[Joshie]

Yesterday DH woke me up asking if our farrier was supposed to be here because there was a truck in the drive. Sure enough, it was our farrier. I hurried up and put some clothes on, went out, and begged forgiveness. He asked if I wanted him to do the boys now or come back. I told him to do whatever is best for him.

I apologized up and down and up and down. He said it was OK but I said it was not. I told him I would be very angry if I was him but he said he'd be angry if it was something that happened every time. Anyway, I repeatedly apologized. It was my fault and inexcusable. How incredibly irresponsible of me! I forgot to write the appointment down on the calendar.

The guy is so nice that he said he didn't call because he knows I'm not a morning kinda girl. Morning person or not, what I did is inexcusable. I've always had the horses tied up and sprayed before he got here.

He's coming back next week. He charges $80 for the two horses. I figured I'd give him more than usual next week. Do you think it'd be appropriate for me to make something like cookies for him? He's a young AC guy who has four little kids.

Any other suggestions? I just feel so very, very bad.

 

[Irish Pixie]

Sure, you can make him cookies. I make mine cookies sometimes.

My farrier stopped in and reset a shoe on one of the show horses years ago. He had to grab him out of the pasture too.

I called him when I realized that the shoe had been reset and he said he was in the area and just did it.

 

[wr]

I bake treats for my farrier and I'd like to think I'm perfect and never missed an appointment but more than once or twice, I've fed my farrier coffee while the kids were scrambling to catch horses or rescheduled.

 

[where I want to]

I have given fresh produce from my garden. That is usually a hit. Re: prepared stuff, it depends. Too often I have been offered something that the farrier got from a previous client and he didn't want. I think some would love it but some take it just to be nice.
I wouldn't worry too much- it was perfectly clear it was a mistake and you really regretted it.

 

[Irish Pixie]

A real bad, real horrible thing would have been to give him a bad check. That's the only thing I've ever heard my farrier say that seriously ticks him off. He said that if it happens once it's an accident, twice and he'll do your horse but only for cash.

 

[dizzy]

If it makes you feel any better. My farrier had to reschedule once and forgot to write down the appointment! I waited about an hour, then gave him a call. No answer, so I left a message. Finally called to tell him I couldn't wait any longer. He called shortly thereafter and admitted that he forgot to write it down and was in a place where he had no reception for his cell phone.

 

[Teej]

I've done the same thing before Joshie and felt terrible about it as well. Another time it was more the farriers fault when he changed days on us and left a message on DH's cell which never gets turned on unless he uses it and farrier knows this. He thought he called the home phone. Thankfully, he's a very easy going guy who likes us as much as we like him so he wasn't mad either time. He just called to let us know he was at the barn and we were there as fast as we could throw clothes on and jump on the 4-wheeler. The horses aren't hard to catch so I'll put a halter on the first one I see and hand off to hubby to let them start while I get the rest haltered and locked in the corrals. We have 12 horses so he usually doesn't schedule anyone else on the same day.

 

[msscamp]

Yesterday DH woke me up asking if our farrier was supposed to be here because there was a truck in the drive. Sure enough, it was our farrier. I hurried up and put some clothes on, went out, and begged forgiveness. He asked if I wanted him to do the boys now or come back. I told him to do whatever is best for him.

I apologized up and down and up and down. He said it was OK but I said it was not. I told him I would be very angry if I was him but he said he'd be angry if it was something that happened every time. Anyway, I repeatedly apologized. It was my fault and inexcusable. How incredibly irresponsible of me! I forgot to write the appointment down on the calendar.

The guy is so nice that he said he didn't call because he knows I'm not a morning kinda girl. Morning person or not, what I did is inexcusable. I've always had the horses tied up and sprayed before he got here.

He's coming back next week. He charges $80 for the two horses. I figured I'd give him more than usual next week. Do you think it'd be appropriate for me to make something like cookies for him? He's a young AC guy who has four little kids.

Any other suggestions? I just feel so very, very bad.

Do you really think you are the first person who has been in this situation? Please! It happens every day of the week, according to the farrier that lives next door to us. Cut yourself some slack, chalk it up to human error, and move on. If baking him some cookies eases your guilt, go for it!

 

[Joshie]

Do you really think you are the first person who has been in this situation? Please! It happens every day of the week, according to the farrier that lives next door to us. Cut yourself some slack, chalk it up to human error, and move on. If baking him some cookies eases your guilt, go for it!

Lots of people miss appointments. I just don't want to be one of them.

 

[wr]

Do you really think you are the first person who has been in this situation? Please! It happens every day of the week, according to the farrier that lives next door to us. Cut yourself some slack, chalk it up to human error, and move on. If baking him some cookies eases your guilt, go for it!

In my area, good farriers are in short supply and while they will tolerate a forgotten appointment, they won't come up short of clients if they do eliminate the habitual offenders.

I have forgotten an appointment once or twice but always schedule late enough in the day that I can offer supper as a peace offering. Like Joshie, I just don't like looking like I might not value someone else's time.

 

[Michael W. Smith]

I would say the cookies / cake / fresh bread would be a nice thing to do from this time going forward.

In the meantime, to make up for your error, you might want to get him a gift certificate for someplace to eat. (You don't say how old his 4 kids are - but if they are very young, a gift card for a "date night" for his wife would be nice. If they are all several years old, a gift certificate for a family friendly restaurant would probably be appreciated.)

I would say a $25.00 gift certificate would be appropriate for him driving to your place and waiting in the driveway and not doing anything - and now coming back next week.

Guys like food!

 

[Skamp]

Life is give and take. You took, admittedly. Now, it is time to give.

Cookies, Supper, Ice Cream ............sure. You're apologizing. I think you should be doing that anyway, it's the neighborly thing to do.

Let's cipher a bit;

You know how far from you he lives. You have a feel for how far the next gig would be. Figure it up and pay him at/with the tip. He'll be there when you wish if you show humility/gratitude with cash.

Let him decide if the money is for suckers, or Barbies , or Tonkas, or food..........

 

[gracielagata]

I agree. He has established that you are forgiven.
Kudos to you for having the thought to be remorseful and wanting to do say sorry. I say go for it- make him something/produce, what have you. But also add in a few extra dollars, even possibly the figuring of gas like someone mentioned.
On regular visits I always give our farrier $5 extra. I know it isn't much, but it still counts, I think.
He has also been very good to me and my horses, as I am a bit of a newbie, so he is teaching me at moments as he is working on my horses.
And I have mentioned to him that I greatly appreciate that aspect of him, and that I hope it doesn't bother him. he says nope, he enjoys the teaching and that I have good horses, and he doesn't mind a bit of figurative hand holding to remind me to keep them that way.

 

[southerngurl]

Trouble with cookies and whatnot is everybody and their brother is on some special diet these days (I was also such an offender until about 18 months ago haha). But you can still try it and if they aren't, they will sure appreciate it. Just don't make oatmeal raisin. Who likes oatmeal raisin? All they serve to do is make people think they are chocolate chip cookies.

I've had a few people forget about me. Once place I did the horses and left a note. Another place they came home when I was partway through. Sometimes I will plan ahead of time to trim horses when the owner is not home. It doesn't bother me too much unless the horse is difficult (sometimes they are more difficult with the owner there though). Obviously if they are hard to catch it becomes another story. I want those up and ready when I get there. But I have had to catch a few. So many people are not good at catching their own horses and I'd rather do it myself than endure the pain of watching them run around with a bucket of grain lol

 

[oregon woodsmok]

I find it extremely annoying when someone apologizes over an over, even after their apology has been accepted multiple times. It's the worst kind of fishing for compliments.

Your farrier has said multiple times that it is OK. Your buddies here have said multiple times that it is OK. So give it a rest for Pete's sake

 

[FreedomFeathers]

Interesting...

I've had horses pretty much my whole life, and I have never had my horses Caught and tied up ready for a farrier... This is not to say that I am right, I've just never done it. My farriers always give me approximate times, since they are working in my area that day. I usually get a "between 9-11" time from them. Interesting difference- I'll have to ask them about it next time I see them.

 

[Pat-wcWI]

I have the best farrier I've ever had in over 30 years. I've never missed an appt., but if he gives me an approximate time I have the horses locked in the yard. If it is a certain time I have them tied up, their legs hosed off if it is muddy and sprayed for flies.
I once had a guy tell me he wouldn't go out and catch the horses if the owner wasn't home.