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Had to pick between a full shoe reset or a quick patch job on a tough client's horse
So last week I had this big draft horse come in, a Percheron named Gus, and his front shoes were beat up bad. The owner wanted them fixed fast and cheap, but I could see the clinches were shot and the hoof wall had some cracks. I had to choose between just pulling the old shoes, patching the worst crack with some acrylic, and tacking them back on (which would maybe hold for a month), or doing a full reset with new shoes and proper prep, which meant telling the owner it would cost about $180 and take over an hour. I went with the full reset, even though the guy grumbled about the price. It took a while, but Gus walked out way more comfortable. How do you all handle it when a client pushes for the fast fix on a horse that really needs the full work?
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the_holly25d ago
Oh man, that's always the worst! I had a buddy who did the same thing for a client's horse, went with the full reset, and the owner actually called him a week later to thank him because the horse stopped limping. It's tough when they push back but you gotta sleep at night knowing you did right by the animal.
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mila_perry131mo ago
Ever have a client who just wants you to "glue it" on a hoof that's clearly telling you it needs a fresh start? I had a mare last month with a quarter crack the owner insisted we just fill. I explained that packing it with putty under the old, thin shoe was like putting a band-aid on a broken leg. She let me do the full trim and a new shoe, and that crack is already looking so much better. Sometimes you just have to stand your ground for the horse's sake.
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