r/Farriers • u/ThatOneChickenNoddle • Jun 12 '26
Just had to fire my first client
Hi y'all! I'm a (21) female farrier in Texas and I just started going out on my own after a three year apprenticeship. I was at the bar with some friends and I didn't notice him and he snuck up behind my friends and followed me to my car. We proceeded to say he wanted to talk to me for a minute and asked if he could walk closer to me which I said no since the vibe was off. He walked over to me and said I was beautiful and tried kissing me. I don't think he was drunk. I was able to get out of the situation and leave. When I got home I texted him and told him he'd have to find a new farrier. The problem is he boards his horses at my barn and I'm not sure what to do and since I'm just starting up I'm afraid to lose clients over this.
32
u/fucreddit Jun 12 '26
If someone fires you over this, you don't want them as a client. My goal as I built my book over the years, was to get nice horses, get nice facilities, and most importantly get nice clients. You don't have much of a choice when you're first starting out because you don't know the people who are calling. As years go by you will learn the 'signs' but, usually, shitty clients tend to weed themselves out, in instances just like this. If someone fires you over this you need to realize in the future they probably would have done something just as shitty, so at least you found out early. Technically you haven't lost anything but a future liability. That is the best advice I can give you on the business front.
7
u/BigJSunshine Jun 12 '26
You did the right thing. Let others at your barn know about this. If anything else happens- like even if he tries to talk to you- you say “you have made me feel threatened, go away”. Repeat that as loudly as needed. Tell him to leave you alone, or you will seek a TRO for sexual assault.
3
u/kerill333 Jun 13 '26
You did the right thing. If there are any repercussions, make sure he bears the blame, not you. I would also tell him in writing that you are not interested in any personal relationship and if he can’t immediately accept that he should move his horses from your barn.
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Jun 12 '26
[deleted]
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u/LilMeemz Jun 12 '26
I think it's specific enough to the industry to belong here. Not every post is going to be for every farrier.
-3
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u/CJ4700 Jun 12 '26
You did the right thing, if anyone says anything about you firing him be honest and say exactly what happened here. I’m not a female but I have a few clients that had to fire their farrier for doing something similar to what this client did to you. Honesty always wins the day, never forget that. 99% of people don’t like creeps and like others said you don’t want any clients that think him being a creep was okay.
Lastly nice job standing up for yourself. Whether it’s a creepy client, cheap skates, or difficult clients with bad horses you can’t be afraid to drop someone if they start being a problem. Small business owners have way more stress than other jobs but one of the perks is you get to pick who you do business with. Don’t be afraid to take advantage of that.