Posted by Anne Daimler on September 15, 2003 at 21:07:19:
In Reply to: Re: Who's in it for the money? posted by Rick Burten on September 15, 2003 at 17:40:27:
: : : : I usually stay out of these tussles, but I just can't
: : : : resist this one:
: : : : : ...It takes me around an hour to trim a horse, and much of that time is spent on my knees checking balance.
: : : : That sentence, in and of itself, guarantees that no one
: : : : who understand the process of farriery will take you, or
: : : : anyone else who says it takes them that long to trim a
: : : : horse, seriously. (The only exception may be a horse that
: : : : hasn't been trimmed for a few years, and has "elf feet,"
: : : : which would require a lot of time for the initial trim
: : : : to cut off all the excess hoof wall.)
: : : : Any horse with hooves in relatively decent condition
: : : : should take longer than 15 or 20 minutes to trim. If the
: : : : farrier/trimmer really wanted to stretch it out with some
: : : : chit-chat and other time consuming hoo-ha, perhaps 30
: : : : minutes. The fact that horse owners will actually put up
: : : : with someone taking an hour to do a 20 minute job is a very
: : : : poor reflection on the level of horse owner education in
: : : : regards to proper hoof care. Rick is right. Barnum would
: : : : be very proud of practitioners providing 60 minute trims.
: : : : Baron
: : :
: : : Baron,
: : : I was going to make a coment about being able to do seven horses an hour instead of a whole day, but thought that a bit bragartly and insenitive. Thanks for covering for me.
: : : Bill
: :
: : Baron and Bill:
: : And I see this is proving my point, that the typical farrier barefoot trim is nothing more than a clip job.
: : Anne
: :
: Ding, Ding , Ding, Ding(the sound of the BS alarm going off). Bad answer.
: Spending the better part of an hour on one's knees trying to ascess balance is ridiculous and shows just how little one actually knows, sees, understands. Even a beginning farrier can correctly ascess balance in less time than that. And, a journeyman farrier can do it even more quickly. Not rushing, not missing anything, just a competent and accurate assessment of the horse, including not just the hooves, but the entire system. That said, I will concede that dealing with longstanding pathologies and changes in the hoof does require a bit more time under the horse. But that should be accompanied, at least the first time, by current radiographs, and the farrier had best know how to read, interpret and understand them, or he/she does not belong on that particular job. At least not without supervision/help.
: How about you Anne? do you and the other Strasser practitioners follow the same protocol(s)? or , with your vast experience, do you just jump in and go to work, applying the Strasser methodology willy-nilly?
: Either way, I'm willing to wager that I can do a better, faster, more efficient and correct trimming job, including hoof and horse evaluation than any current member of the Strasser clan. Gather your collegues, define the wager, and lets see. Unlike the thread involving Patty and Craig, this time it is a case of who is better/right/whatever. Prove me wrong and "poof", I'll disappear from your radar scope. Prove me correct, and face the consequences. The ball as they say, is in your court.
: Rick
I have no doubt at all your trim would be faster, but the rub would lie in who decides which trim is more correct. I don't think there would be a meeting place between your apples and our oranges.
: (remember, on this forum, we don't accept waffling, crawfishing, obfusicating, smoke and mirrors, etc. as an acceptable response or position statement.)
You could have fooled me. You post here regularly (LOL).
Anne