c/farriers

Had to cut a shoe off mid-ride after a trailer mishap taught me a lesson

I was out at a client's farm in rural Ohio last Tuesday, trimming a four-year-old gelding I've worked with for about a year. The horse was fine until I went to nail the front shoe and felt the hoof wall crumble right under my hammer. I panicked for a second because I've always prided myself on reading hoof quality from the start. Turned out the owner had been soaking the hooves in a too-wet paddock for a week, and I missed the softening during my initial look. I had to pull that shoe, rasp the whole foot down three sizes, and reset with a lighter nail pattern just to get the horse sound enough to walk. It added 45 minutes to the job and cost me $15 in wasted materials. Has anyone else dealt with sudden hoof wall issues from wet ground and found a way to spot it faster?

That $300 hoof stand I bought is either a lifesaver or a dust collector

I finally broke down and ordered one of those adjustable hoof stands from a catalog last month. First few jobs I used it on draft crosses and it saved my lower back big time - no more bending over for 20 minutes straight. But yesterday I had a spooky gelding who wouldn't stand still with it, so I ended up back on the ground anyway. Has anyone else found these things work great for some horses but not others?

Can we talk about hot shoeing versus cold shoeing for wet climates?

I was at a clinic in Oregon last spring, and the instructor swore hot shoeing helps with grip on wet pavement, but a guy from Washington argued cold shoeing is faster and causes less hoof damage. After seeing a horse slip on a wet road two weeks ago, I'm leaning toward hot shoeing. What's your take on which holds up better in rain?

The old farmer's draft mare cleaned up way faster after I ditched my flat shoes for SuperFlares

I shoe a Percheron team up in Skagit County, and for two years I kept dealing with quarter cracks and bruising on one mare. Switched to SuperFlares about 4 months ago (the ones with the rolled toe), and her hoof wall looks totally different. Anyone else have a client's horse get noticeably healthier after changing shoe style?

Can we talk about how much younger farriers today do things different?

I was out in Lexington, Kentucky last week helping a guy named Dave pull shoes on a 5-year-old mare and he pulls out this little angle grinder with a special disc. Took him maybe 4 minutes per foot. Three years ago I was still rasping everything by hand like my dad taught me back in '87. I guess I'm old school but has anyone else noticed these battery powered tools changing the whole pace of the trade?

Am I the only one who thinks magnetic hoof stands are overpriced junk?

I spent $180 on a fancy magnetic stand from a big catalog, thinking it would save my back on a 5-horse job in Austin last Tuesday. The magnet lost grip halfway through trimming a front foot and the hoof stand tipped over, spooking the mare and making me start over. Has anyone else had better luck with the cheap plastic wedge blocks instead, or did I just get a dud?

Had a customer tell me my shoes were "too shiny" for his horse... at a barrel race in Wyoming

TIL a simple hoof pick trick from an old timer in Kentucky

I was trimming a mare at a barn outside Lexington last month and the owner's granddad walked over. He showed me how to use the flat end of my rasp to gently tap out packed mud from the sole instead of digging at it with the pick. Has anyone else found a tool they use differently than how they were taught?

Old timer told me I was burning nails doing it wrong for 2 years

Been shoeing horses for about 4 years now. A crusty old farrier named Red watched me work on a draft horse at a clinic in Kentucky last spring. He said I was clinching too tight and creating hot spots right at the nail head. I was proud of my tight clinches but he showed me how the nail was pinching the hoof wall. Changed my angle to a shallower drive and stopped hammering the nail so hard near the end. First three horses I tried it on had way less cracking and the shoes held just as good. Has anyone else had to unlearn something they thought was right just because it looked neat?

Overheard a guy at the forge say he uses a 4-in-1 rasp for everything...

I always figured you needed a specialty rasp for each part of the hoof, but he showed me how he does the whole trim with just that one tool. Saved me like 40 bucks on a new rasp I was about to buy. Has anyone else tried sticking to a single rasp for the whole job?

Last month a mare bit me while I was nailing her front left shoe

I was working on this old Quarter Horse outside of Salem, nice calm mare normally. She stood fine for the trim but the second I started nailing she whipped her head around and clamped down on my arm. Not hard enough to break skin but enough to leave a bruise for a week. The owner just laughed and said she does that to everyone. I finished the shoe but I kept one eye on her teeth the whole time. Has anyone else had a horse get grabby like that out of nowhere?

Finally got that tricky outside hind foot right after 3 years of shoeing

I was at a clinic in Lexington last spring watching a old timer demo on how he handles the outside hind on horses that want to lean into you. He showed me a way to brace my body closer to the shoulder and it made the whole thing click for me. Has anyone else had a random tip from a demo just completely fix something you've been struggling with?

Rasping on the cheap nearly cost me a good client

I swore by those $30 rasps from the farm supply store for years until I tried a Nicholson #49 and finished a hoof in half the time. The difference was night and day on a tricky horse last week. Anyone else find that spending a little more on tools actually saves you money in the long run?

Took me 45 minutes to rasp a lumpy hoof that should have been 15 because I forgot to dress my file first.

After the third pass I finally realized my brand new rasp was clogged with old horse hair and I wasted half the appointment fighting it - has anyone else had this happen with a fresh tool?

Had to pick between a used set of Knipex and a new cheap set from Amazon for my truck kit

I was tightening a loose shoe on a trail ride last Thursday and my old pliers just slipped right off the nail. Ended up going with the cheap set because I could get them overnight, but they already feel a little loose in the jaws. Anyone else had to make a tough call between budget and quality on the road?

Had a client near Springfield ask me to skip the clinch on a front shoe

He said his old farrier told him it 'wasn't needed for a light horse.' I saw that horse two months later with a loose shoe that had twisted and bruised the sole. Has anyone else run into this kind of bad advice lately?

A hoof abscess on a draft horse in Bozeman took me three days to fully drain

The horse was super sensitive, and the pocket was deep under the frog. I spent hours each day soaking and packing, but it kept sealing over. Has anyone else found a better way to keep those deep ones open for drainage?

Tried a new glue-on shoe for a navicular case and the whole thing came off in 48 hours

I used the Equi-Thane adhesive kit on a warm day in Boise, following the prep steps to the letter. The horse was sound when it left, but the owner called saying the shoe was in the field two days later. Has anyone had this happen with a specific glue, or was it just the heat?

Warning: I switched from a standard rasp to a diamond-coated one for a tricky quarter crack

The old file just wasn't cutting it on this mare's hoof, so I grabbed my DMT rasp. It took down the high spot in half the time without clogging. Has anyone found a better tool for cleaning up those ragged edges?

My uncle told me to always use a 16 penny nail for clinching, and I just had a shoe come loose

He swore by it for years, said it gave the best hold. I followed his advice on a big draft horse last week, and the clinch just didn't set right. The horse threw a shoe after two days. What nail size do you all prefer for clinching on heavier breeds?

Lost a whole afternoon to a 'quick fix' hoof patch that failed

Tried that new Flex-Seal Hoof Patch on a client's quarter horse in Tucson last week... the ad said it sets in 30 minutes. After 2 hours it was still tacky and the horse kicked it off walking back to the paddock. Had to re-clean the hoof and do a proper acrylic fill, costing me $80 in wasted product and 4 hours of my day. Anyone know a reliable temporary patch for a wet climate?

An old school farrier in Kentucky told me my clinch was too high and tight, which was causing hairline cracks.

I started setting my clinch a full 1/8 inch lower and using a lighter hammer tap, and now those quarter cracks on my hunter clients have almost stopped completely, has anyone else had to adjust their clinch work for different hoof walls?

I used to think you needed a full forge for corrective work, but a horse in Spokane changed my view.

Honestly, this 8-year-old quarter horse had a severe medial-lateral imbalance that I would've normally sent for a full hot shoeing setup. Over three trims, just using a rasp and careful hoof mapping, I got his breakover nearly perfect. Am I the only one who thinks we reach for the anvil too fast sometimes?

Just realized my new $250 hoof stand was a total waste of money. The old bucket trick works just as well.

I think the 'must use' 3/4 inch nails for keg shoes is overkill for most horses

Last week in Boise, I shod a 1200 lb draft cross with a set of keg shoes using 5/8 inch nails. Everyone at the shop said I was asking for a loose shoe, but the clinches were tight and the horse is moving great. I've been doing this on certain feet for about 3 years now and have had fewer issues with nail bind. Has anyone else had good results going a size down on nail length?