The minimum viable client record
Every barn deserves more than a phone nickname in your contacts. At least capture: payer name, best phone, billing email, barn address for routing, and who authorizes work on which horses.
That is the backbone of farrier client management — not CRM theater, just facts you need when the gate code changes or the check signer is out of town.
Billing rules that prevent arguments
Write down trip fees, after-hours surcharges, no-show policies, and how you bill for pads or glue. When expectations live in the same place as farrier customer records, you invoice with confidence.
Balances and visit history
A horse client database should connect money to feet: last service date, interval goals, shoeing notes, and open invoices per horse. That is how you answer “what did we do last time?” without scrolling photos for twenty minutes.
Barn notes that save your week
Dog off leash, low trailer clearance, preferred text window — small notes prevent big headaches. Keep them attached to the stop, not buried in a thread.