up. I was irritated. Add to it the fact that she opened her car and laughed when her dog ran out saying "I'm breaking the rules..hahahah" and I just about lost it.

** Our barn has a no dogs on property rule. I don't know the history behind the rule, but it was plainly stated when we moved in. I am fine with it and actually prefer it having had some bad experiences with dogs on boarding property in the past. At our first meeting I explained that her dog was not allowed out of the car and especially not running amock as it was. She was angry about it, but it isn't my rule. I told her she could talk to the BO but that was all I could do.**

She set to work on Pete and he was fidgety, but being a good guy. I don't know why she refuses to use a nipper, but she takes all the stuff off with the knife and then rasps until the cows come home. I get it when there is little growth, but Pete had a ton of hoof wall to come off and it took her forever. Eventually we just plumb ran out of time. Dusty had to go and I had to get Gem, so before he left I got her and put her in the cross ties in the barn. I didn't like not being able to keep an eye on her though, so I went back and asked if we could just move Pete to the barn aisle and I would hold him while she worked.

Lady Farrier did not like Pete one bit which is odd. Yes he is a bit fidgety but no other farrier has had trouble with him. I think she just took too long for him, plus Dusty had to leave which made him unhappy. He didn't do anything bad, but did keep taking his foot off the stand. She made some comment about it and I shot back that had she shown up on time Dusty could have been with him the entire time and things would have been easier. She mumbled an apology.

Poor Pete had to pee too. She had been working for about an hour already and still wasn't done. He had his right hind leg on the stand and just let loose. I have never seen a horse pee with one leg off the ground before! It was impressive.

After about  an hour and fifteen minutes she finished with Pete. I have to admit his feet looked amazing. She does good work. I took him out to his pasture while she started with Gem.

Gem was a good girl as usual and stood there although when it came to the immense rasping she does on the toe and hoof wall even Gem pulled off the stand. She never does that. I am wondering if the rasp was heating up or pulling too hard?

She had grown a lot of toe on the hinds and her fronts were creeping up tall a bit again, but overall the shape was very good. She remarked at how amazing the hoof was as she worked. She took the heels down a little more this time and recommended that I rasp them in 2 weeks. It took her no time at all with Gem.

She was there about 2 hours when it was all said and done. I asked her to take measurements for boots for Gem and she said no. Huh? You are a barefoot trimmer. She said she doesn't know anything about boots and to do it myself. Strike 3 Lady Farrier. Strike 3.



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