Farrier Program

The Farrier Program helps you manage hoof care schedules and track farrier visits for all your horses. Each horse automatically gets a Farrier Program when added to EquineOps, complete with customizable defaults for scheduling and preferences.

What the Farrier Program Tracks

The Farrier Program manages two levels of information:

🔧 Program Defaults (Per Horse)

Set the standard schedule and preferences for each horse:

Frequency: How often the horse needs hoof care (4, 6, or 8 weeks)
Preferred Farrier: Which farrier typically works on this horse
Shoeing Type: The horse’s standard shoeing (barefoot, front shoes, all around, etc.)
Standard Cost: Typical cost for this horse’s hoof care

📅 Individual Visits (Visit History)

Record each actual farrier visit with:

Date: When the visit occurred
Farrier: Who performed the work
Shoeing Type: What was done during this visit
Cost: Actual cost for this visit
Next Due Date: Automatically calculated or manually set
Notes: Details about the visit or any issues

Key Features

Automatic Next Due Date Calculation

The Farrier Program automatically calculates when each horse’s next visit is due based on:

The horse’s frequency setting (4, 6, or 8 weeks)
The date of the last visit
Any manual adjustments you make

Example: If a horse is set to 6-week frequency and their last visit was March 1st, the next due date will automatically be April 12th (6 weeks later).

Shoeing Type Catalog

EquineOps includes a complete catalog of shoeing types:

Barefoot: No shoes
Front Shoes Only: Shoes on front feet
All Around: Shoes on all four feet
Specialty Shoes: Therapeutic, egg bar, heart bar, etc.
Pads: With or without pads
Studs/Clips: Additional hardware

You can track exactly what type of work each horse receives.

Batch Recording

Power Feature: Record visits for multiple horses at once! When your farrier works on 5 horses, record all 5 visits in one batch operation instead of entering each individually.

Dashboard Integration

Your dashboard shows:

Horses due for farrier work in the next 7 days
Overdue horses (past their next due date)
Quick access to record new visits

Setting Up Program Defaults

Before recording visits, set up each horse’s farrier preferences.

Navigate to Horse’s Farrier Program

Go to Horses in the main navigation
Select the horse
Click the Farrier tab

Click “Edit Program Defaults”

At the top of the Farrier tab, click “Edit Program Defaults” to open the settings form.

Set Frequency

Choose how often this horse needs hoof care:

4 weeks: High-performance horses, horses with hoof issues, or heavy show schedules
6 weeks: Most common schedule for regularly worked horses
8 weeks: Horses in light work or maintained barefoot

Recommendation: Most horses do well on 6-week schedules. Adjust based on your farrier’s recommendation and the horse’s hoof growth rate.

Select Preferred Farrier

Choose the farrier who typically works on this horse:

Select from your staff list
Or leave blank if you use multiple farriers

To add a farrier to your staff list:

Go to Settings → Staff
Add new staff member with role “Farrier”
Include contact information for scheduling

Choose Standard Shoeing Type

Select the horse’s typical shoeing:

Common Options:

Barefoot Trim: Horse goes without shoes
Front Shoes: Shoes on front feet only (common for hunters)
All Around: Shoes on all four feet
Front Shoes with Pads: For horses needing extra protection
Specialty Shoeing: Therapeutic or corrective shoes

Enter Standard Cost

Set the typical cost for this horse’s hoof care:

Used to pre-fill cost when recording visits
Helps track farrier expenses
Can be overridden for individual visits

Save Program Defaults

Click “Save” to apply these defaults. They’ll be used:

To calculate next due dates
As default values when recording visits
For reporting and scheduling

Stay in Context: All editing happens in a dialog overlay - you never leave the page. This lets you see the horse’s information while making changes.

Recording a Farrier Visit

Navigate to Farrier Program

Go to Horses
Select the horse
Click the Farrier tab

Click “Record Visit”

Click the ”+ Record Farrier Visit” button to open the visit form.

Enter Visit Details

Fill in the visit information:

Date: When the farrier visit occurred (defaults to today)

Farrier: Select the farrier who performed the work

Defaults to the horse’s preferred farrier
Can be changed for this visit

Shoeing Type: What work was performed

Defaults to the horse’s standard shoeing
Can be different for this specific visit

Cost: Actual cost for this visit

Defaults to the horse’s standard cost
Update if the cost was different

Notes (optional): Record any important details:

Specific work performed
Issues discovered
Changes from normal routine
Follow-up needed

Example Notes:

“Replaced lost shoe on right front”
“Addressed quarter crack on left front”
“Horse sensitive on left hind - may need vet check”

Set Next Due Date

The next due date is automatically calculated based on the horse’s frequency. You can:

Accept the calculated date: If the visit was on schedule
Adjust the date: If you need to move it up or back
Change frequency: If the schedule needs to change going forward

Save the Visit

Click “Save Visit” to record. The visit will:

Appear in the horse’s farrier history
Update the next due date
Show on your dashboard if due soon
Be searchable in universal search

Batch Recording Multiple Horses

When your farrier works on multiple horses in one visit, use batch recording to save time.

Open Batch Record Feature

Go to Horses → Programs → Farrier
Click “Batch Record Farrier Visits”

Select Horses

Choose all horses that were worked on during this visit:

Selection Options:

Click individual horse checkboxes
Use “Select All” if entire barn was done
Use search/filter to find specific horses

Tip: You can batch record horses even if they received different work. You’ll specify individual details in the next steps.

Enter Common Details

Fill in information that applies to all selected horses:

Date: The date of the farrier visit
Farrier: Who performed the work

These will apply to all horses in the batch.

Customize Per Horse (Optional)

For each horse, you can adjust:

Shoeing Type: If different from their default
Cost: If different from their standard cost
Notes: Horse-specific notes

Horses not customized will use their program defaults.

Review and Save

Review the batch of visits:

See all horses being recorded
Verify details are correct
Click “Save All Visits”

All visits are created at once and:

Each horse’s next due date is calculated
All visits appear in farrier history
Dashboard is updated with due dates

Time Savings: Recording 10 horses individually takes ~10 minutes. Batch recording takes ~2 minutes.

Understanding Shoeing Types

EquineOps includes a comprehensive shoeing type catalog to track exactly what work is performed.

Barefoot

Barefoot Trim

When Used:

Horses not in regular work
Horses with good natural hoof quality
Rehabilitation or transition periods
Owner/trainer preference

Recording:

Shoeing Type: “Barefoot Trim”
Track trimming schedule (typically 6-8 weeks)
Note any hoof health observations

Cost: Generally less expensive than shoeing (typically $40-80)

Viewing Farrier Records

Individual Horse View

Each horse’s Farrier tab shows:

Program Defaults (top section):

Current frequency
Preferred farrier
Standard shoeing type
Standard cost

Next Due Date (highlighted):

When the next visit is scheduled
Days until due (or days overdue)
Quick “Record Visit” button

Visit History (below):

All past farrier visits
Sorted by date (newest first)
Shows date, farrier, type, and cost
Click any visit to see full details

Your dashboard displays:

Due This Week:

Horses needing farrier work in next 7 days
Sorted by due date
Click to record visit

Overdue:

Horses past their due date
Sorted by most overdue first
Flagged in red for attention

Calendar View

View farrier schedule across all horses:

See all due dates for the month
Plan farrier visit days
Identify scheduling conflicts

Managing Schedules and Due Dates

Adjusting Frequency

Change a horse’s frequency at any time:

Go to horse’s Farrier tab
Click “Edit Program Defaults”
Change frequency (4, 6, or 8 weeks)
Save changes

The next due date will recalculate based on the new frequency and last visit date.

Example: Horse was on 6-week schedule, last visit March 1 (next due April 12). You change to 8-week schedule. Next due automatically updates to April 26.

Manual Due Date Adjustments

Sometimes you need to adjust a due date without changing frequency:

Reasons:

Farrier availability
Show schedule conflicts
Seasonal adjustments
Hoof condition changes

How to Adjust:

Go to horse’s Farrier tab
Click on the Next Due Date
Select new date from calendar
Save changes

The one-time adjustment doesn’t change the horse’s frequency setting.

Handling Missed Visits

If a visit couldn’t happen on schedule:

Option 1: Record as soon as completed

Record the actual visit date (even if late)
Next due date will calculate from actual date

Option 2: Skip and reschedule

Manually adjust next due date
Add note explaining why visit was missed

Don’t create fake visits - only record actual work performed. It’s better to have gaps in history than inaccurate records.

Best Practices

Keep Defaults Current

Update program defaults when changes occur:

Horse changes shoeing type (barefoot to shoes)
New farrier starts handling this horse
Cost increases
Frequency needs adjustment

Current defaults make recording visits faster and more accurate.

Record Visits Promptly

Record farrier visits the same day they occur:

Details are fresh
Costs are accurate
Due dates are updated immediately
Dashboard shows current schedule

Use Descriptive Notes

Add notes when something unusual occurs:

Good Note Examples:

“Shoe thrown - replaced RF only”
“Slight abscess brewing LF - watching”
“Horse very antsy today - may need sedation next time”
“Quarter crack repair on RF with shoe and patch”

Notes help identify patterns and inform future care.

Review Due Dates Weekly

Check your farrier dashboard every week:

Plan upcoming farrier days
Contact farrier to schedule
Ensure no horses are becoming overdue

Proactive scheduling prevents emergency situations.

Track Costs Accurately

Record actual costs for each visit:

Helps track farrier expenses
Identifies cost increases
Supports budgeting
Useful for client billing

Coordinate with Vets

Some hoof issues require both farrier and vet:

Abscesses
Laminitis
Navicular issues
Specialty shoeing

Track both in their respective programs and cross-reference in notes.

Batch Operations Advanced Tips

Grouping Horses Strategically

When batch recording, group horses by:

Same Work:

All barefoot horses
All horses getting front shoes
All standard shoeing

Different Work:

Use batch for common details (date, farrier)
Customize shoeing type per horse
Adjust costs individually

Partial Batch Recording

You don’t have to record all horses at once:

Scenario: Farrier comes and completes 8 of 12 horses.

Batch record the 8 completed horses
Record remaining 4 when finished later
Use same date for all if completed same day

Pre-filling for Efficiency

Program defaults make batch recording faster:

Horses with accurate defaults need no customization
Only adjust horses with different work
Cost defaults speed up entry

Common Questions

Q: What if my farrier charges differently for different services?

A: Set the standard cost to the most common service, then adjust individual visit costs as needed. The standard is just a default.

Q: Can I track different farriers for different horses?

A: Yes! Each horse has their own preferred farrier setting. You can also override it for individual visits.

Q: What if I use natural hoof care instead of traditional farriers?

A: The Farrier Program works perfectly for natural hoof care providers. Just use “Barefoot Trim” as the shoeing type.

Q: How do I track when shoes are reset vs. new shoes?

A: Add this detail in the visit notes. For example: “Reset front shoes, new hinds” or “All new shoes - fronts worn through.”

Q: Can I add custom shoeing types?

A: The shoeing type catalog covers most scenarios. For unique situations, use the closest type and specify details in notes.

Q: What if a visit was cancelled or rescheduled?

A: Simply adjust the next due date to the new scheduled date. Don’t record a visit that didn’t happen.

Q: Should I track farrier visits I didn’t witness?

A: If you have documentation (invoice, note from farrier), record the visit with the information available. Add a note indicating it wasn’t directly observed.

Reporting and Insights

Farrier Cost Analysis

Generate reports showing:

Total farrier costs per month/year
Cost per horse
Cost trends over time
Budget vs. actual spend

Schedule Compliance

Track how well you’re maintaining schedules:

Percentage of on-time visits
Average days between visits by horse
Horses frequently overdue

Farrier Performance

If you use multiple farriers:

Compare costs by farrier
Track which farriers work on which horses
Analyze scheduling patterns

Troubleshooting

Next Due Date Not Calculating

Check:

Is there a previous visit recorded?
Is frequency set in program defaults?
Was a custom due date manually entered?

Fix: Edit program defaults and save to trigger recalculation.

Can’t Find a Farrier Visit

Try:

Check the horse’s complete farrier history (scroll down)
Use universal search: “horse name + farrier”
Filter by date range

Wrong Farrier Assigned

Fix:

Click on the farrier visit
Select “Edit”
Change the farrier
Save changes

Cost Not Matching Invoice

Update:

Click on the visit
Edit cost field
Add note explaining discrepancy if needed
Save

Next Steps

Now that you understand the Farrier Program, explore other horse care tracking:

Health Program - Track vaccinations and vet care
Feed Program - Manage feeding programs
Expenses - Track farrier expenses for accounting
Dashboard - Monitor farrier schedule across all horses

Need Help?

Questions about tracking farrier visits?

Email: support@equineops.com

Remember: Consistent farrier tracking ensures healthy hooves, prevents missed appointments, and provides complete records for owners and veterinarians. The Farrier Program’s batch recording and automatic scheduling make it easy to stay on top of hoof care for your entire operation.