The farrier is an integral part of maintaining your horses health and well-being. Their regular visits ensure your horses feet are kept in the best condition and help prevent lameness but are you doing things your farrier wishes you wouldnt? Are you making their job harder than it needs to be? Master Farrier Ben Benson AWCF explains five key things which you should stop doing to help your farrier out and enable them to do their work more effectively and efficiently. Dont oil your horses feet before the farrier arrivesWhether you intentionally decided to spruce your horse up and make a special effort for the farrier, or you rode your horse and you didnt think about it, oiling your horses hooves ahead of a visit from the farrier is a big no-no.Everything a farrier does is about your horses feet so it means that whatever is on them or in them ends up being on the farrier or their tools. Not only does everything end up being covered in hoof oil, but everything also sticks to it. A farriers rasp costs around 40 and lasts depending on the weather about a week. One oily, muddy horse can mean it lasts even less time.If your farrier hot shoes your horse when its covered in hoof oil, that oil gets evaporated which is unpleasant for the farrier. Dont present your horse with wet and dirty legsIf you want to win brownie points from your farrier, make sure when they arrive at your yard your horses legs are clean and dry and their rug is the same. The farrier spends most of his time working under your horse, so if they are wearing a wet, muddy rug that damp and dirt will be transferred onto them. Similarly, if your horse has wet, dirty legs the farriers clothes end up being damp and mucky from where theyve held the horses leg between their legs. The farrier spends all day in those clothes and they dont want to have wet and dirty jeans all day. They want to look professional when arriving at the next customer and be allowed into shops to buy their lunch!Just towel drying the horses legs and picking out their feet ahead of the farriers visit makes a massive difference to their job and the state of their clothes.Dont expect your horse to be shod in a wet, dirty and/or poorly lit environmentFarriers dont need a 1m yard with bespoke facilities, but what they do need is somewhere clean, dry and (preferably) flat, where the horse isnt stood in mud or water to shoe your horse.Working in a wet environment is a health and safety issue and can be dangerous, particularly if your horse is being hot shod. Wet environments also ruin a farriers tools. If the area you are asking the farrier to work in is wet or muddy, simply rolling out two rubber mats before the farrier arrives can transform the environment and work really well. The shoeing area needs to be large enough to allow access down both sides of the horse. The farrier must be able to walk down the side of a horse holding a hot shoe free from obstruction such as rugs hanging over doors, unless you want a new horseshoe logo melted into your rug.Good light is also essential. A farriers work is predominantly done underneath the horse so they need to be able to see what they are doing. Poor light can affect their ability to see the white line (which can be only one to two millimetres wide in some horses) and the small structures in the horses hoof where the nails are placed. If you cant clearly see in the stable or where you are expecting your farrier to work, its not good enough for them to shoe in.Dont use ill-fitting overreach bootsWhen a farrier asks you to use overreach boots, its because they want to avoid the hind foot standing on the heel of the front foot and pulling the shoe off.Many people buy overreach boots that only protect the bulbs of the heels, when in fact, what is needed is a slightly longer, deeper overreach boot that touches the ground at the back of the foot. Farriers commonly see the old-style bell boots with the spines on them being used but they dont protect the shoe as they sit a couple of inches off the ground. From a farriers perspective, the best overreach boots are slightly deeper, more warmblood-type boots. They sit lower, and theyre made of neoprene or a thick material. By having a boot that touches the ground at the back, it acts like a crumple zone instead of letting the toe grab the shoe and pull it off.Good, well-fitting overreach boots should be used as soon as theres some cut in the ground, or when the horse is lengthening, shortening, and collecting. Show jumping is an obvious example, as is hunting, eventing, cross-country, and even dressage. Any activity with changes in balance creates the opportunity for the horse to stand on itself. When the horse is turned out and galloping around, bucking and playing, thats another time when it may benefit from wearing overreach boots.Ultimately, a damaged or ripped overreach boot, as frustrating as it is, is saving you from a lost shoe. Lost shoes always seem to happen on a Friday, Saturday, or Sunday when you have a competition or plans with your horse. A ripped boot saves you money, stress, and a sore horse.The secret is to have several different types of overreach boots: different makes, some with wool at the top, some plain neoprene, and to swap them regularly. Dont keep the same ones on all the time, because that can cause pressure sores where they rub.As soon as you take the boots off, wash them. Dont let mud build up inside the top, as that can irritate the horses skin. If youve got a horse with sensitive skin, keeping that area clean is especially important.Make sure the boots are in immaculate condition and have three or four pairs. Even boots of the same brand can fit slightly differently.Do offer them a drinkIts really important to offer your farrier a cup of tea or coffee! Their job is very physical with long hours and little or no breaks. Farriers go from playing tug-of-war, to hitting something with a hammer, to getting back in the van and driving to the next job and some of their hardest days are the dry yard days when everyone is busy. Having the chance to stop, drink a cup of tea, regroup, and refocus makes such a difference.We run a competition throughout the year called #FeedTheFarrier. We have different categories, including a professional category, and its surprising how competitive some of the groups get with their offerings of cakes, sausage rolls and bacon sandwiches. Engaging in#FeedTheFarrierreally does make a difference. Its amazing the improvement you can make to a farriers week, and even their day, just by offering them a cup of tea. Funnily enough, it also puts you right at the top of the emergency call-out list. If you make your farrier a cup of tea and a bacon sandwich, the moment you have a problem theyll be there in a flash, because youve looked after them. That goodwill makes a huge difference when youre on the other end of it. Its also important that bills are paid on time! Ask the expert Ben Benson Ben Benson AWCF is a UK-based Master Farrier specialising in high-performance and remedial farriery for elite sport horses. He has worked with leading riders, veterinary teams, and championship horses worldwide, including involvement at the last four Olympic Games, supporting equine soundness and performance at the highest level. Alongside clinical practice, he contributes to education, consultancy, and product development within the international farriery industry.Related contentWhy hooves crack and how to prevent itBruised soles: common signs and how to prevent it happeningThis is the difference between a farrier, blacksmith and equine podiatristHow to prevent and treat thrush in horsesBuying guide to over reach bootsThe post 5 things your horses farrier really wishes you wouldnt do appeared first on Your Horse.