09/04/2026
🐴 An Important Message to Our Clients — From Tyler Basinger
Performance Horseshoeing
We want to take a moment to talk about something that is important to us—not only as farriers, but as people who genuinely care about the horses we work on.
Having a farrier is a two-way relationship. We have responsibilities to you and your horses, but horse owners have responsibilities, too. When everyone does their part, appointments go smoothly, horses stay healthier, and we can provide the quality of work your horses deserve.
🐎 Your horse needs to be prepared for its appointment.
Your farrier is not your horse’s trainer.
Your horse should be accustomed to having its feet handled and should be able to pick up all four feet and stand reasonably quietly for the duration of the appointment.
If a horse is difficult because it has not been properly handled or trained, that is something that needs to be addressed by the owner—not something we can spend 20–40 minutes trying to overcome during a scheduled shoeing appointment.
We also recognize that some horses have legitimate behavioral or physical challenges. We are happy to work with owners to find appropriate solutions. However, training and preparation cannot be outsourced to your farrier.
Going forward, we will be implementing a behavior/difficulty chart, and additional charges may apply when excessive time is required because a horse is not adequately prepared for its appointment.
This isn’t a punishment. Our time and physical ability are limited, and spending an additional 20–40 minutes catching, restraining, or repeatedly attempting to handle an unprepared horse takes time away from the rest of our schedule and our other clients.
📅 Please respect the shoeing cycle.
We also need everyone to understand that appointments cannot be canceled or moved at the last minute simply because the owner feels the horse “doesn’t need shoes” or “doesn’t look like it needs a trim yet.”
There is a reason we establish a regular cycle.
We are not going to wait until a shoe falls off or a hoof becomes overgrown before deciding that a horse needs its feet addressed.
Your horse’s hoof health is best managed proactively and consistently. Maintaining an appropriate schedule helps us monitor hoof growth, balance, wear, and changes in the horse’s feet before small problems become bigger ones.
As the professional caring for your horse’s feet, we are responsible for determining when your horse needs to be trimmed or shod. We ask that you trust that professional judgment and allow us to maintain the schedule that is appropriate for your horse.
Last-minute cancellations and unnecessary schedule changes don’t just affect the farrier. They disrupt the entire day’s schedule and make it difficult to accommodate other horses and clients who are counting on their appointments.
💤 And one simple favor that can make a BIG difference…
Please turn your horses out before the farrier arrives whenever possible.
A horse that has had an opportunity to move, exercise, and burn off some energy is often much more relaxed and cooperative during its appointment.
You’re doing yourself, your horse, and your farrier a favor.
A tired horse generally stands better than a horse that has been standing in a stall all day waiting for someone to come trim its feet. 😉
❤️ At the end of the day, this is about the horses.
We aren’t establishing these expectations to make anyone’s life difficult.
We’re doing it because we want to provide the best possible hoof care for your horses while keeping our schedule safe, sustainable, and fair to everyone.
We appreciate every client who catches their horse, has them ready, keeps them on schedule, and understands that good farrier care is a partnership.
You take care of the training and preparation.
We take care of the feet.
Together, we take better care of the horse.
Thank you for respecting our time, our profession, and—most importantly—the horses we are all here to serve.
— Tyler Basinger
Performance Horseshoeing 🐴
