Bidding a shoeing job for a park service, police department or a large barn can be rewarding or disastrous — depending upon how well you research your bid.

The concept is that the writer of the contract will get the largest amount of product/service from the farrier for the least amount of money. The bid is a document that lists the details of what is to be done for how much money.

But as the saying goes, “The devil is in the details.”

When you bid a footcare job, there are only three possible outcomes:

• You don’t get the job.
• You get the job, but bid too low and lose money.
• You get the job, cover your costs and make a profit.

With proper knowledge and preparation, you can make sure the contracted work is profitable.

Don’t discount bidding an equine footcare contract as something that is only done for government agencies. Large barns often appreciate a well-written bid that takes the ambiguity out of the services for which they pay.

A well-written and signed contract eliminates misunderstandings between farriers and clients. The barn owner or trainer can predict footcare costs in order to develop a meaningful budget over the life of the contract. A contract means that no one should be taking advantage of another by demanding undefined services or payments.

Know Your Costs

The number one criteria needed for developing a successful and profitable bid is to know how much it costs you to trim and/or shoe a…