What if you came in to work and you chair was covered in mud? Would you sit in it? Would you hose it down? If you did hose it down, would you sit in it then? Would you even touch it? Not pleasant to think about sitting in a wet or muddy chair is it?
That is basically what your Farrier does every time they work on a foot. I know it is difficult with all these muddy pastures. Have sympathy for your Farrier. They get very wet and yes, right down to their underwear. Not very comfortable to work in is it? Next time you see your Farrier and they have mud caked on them from head to toe, imagine what the client before had presented.
As clients you could help the Farrier not get wet and muddy! It actually is pretty simple! Yup, you guessed correctly! Arrive at your barn early enough to clean your horse. If it is wet or muddy, get him/her in early enough to dry so you can get him /her clean. It actually is dangerous for a Farrier to work on a wet horse. It is more difficult to hold and can easily slip out of our grasp. stomping your Farrier's foot or worst, loose their balance if they were leaning and actually fall on the Farrier.
Most Farrier's do not ask for perfect, just respectable! If you are having a hard time keeping a Farrier, take a closer look at how you treat your Farrier. Put yourself in his or her shoes. Would you want to work on your own horse?