Are much more critical. They’ll want a lot of evidence before they’ll trust you.Doug Butler says today’s horse owners are a different breed than those of a few years ago — and he thinks it’s important for farriers to realize that.

During a presentation at the 2009 International Hoof-Care Summit, Butler told his audience that first-time horse owners usually have little or no horse experience, little or no knowledge of the horse’s foot and are skeptical of professionals and don’t trust them.

“All of these make your job harder to do,” he says.

A Demanding Lot

• Besides being less informed than more traditional horse people, Butler says first-time horse owners typically:
• Want service immediately and have very little patience.
• Want instant access to you.
• Prefer a simple approach — even for complex problems.
• Want more choices.
• Are less loyal.
• Expect to regularly change service providers.

Doug Butler, a member of the International Horseshoeing Hall Of Fame says building trust is the most important aspect in marketing yourself as a farrier. “Nothing moves faster than the speed of trust,” he told an audience at the 2009 International Hoof-Care Summit.

While these habits might not add up to your ideal client, the reality is that you’ll still have to deal with them if you want their business.

Trust Is The Key

“The quickest way to build trust is to demonstrate confidence,” Butler says. “The quickest way to destroy that trust is to display a flaw in character.”

That means successful farriers must…