Do you tip your farrier?

Miniature Horse Talk Forums

Help Support Miniature Horse Talk Forums:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.

BigDogs & LittleHorses

Well-Known Member
Joined
Mar 30, 2004
Messages
356
Reaction score
9
Location
Saint Helens, OR
I was talking with someone the other day who mentioned the practice. I've never done it... not that I didn't on purpose... it just never occurred to me.

My farrier hasn't raised his prices in the three or four years I've used him, it's still $20 per horse. So maybe it's time for a tip! Overdue, even.

On the other hand, it takes him between a half hour and an hour to do all six, and he walks away with $120 bucks cash for maybe 40 minutes of work. Not bad. It's more than I make having a college degree.

But then again, it's a somewhat dangerous occupation (not due to minis!), hard on the ol' back, and he has to use his own vehicle and most likely pay for his own health care.

Any thoughts?

Daryl
 
I do tip my farrier, but usually only for Christmas and/or for special circumstances (an extra good job with a new horse with bad angles, being patient with a horse that is misbehaving, coming out short notice to put a shoe back on or do some work right before a show, offering to try something new and not charging for the product, etc.)

Andrea
 
I never expect a tip from any of my clients who use my services, but then again I am not as inexpensive as your farrier.

Many of my clients are quite a distance and we work out a gas allowance for that.

My rates are fair, and I like to take my time on their horses, so most take me 30-40 minutes as I try to pay attention to detail.

Its hard for someone else to say, but all things considered, you have to ask yourself: does he deserve a tip?
 
I tip but not everytime. Sometimes, I give little gifts or take him out to lunch. He's over 80 years old so I feel that I am very lucky to have him.
 
I agree with Andrea, I tip at holidays or if we have a problem horse, or an emergency!!
default_smile.png
default_smile.png
 
We've been doing our own farrier work for years. When we did use a farrier, we did not tip. I think the standard rule of thumb is you don't tip a business owner.
 
No, i never tip our farrier(s)...we have several farriers ranging from $15-$40 per trim...use each for a different reason. But no, i never tip. If they are here doing a few and break a sweat or really get to working i normally offer them a soda or water or ice tea or something.
 
NEVER...so l guess that makes me a cheapie huh. At 45 bucks a mini and usually having at least 4-6 for him to do a visit which takes most times less then an hour for him l think he's making out okay. All the ones needing to be done are tied and waiting for him so it's just a matter of going down the line doing what needs to be done a little friendly chit chat and leaving. l would love to have mine trimmed for 20 bucks and used to about 10 years ago...
default_biggrin.png
 
I don't generally tip the farrier at every visit. However, I had a farrier for a couple of years that did a phenomenal job. Never thought my horses feet could look that good and be that healthy. He was always on time and most of the time early. He was good with the horses and just a great person all around. I would give him a big tip, in cash, at Christmas time along with cookies or something. He moved away almost a year ago and I really miss him! I still havn't found another farrier that can trim decent and have been trimming the minis myself with the help of a knowledgeable friend. I wish now that I would have had my farrier teach me before he left. A good farrier is like gold to me!
 
I've never tipped, mostly because there are times when he is late. Or has forgotten the date we set up, but he is cheap and does very nice trims
default_smile.png
. He's more of a friend to us than a farrier, a friend that still charges
default_laugh.png
 
We don't tip, but do take them out to lunch or dinner on occasion. However, since different farriers we'd had traveled quite a distance, we do give them a $20-$25 travel allowance on top of their regular fee. There was a time when that would fill their tank.........but no longer.
default_sad.png


Hey, we want the good farriers to come back!
 
I just wish I could find one that will ether call me back or act like they want to show up. I have called over a dozen since getting Dandy home mutable times and left massages. That is all of them I can get a phone number for. Only one called me back and he didn't act like he was in any hurry to come out. I offered to pay extra to get him out but he just said that he would call me when he was going to be in the area. If anyone is in the north east Texas area knows a good farrier please let me know.

Mike
 
I don't tip my farrier on a regular basis, but do give extra when he works on a particularly difficult case or does extra work (like the extra work he's done for my two girls with problem hooves, which we are finally getting on top of with regular trims). I do offer him something to drink when he's done.
 
There was a thread on this not long if you want even more answers.

I always pay a trip charge but don't consider that a tip. I do tip if I have someone unruly. I have my horses ready to go and I offer beverages and sometimes meals.

It is VERY difficult to get a consistent farrier in my area. I've often thought I really need to learn!
 
I dont tip. Mine does a great job, he does my 2 boys in 20 minutes and gets $50-his price, so I dont think I need to tip.
 
I do tip my farrier, mainly because I have two "problem children" that require him to be creative with his skills and it means a lot to me that he tries so hard and spends so much time with these two horses and makes special trips out for them, so yes, I do tip him. He's a great guy. I have to admit though that If I didn't have special circumstances with these two horses I would probably only tip at Christmas.
 
I too have never tipped my farrier for big or little horses. The quality of farriers around here are not that good so I now do the trimming myself. Even if it means trimming the front feet one day and the back feet the next. Because of the kind of dirt we have when they run around they tend to wear their feet down naturly. I just have to touch up.
 
Nope. I have my horses standing at the ready for him, I help him but I do offer him drinks which he greatfully accepts.
 
Y'ep, I buy my self another horse every now and then (I do my own feet)
default_wink.png


When I do have my farrier come out to check my work, yes I do give him some extra for gas. He is the one that showed me how to trim and gives me any horse specific advice, do this for this one and that for that one...., he is more than happy to stay closer to where he lives, but does come out as a favor since we were one of his origional clients.

Carolyn
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Daryl, Billy will be raising his price to $25 each -- of course, when he said he was planning this I encouraged him, since he's going clear out here for four horses, so of course that's what we're paying now!

He's well worth the money, especially considering all of the times he's fit us into his schedule at the last minute.

No tips, but he usually gets an earful of stories that keep him laughing...
 

Latest posts

Back
Top