That one client who taught me to trust my rasp over theirs

Last fall I had a guy in Billings with a draft cross whose feet were a mess from a previous guy. He kept telling me to take more off the toe, but I measured twice and argued my side for 5 minutes. I stuck with my usual 7mm trim instead of the 10 he wanted, and 6 weeks later he called saying the horse finally stopped tripping. Has anyone else had a moment where pushing back on a client's instructions ended up being the right call?

2 comments

2 Comments

zarag173d ago

Man, that reminds me of a llama in Bozeman who hated clippers until I stopped using them entirely.

henry1503d ago

Whoa, that's a solid story! But here's a thought that might not have crossed your mind yet: sometimes the client's real request isn't about the hoof at all. That guy probably felt like he had to say something to feel involved, since he was already worried about the horse. When you held your ground, you actually gave him a steady anchor in a stressful situation. So when the horse improved, he could finally relax and give you the credit, instead of feeling like he had to keep bossing you around. It's like you proved you were the safe pair of hands, not just a hired hand with a rasp. That trust probably did more for that horse than the extra 3mm ever could have.