Dependable Farrier Service

12/23/2024

A little Saturday afternoon fun for grandkids!

12/09/2024

06/26/2024

Borrowed from Ralph Hampton:
Have YOU Asked your Horse today?
I admit it, we screen our calls. We take, on average, more than seventy calls every week and even if we wanted to, we couldn't handle the volume of business generated by seventy plus calls. I'd like to, but I just can't.
So we screen calls. One of Tamara's questions is: "How does your horse stand for the farrier? Does your Thunder or Fluffy have any behavioral, emotional or physical issues we should know about?"
Oh, I can just hear horse owners around the globe snickering and saying things like "EMOTIONAL ISSUES????" Yeah, horses have emotions, not like we do I'm sure, but I am convinced they do react to stimuli in either a good or bad way and if they react in a bad way, it usually means I bleed or get bruised. So, we ask and ask and ask again, to make sure we're not walking into a situation that will end unpleasantly for all concerned, especially Thunder or Fluffy.
So, ASK your horse some pointed and pertinent questions! You, as a horse owner have to do the asking way before I get there and unpack my tools. By the time I do the asking, things can be forced because of time and opportunity, so you horse owners please pay attention to your horses, ok?
DOES IT HURT?
Does your horse hurt? Is there a reason why they might react to me lifting legs, slicing on their frog, rasping the foot? You know, I have to manipulate horses limbs like a physical therapist will often push, pull and tug on a human subject but when I do, I understand a horse cannot scream in pain like a human can and will, if you hurt them.
Arthritis, stove up joints, creaky tendons, whatever the problem might be on any given day, your horse will tell you if you ask. How does an owner ask? The easiest, most effective way is to buy a good hoof pick and USE it. The use of a good hoof pick is essential to a happier, healthier horse. A hoof pick in the hands of an owner is one more good line of communication with you and Thunder.
DOES YOUR HORSE KNOW HOW?
Let's face it, some horses just don't know how to be trimmed or shod and it is NOT your farrier's job to teach them. How many times have I heard, "Oh, I hire a farrier to do that job." Well no.....there is a difference between a farrier and a trainer. Dont get me wrong, I dont mind teaching your horse a few basic things to get my butt out of a potential sling, but do I want to take an enormous amount of time instructing your Thunder on the finer points of being good so he doesn't break my leg? Nope, not unless you want to pay my bills while I sit with my leg up in a cast watching TV.
There are hundreds of training videos and U Tube short films to help you and books are good also. Help your horse so I can help him. It's one of those no brainer kind of things.
WHY ISNT THUNDER NICE?
If he bites, kicks, jumps snorts and tries to intimidate a farrier, he's probably just a nasty spoiled brat. Honestly? Yes there ARE nasty spoiled brats out there and no matter how warm and fuzzy you feel about horses, some of them are simply spoiled.
Spoiled for a variety of reasons. The owner is just a wee bit scared of some of them. The horse is intimidating and pushy so the owner and a lot of farriers I know don't want to mess with a situation which can get them killed. Or, God forbid, that particular horse is just nuts! In that case, I have no advice, at least none most horse owners would like to hear.
WHERE DO WE GO FROM HERE?
The days of making your farrier solely responsible for your horse's hoof care are mostly gone. And trust me, your Thunder's hoof care is VERY important! So, let's all get out there with your horses and teach them a thing or two about being happy, healthy and, most of all, SAFE!

04/02/2024

It’s never too late to turn your life around! 💪

03/20/2024

I choose to be an Eagle!!

”I was waiting in line for a ride at the airport. When a cab pulled up, the first thing I noticed was that the taxi was polished to a bright shine. Smartly dressed in a white shirt, black tie, and freshly pressed black slacks, the cab driver jumped out and rounded the car to open the back passenger door for me.
He handed me a laminated card and said: 'I'm Wasu, your driver. While I'm loading your bags in the trunk I'd like you to read my mission statement.'
Taken aback, I read the card. It said: Wasu's Mission Statement:
To get my customers to their destination in the quickest, safest, and cheapest way possible in a friendly environment.
This blew me away. Especially when I noticed that the inside of the cab matched the outside. Spotlessly clean!
As he slid behind the wheel, Wasu said, 'Would you like a cup of coffee? I have a thermos of regular and one of decaf.'
I said jokingly, 'No, I'd prefer a soft drink.'
Wasu smiled and said, 'No problem. I have a cooler up front with regular and Diet Coke, lassi, water, and orange juice.'
Almost stuttering, I said, 'I'll take a lassi since I’ve never had one before.'
Handing me my drink, Wasu said, 'If you'd like something to read, I have Good Housekeeping magazine, Reader’s Digest, The Bible, and a Travel + Leisure magazine.'
As they were pulling away, Wasu handed me another laminated card, 'These are the stations I get and the music they play, if you'd like to listen to the radio.'
And as if that weren't enough, Wasu told me that he had the heater on and asked if the temperature was comfortable for me.
Then he advised me of the best route to my destination for that time of day. He also let me know that he'd be happy to chat and tell me about some of the sights or, if I preferred, to leave me with my own thoughts.
'Tell me, Wasu,' I was amazed and asked him, 'have you always served customers like this?'
Wasu smiled into the rear view mirror. 'No, not always. In fact, it's only been in the last two years. My first five years driving, I spent most of my time complaining like all the rest of the cabbies do. Then I heard about power of choice one day.'
'Power of choice is that you can be a duck or an eagle.'
'If you get up in the morning expecting to have a bad day, you'll rarely disappoint yourself. Stop complaining!'
'Don't be a duck. Be an eagle. Ducks quack and complain. Eagles soar above the crowd.'
'That hit me right,' said Wasu. He continued and said, 'It is about me. I was always quacking and complaining, so I decided to change my attitude and become an eagle. I looked around at the other cabs and their drivers. The cabs were dirty, the drivers were unfriendly, and the customers were unhappy. So I decided to make some changes. I put in a few at a time. When my customers responded well, I did more.'
'I take it that has paid off for you,' I said.
'It sure has,' Wasu replied. 'My first year as an eagle, I doubled my income from the previous year. This year I'll probably quadruple it. My customers call me for appointments on my cell phone or leave a message on it.'
Wasu made a different choice. He decided to stop quacking like ducks and start soaring like eagles.
Have an eagle life ahead.....
—Adapted
I hope we all decide to soar like an Eagle and not quack like a duck 🦅🦅
thank you Patti Huckaba for the share 💕”
Credit: Summer Grace Vanni

06/10/2023

Way better than a Caribbean cruise in my opinion 🥰

12/24/2021