Frustrations in Hiring Equine Related "Professionals"

I am done with trying to find competent so-called Equine professionals.

                                                   What a bunch of bull!

 In 2011 I went through a half dozen farriers who didn't work out due to either scheduling issues (ie- not showing up), affordability ($50 a trim), lack of  knowledge on "barefoot" trimming (or just lack knowledge on trimming in general), and/or over aggressive trimming (hack half of my horses foot off). Finally, I couldn't stomach trying out yet another farrier so I picked up a rasp and learned how to do a basic maintenance trim. I am not better than any of those farriers but I am reliable, consistent and I try hard to do a good job. And I'm cheap too!

Earlier this year I accompanied a friend on a visit to the vet with her mare who had chronic diarrhea. I had done some reading and narrowed down a few possibilities one of which was insulin resistance. The vet quickly decided that the likely cause was ulcers and recommended (an expensive) treatment and blood work. I asked him if it was possible that insulin resistance or hind gut acidosis could be a cause. He said he wasn't overly familiar with insulin resistance symptoms. Huh? Really? Because IR is kind of a hot topic in the horse community right now! Or did you miss the memo? Four-hundred dollars later my friend figured out that the mare had normal blood work and that ulcer treatment had no effect on her diarrhea issue. Forty dollars worth of psyllium husk, as recommended by good ol' google, had a much better result.

                                                   (Penny, Hereford heifer calf at the barn)

Finally, last week I hired a chiropractor recommended by a good friend.. I was excited to have Marm assessed and adjusted.  So five minutes before our first appointment she texts to say she will be twenty-five minutes late. No problem. Forty-five minutes later she shows up. Not a huge deal... her less than professional appearance, also not a big deal. But her cloth KED paper-thin shoes, not exactly safe especially while adjusting horses, especially horses she doesn't know. I liked this lady and I liked the work that she did... at the time. The day after the first adjustment I got on Marm and found that she was seriously out in her back end. She wasnt noticeably out before the adjustment but the chiro had done a lot of adjustments to her hips and stifle. Now I understand that it not uncommon for something to come up after a big adjustment which is why this lady recommends an second adjustment shortly after the first. We had an appointment for Saturday at two. Well, two o'clock rolls around and she doesn't show. I text her at 2:30 and ask if she is on her way. Ten minutes later I get a text back saying she lost track of time and is on her way. I say fine but ask where she is coming from so I have an idea of time. She says, "can you give me two hours?" Huh? Really! As in 4:30? "Ok" I say because I really want Marm done. She shows up at 4:50pm. I tell her that Marm has been really off in her back end since the morning after the last adjustment. She says she cant really feel or see anything at that time and after looking at Marm for a while declares that she feels fine. The next day I am back on Marm and she is so "off" she is unridable. I decide to give her a few days but no luck, she is still very off. I get back in touch with the chiro and let her know what is going on. She says, "How about tomorrow at 11". Great I say! *bangs head against wall* Sure enough, eleven rolls by and she is a no show. I text her at 11:40 and tell her to not bother coming. She texts back at 11:50 and says, "Sorry, how about tomorrow at 11." Thanks but no thanks.

SO... I have a new chiro coming out on Friday and have fingers and toes crossed he shows up sometime within an hour of so of the appointment...  Is it too much to hope that maybe he will do a good job too?

God I hope so.

"Hola, always the clown"