Wesley Stewart Farrier Services

frequently Asked Questions

Does my Horse NEED Shoes

How often will my horse need treatment

Does my Horse NEED Shoes

The need for shoes is determined by your horse, their feet and what you do with them. Like us, Horses require shoes if they need Traction, Protection or Correction

Traction - If your horse is slipping or feeling un sure on their feet or if you are doing an event that you want a little extra grip, then shoe will be required (e.g. Cross Country, Jumping, Carriage Driving, Camp Drafting etc.)
Protection - if your horse is feeling the rocks when trail riding or has thin soles or is in hard work on an abrasive surface, then shoes will be needed
Correction - if your horse has a leg or foot imbalance than an artificial aid like shoes & pads are definitely going to help. (think of a human podiatrist and corrective shoes/shims

How much will it cost

How often will my horse need treatment

Does my Horse NEED Shoes

The cost of the work performed will depend on many factors.

Including but not limited too:-

Horses behavior (leaning, snatching feet, jerking or playing up not only make the job far more difficult, they cause it to take longer and greatly in crease the danger to both myself and the horse)
Condition of the feet (long feet , cracked feet or issues such as contracted heels or white line disease and seedy toe , require more time and work)
Conditions/issues with feet, confirmation or lameness (assessing and attempting to start addressing this concerns takes extra time
Young horses, especially those undergoing ntheir first Shoeing require more time to make the experience a pleasant one. This extra time is an extra cost
Large horses (Draft crosses etc) take physically longer due to the size of their feet. Their shoes and nails also cost more than a standard size riding horse
Materials used (pads, pour-in etc)

An example of costs can be found on the page 'Costs'.

How often will my horse need treatment

For shod horses the time between visits is a MAXIMUM of 4 weeks (for corrective work this can be as little as 2 weeks)

For Trimmed Horses, the time between visits can be anywhere from 2 to 12 weeks (depending on the horse, environment and any issues we are dealing with)

How do I pay you

What happens if I forget to pay my Invoice

How often will my horse need treatment

Your invoice is set up for you to easily make payment through a Credit Card and the payment is automatically recorded.

When is my Invoice Due for Payment

What happens if I forget to pay my Invoice

ALL invoices are Due for Payment within 24 hours of it being sent.

What happens if I forget to pay my Invoice

A reminder will be sent and ALL overdue invoices incur a Late Fee of $5.00/day, until the invoice is paid in Full

What do I need to do to be ready for my appointment

What do I need to do to make the appointment SAFE for you and horse

What do I need to do to be ready for my appointment

All we require is for the horse/s to be either tied up or put in a small yard prior to the appointment. 30 minutes before the appointment time is great, this time means the horse can settle and if I am running early. you are ready.

This is a good idea, even if you are present at the time of the appointment as it allows you to retrieve your horse quickly.

Cleaning mud from feet and legs is greatly appreciated (do NOT hose, but towel dry)

Time spent waiting for a horse to be caught is costly and can make me run late for the following appointments.

What happens if I CAN'T be there for my appointment

What do I need to do to make the appointment SAFE for you and horse

What do I need to do to be ready for my appointment

If you are unable to be in attendance at the time of your appointment, all we require is for the horse/s to be put in a small yard (close to where I will be working on it) prior to the appointment.

If there are any issues or things, we may need you to discuss with you, We will make time to call you that evening. The same applies if you have any questions, text me and we'll organise a time for me to call you and discuss things.

What do I need to do to make the appointment SAFE for you and horse

There are a few easy things you can do to make the experience as relaxing and safe as possible both your horse and ourselves.

Having a clear. flat area with a good tie up point, that is easily assessable
Limit the distractions (e.g., No Dogs, Cats or Chickens running around)
Don't feed the horse being treated or their friends.
Practice tying up your horse and picking up your horses' feet and having your horse calmly and easily accept time with their feet and legs being handled

It is always preferable when the experience is a good one for us both

What happens if I forget you are coming

What happens if my horse plays up while you are treating it

What do I need to do to make the appointment SAFE for you and horse

As well as the date of the Next Visit, being written on your invoice, you will receive an automated text and email reminder several days before your appointment.

However if you forget to yard/stable your horse/s on the day of the appointment, you will be charged a fee for me attending the appointment.

A new appointment will then have to be organised, forour first available vacancy.

What if I want to change the work you are doing

What happens if my horse plays up while you are treating it

If you wish to change the booked work please notify me as soon as you make that decision

Adding an extra horse or changing from a Trimming to a Shoeing, requires extra time and we may need to reorganisze the days' work schedule or change the appointment date.
If deciding to change from a Shoeing to a Trimming, please advise as soon as possible, as the reduction in appointment time means that we may be able to fit in someone else that is waiting for a vacancy

What happens if my horse plays up while you are treating it

Horses that play up (repeatedly pull, jerk, snatch, pull back or rear) make the job physically harder and much more dangerous and are unco-operative to work with.

A kick is abuse. The same as if either of us was to punch or kick your horse and will not be tolerated.

In the case of a kick we may immediately stop and decide not to proceed with further work.

What if I don't want steel shoes

GluShu's

Equicast Hoof Casting Material

A lot of horses are really enjoying having shoes Glued On.

The GluShu is long wearing, offers better grip then steel and doesn't require nails to secure the shoe.

The shoe offers excellent protection for the sole as well due to the thickness of the material. It has EXCELLENT concussion reduction properties and on hard ground is even better at reducing concussion than a barefoot.

The GluShu is an Aluminum shoe encased completely in rubber.

Equicast Hoof Casting Material

Image of Hoof Casting from the Institute of Applied Equine Podiatry

If you don't want steel, aluminum or Glue On shoes but your horses feet need protection or correction, Hoof Casting is a good option. The wrap can either be made into an artificial shoe shape or can be placed to enclose the entire foot including covering the sole.

The Cast Hoof can be just as supportive and protective as a shoe and while not as long lasting as GluShu's, it is a good option if it is for a one of time need for protection (the yearly trail ride etc.) or your horses is sensitive to hammering on its feet due to previous bad experience.

Hoof Casting is VERY good for corrective work, as it can be build up in particular areas and also have material added to offer even more support to damaged areas.

Artificial Hoof Wall material

For horses that do not need shoes but DO NEED corrective work to align the hoof or leg or to protect a badly worn foot or broken wall. Artificial Hoof Wall Rebuild Material may be used to create an artificial shoe.

The material is easy to work with and can be used on foals.

Barefoot

Artificial Hoof Wall material

Not all horses need shoes all the time. BUT this largely depends on what you will do with them.

If you Trail Ride them and are conscious of where you make your horse walk, you may not need shoes (let the horse pick the path and DON'T ride over gravel/ rocky terrain)

If you are only riding/working you horse on soft ground (grass or synthetic arena) and your horse has healthy feet (solid walls and thick soles), you may be able go your horse's entire life without any form of artificial protection.

Horses, like us may need artificial protection, traction or correction at times thorough out their lives.

picture and their use

The purpose of taking pictures is so that we have a visual record of your horses' legs, feet and shoeing/trimming. We may also use the pictures to assess alignment, balance and angles.

The pictures are kept to the area of my work (hooves, feet and legs) and normally have a neutral background.

We may also post the pictures on my Business social media pages.

When we post to social media, we DO NOT name either you or your horse, the location or date the work was undertaken.

All care is taken to not identity your horse, your property or area for the purpose of your privacy.

My work may NOT be displayed or shared (written, verbally or images) on any social media platform without my direct consent of the material to be displayed or discussed

While your intent may not be one of malice, unfortunately on many social media platforms the images of horses feet , shoeing/trimming and the people involved in that work are often poorly judged out of context and degraded.