chris bunting wrote:
NOT AGAIN!!!!

Mike Ferrara wrote:
This link is very rigth.The burocracy in Portugal is more hard than Spain. In Portugal the most of the farriers are in "black market".No bill,no tax,no health assurance,etc

Besides,when the police get an stranger farrier that he speeks english,they think "Well,we get the country bumpkin for today"

Well, it sounds like I chose an interesting place to start a shoeing business,

Thanks to y'all for the advise and input. All I can hope for is enough clients to make the "struggle" against the bureaucracy worth it!

Gambino like the look of your truck but a little hesitant to commit to a purchase like that after hearing all these horror stories.

Loved Oz where when you start out put your tools in the back of a pickup and once you have built up a good client base upgrade to a great little workshop on wheels....oh well put it down to another of lifes experiences.

Ok Guys,

Once again thanks for all the replies. I have decided just to bite the bullet and go for it! After all I love horses and I love shoeing....starting a business in Portugal sure sounds difficult but when you put it in perspective, I could be in Afganistan or Iraq.....now those boys are doing it tough!

So I think I may have mentioned before, my blacksmithing skills are not the greatest so if any of you know of a blacksmith in the Lisbon/Portugal or Spanish region who wants to take on a willing pupil for a week at a time every now and then I would appreciate you passing my name on. I am not a rocket scientist but I have a little common sense and I am a hard worker!

Thanks in advance!
Hope I can give you all some good news in the future!

Boy ! just read this whole thread and my hat is off to you.

Mike made a comment about, "this is where we could be going if not careful in this country".

This is why things need to be done correctly so others won't impose such restictions on farriers here in the USA.

Hap Hazard/slip shod farriers (and I use the term farrier loosely),
who buy tools and trim/shoe from the get go open up the pathway to such restrictions as in Portugal.

Being in a position to help guide or set standards for our industry is much more productive than letting some disgruntaled owner or Peta (or other do gooder) with some clout in government intiate laws that will end up like what these folks in Portugal are telling us.

my 2 cents worth

time is 11.00 am march 4 2010 ,just got my van back from the GNR police. has been impounded for 8 days for carrying 10 horseshoes not recorded on my transport documentation. i am still not allowed to drive it as the vehicle documents cannot be released due to a strike in the fiscal office . the payment department took the fine money 31.25 euros. if i drive it is a minimum fine of 10 000 euros and automatic seisure of the vehicle . it is classed as a civil disobedience worse than murder 1. i am feeling down at the minute , i have lost working 23 days in 3 1/2 months been fined less than 90 euros in total inc tax .if i had worked the government would have pocketed about 1400 euros in taxes this place is rapidly becoming a banana republic
chris

vthorseshoe wrote:
There's always somebody trying to tell someone else what to do. If you want standards, I'll send you a write up detailing how I want things done from now on.

Bruce, if you do some reading, you'll see that the regulation in Potugal has nothing to do with insuring the quality of horseshoeing. It's about money and power. They want to make certain that no money changes hands unless they get their cut first.

Owners aren't pushing for regulation in the US. Farriers are. It's about control of the trade and protection from competition. If it were up to PETA, the horse would be in your living room watching TV and you would be out on the road pulling the cart. The government will go along with anything that gives Pelosi more money to spend on booze and travel for family members.

chris bunting wrote:
Sorry to hear it. That's some scary stuff. 23 days off work is enough lost income to put some folks in a real bind . I wish you luck.

i used to shoe in the uk ,they have compulsory registration and regulation,i agree that farriers should be qualified to minimum standards that ideally would be self regulated but having a governmental body registering and regulating is not on .you are lucky in the usa that you dont have this. you are unlucky because farrier standards are difficult to maintain.
chris

thanks mike , onwards and upwards as they say. just glad farriers are not regulated here i would probably gone to jail.
chris

vthorseshoe wrote:Absolutely right as usual Bruce. Excellent point.

Mike Ferrara wrote:And this can be read where?Unfortunately noAnd you see this where?How do you equate setting a standard with being anti-competition?
George

George Geist wrote:

I believe I provided one or more links already.
Who says it's unfortunate?

On this site for starters. More notably, a few years ago within the AFA.
What have you said concerning price?

Mike Ferrara wrote:Not that I recall, You're now an authority on the where's and whys of how things are done in Portugal? I think is safe to say most of us never cared enough about the place to have any interest.Me and probably those who agree with me.
This site? ROTFLMFAO!!!!! What has this site ever done to promote such a thing? AFA never made any moves in that direction either and you know it.I've said a lot of things about price. Name a specific example.
George

George Geist wrote:
Your recoloction isn't very good. Check post 23 of this thread for a start.
You're probably right. I did a little research on Portugal after reading Chris's post. I can't say that I care much aside from having some sympathy for Chris and hoping like hell that you libs don't make it like that here.

The afa as an organization? Maybe not but there was Craig's infamous letter from the pres and a bunch of noise before they denied it all.

As far as this site, all any one need do is read some of the regulation threads.
If I get time I'll look through some of your old posts.

Hey Guys,

I dont want to rain on your parade, tell me if I am out of line, but this here discussion is about starting a business in Portugal.....leave the politics to politicians.... or a different thread! The way I see it we are all working class men its about blood, mud, sweat and tears, we want to see that horse walk away happy!

Let the fat boys, and pretty boys in suits and ties ***** and moan, we are above that!

Anyway y'all have a good day and pray for the boys who are doing it hard!