Set up new clients right: the info to capture before the first visit
A new client is a chance to start a standing relationship — or to show up to a surprise. A few questions up front means you arrive with the right shoes on the truck, enough time booked, and no scramble at the gate. Here's the checklist.
Meet Shoein' — the farrier's app →Why the intake matters
Gathering information in advance is what lets you be prepared for a wide range of clients and horses. Walk in knowing the horse is a nervous three-year-old with thin walls, kept at a barn with a tricky gate code, and you pack differently, book more time, and handle the visit calmly. Walk in blind and the first appointment sets a shaky tone.
It's also a quiet signal of professionalism. Clients notice when a farrier asks the right questions up front — it reads as someone who runs a real business, not just someone with a rasp.
The checklist: what to capture
The client
- Name and best contact — phone/text and email.
- Barn address and access — gate codes, where to park, who to check in with.
- Who handles the horse — will the owner be there, or a barn hand?
- Reminders & payment — how they want to be reminded, and how they'll pay.
Each horse
- Name, age, breed, and discipline — a reining horse and a trail horse aren't the same job.
- Current setup and cycle — shod or barefoot, what shoes, and how many weeks between visits.
- Hoof & lameness history — past issues, current concerns, anything the vet is watching.
- Temperament & handling — good for the farrier, or a kicker/biter/needs sedation? This one keeps you safe.
Turn the first visit into a standing client
The intake isn't only about being ready on day one — it's the start of a record. Log what you did, note the next due date, and that new client stops being a name in your texts and becomes part of a book that keeps itself on cycle. The farriers who stay booked are the ones clients never have to chase.
Where Shoein' helps
Shoein' is built around exactly this: a client and horse CRM that stores contact info, barn addresses, per-horse details, and full service history in one place. Add a client once and every future visit starts from what you already know — no re-asking, no digging through old texts. Addresses drop onto a map with one-tap directions, and a due badge keeps everyone on cycle.
Frequently asked
What should a farrier ask a new client?
Contact and barn address with access notes, each horse's name, age, and discipline, its current shoeing or trim setup and cycle length, any hoof or lameness history, temperament and handling notes, who holds the horse, and how the client prefers to be reminded and to pay.
Why capture horse information before the first visit?
Because it lets you arrive prepared — right shoes and tools on the truck, enough time booked, and no surprises about access or a difficult horse. Gathering it in advance also signals to the client that you run a professional operation.
How do farriers keep new client information organized?
The reliable way is one system for the whole book instead of scattered texts and notes. A client-and-horse CRM like Shoein' stores contact info, addresses, per-horse details, and service history in one place, so every visit starts from what you already know.
Start every client prepared
Shoein' keeps every client and horse in one place — details, addresses on a map, and a due badge so you never miss a cycle. Add them once; show up ready every time.
See Shoein' →Built for farriers · Coming soon to iOS & Android
More farrier guides
This page is general information for farriers and horse owners, not veterinary advice. Every horse is different — for a specific animal, rely on your own farrier and veterinarian.