There are times in life when you can tell someone important advice that is for their benefit. Despite the sincerity of your message and the level of detail you provide, it goes ignored. For it to settle in, they have to hear/read that information from someone else.

That’s the case with some clients and hoof care. You are the footcare expert, but at times that isn’t enough for your message to sink in. I’m sure there are a myriad of reasons for this. It could be that they are guarded and assume you have ulterior motives. Or maybe they are just human because we’ve all had times when it fails to resonate.

Earlier this month, SmartPak ran a blog on being a well-respected client. The blog contains several points that would make a farrier’s life much easier if owners obliged. SmartPak is a company that many owners purchase products from, so the company has become a trusted source for them. Maybe a source for taking steps for better hoof care?

Here are two:

Just like you would for any other professional (your doctor, your hair stylist, etc.), notify your farrier ahead of time if you are going to be late or need to reschedule. This will allow him/her to plan the rest of the day accordingly.

Provide your hoof-care professional with a safe, appropriate location for working on your horse. Ideally this means inside, or otherwise protected from the elements, with clean, flat flooring, good lighting, and enough space to maneuver safely.

Now how you share this information is a whole other deal. For those who need these points, you can’t have the subtlety of a hammer to the forehead. So printing out the information and tacking it on the barn’s bulletin board could be too obvious and taken the wrong way.

Nonetheless, appropriately sharing this list could help. It isn’t so much about making the farrier’s life easier because that is a byproduct of most of these actions. When steps are taken to let the farrier do his or her job under optimal circumstances, it means better footcare for the client's horses.