no i try not to work for free
but when i take on a lad i dont put a price on training him

smitty88 wrote:
I'm glade you brought that up..I have wanted to ask how do y'all work that smitty....and on a side note seeing how you don't put a price on it...can I apply for my passport come over and you train me for say a year ..oh and pay me 200 a day would be nice or even 50 a day I would be ok...if ya wanna get for real about it a good month would be real nice and no pay and I will cut all ur grass wash ur cars and weed ur garden the whole time I'm there...

dont think the wife would let you near the garden
and she is funny about the car also:)

smitty88 wrote:
Lol...I don't blame her..I will not let anyone near mine they never do it right..lol..... on a serious note...how do y'all work that with app in ur area...do you pay them do they pay you or what...I noticed you have 2 or 3 lads so how does that work

I have to say I agree with Travis, even at 50 bucks a day we are loosing money with most green helpers. But, I am a big sucker when I see someone has passion and enthusiasm that is not waivering. These people I want to help, even to the point of taking a loss money wise. To me people like that remind me of myself and I get enjoyment out of watching the light bulbs being turned on between their ears. I spent some time several years ago working as an instructor at a shoeing school and it was the most fun I ever had shoeing horses. I just enjoy teaching and I enjoy being around people who share an interest in the horse's hoof. Unfortunately, the type of people we find are those who are more interested in learning to shoe or trim just so they can make money. Its all about the money with some. They don't want to learn, they just want to make money off of you and they hope that they will be able to pick it up and be making big money on their own real fast. I don't want to waste much time on someone who looks at it as a job. I want the ones who are fascinated and turned on by the complexity and challenge. The type of people who are dedicated and would shoe a horse just to see how good a job they could do of it, without the "how much money do i get for it" being the only motivation. The aptitude for a good farrier is so unique that it is the rare person who fits the bill. Some can handle the physical but not the mental, others vice versa, some are lacking in communication skills or common sense. I like the way Kim talks, thats the sort of attitude you want to see in someone starting out. Every day presents new and interesting challenges, and the horse's hoof continues to fascinate me.

Travis Reed wrote:
Glad to see you're not an "Obamanite"

Frank de Crank wrote:
Lol you can say that again...I'm sure most are laughing at the states for vote him in..you can bet I had no part in it...

Rick that's well said...and I think that's where my frustration comes in...I think other should want it as bad as I did and be willing to sacrfice...I lived in my shoeing rig for almost a year...and I'm not talkin a shower or bath ..I'm talkin a bed a window unit air and ceramic heater...in camp grounds and where ever I could plug in and what barns had hot water in the wash racks so I could shower...but I would not do it any diff..

Hey MPLdyCop,
I am having the same problem. I have been looking for a farrier to apprentice under for over a year now. I am even starting to branch out and open to the idea of moving to a different area if I find the right person. I have no previous training besides watching farriers when they came to the local barns that I used to work/ride at. I'm looking for the same thing you are, someone to take me on under their wing and teach me the trade. The other big problem I am having is I cant work for free because of bills, also like you, but I am more then willing to start at $50 a day and work my way up.
Best of luck to you and I hope you find someone soon!

Most successful Farriers will take on a helper that knows little but has the gumson to work hard and learn. BUT said Farrier owes nothing to someone that is learning this trade and wants to be paid while actually slowing down the whole process...I know hard to live on nothing but as the old Apprentice Process went as I understand, the Master took them into their homes and fed them and trained them but they owed the Master so many years of service before they branch out on their own... Here if you help someone, in just a few weeks they start hangin cards and out on their own they are and when they mess up a horse, your name as an instructor is thrown out there and you look bad!!

I still wish smitty or anyone in his area could give us the ins and outs of how it works over there..and wonder why smitty refused to fill us in..is it one of them things not talked about

Gary,

I've changed my information because I had my former mentor mentioned and I'm not getting any ride time with him because he has two other people.

You guys just don't know how bad I wish I could just take off to somewhere get room, board, and food only and work my fingers to the bone to learn. I'd love the experience.

I can't even move somewhere to get close to someone because of my two young children. Right now I'm settling for taking trips to get time here and there with someone. Not quite what I hoped for but is what it is.

I'm going back to Auburn to Blackwater Forge again at the end of the month. I can't wait. My clips SUCK and I need help. lol

Smitty,

If I could go to Ireland for a month and stay with you to learn........

I'd weed, shovel, clean, cut lawns, sweep, muck, etc. Sleep in your barn even, and eat scraps. I might stink after a while without a good shower though.

I have taken on a few helpers and have a rather bad attitude about it.

I have an apprentice now, that is starting to pull her weight. I pay her 10 percent of the day.

She is moving soon so I will never make up what I have invested.

Before I start, I would like to make clear; I don't believe I am near the teacher Chris Gregory or Dusty Franklin are, or poses near the knowledge or skill they do.

That being said; They each make a good living teaching what they know and we praise them for it. I can teach what I know, and I believe it should be worth money. I am thinking of charging a fee to apprentice, and structuring it as follows.

Apprentice Student Pays 50.00 a day

Expected to: Clean up, unload the truck, load the truck.

Learn to: Strip, dress a foot, trim, prep shoes for reset, finish, and basic anatomy, entrepreneurship and business management.
*once they can preform the above tasks with out me having to go over or redo it, they can move up.

Apprentice Helper gets paid 10%.

Expected to: Clean up, unload the truck, load the truck, strip, dress some feet, trim some feet, prep shoes for reset, finish.
Learn to: Fit, modify shoe, build shoes, Nail on shoes, and further development of learned skills.
*Once they can demonstrate proficiency in these skills they can move up.

Apprentice Farrier gets paid 20%
Expected to assist in all aspect of the day.


This by no means is a complete concept only an Idea!!!!

Travis Reed wrote:Travis,
To the best of my understanding most of the European countries governments subsidize their training. 'Nuther words if the master's training program meets the approved criteria he receives payment from the government to train apprentices.

A good friend of mine from Sweden has that deal even though he lives and works in the US.
George

As all of us at one time or another, someone has said,"teach me how to trim my horses hoofs?" So I tell them to pay me $15,000 and I will take them with me for a year and teach them to trim, they dont ask again???:cool: