A trainer told me my toe clips were too long for a quarter horse and it clicked

I was working on a quarter horse at a barn in Springfield last month, and the trainer watched me nail on a shoe. She said, 'You're giving him a 3/4 inch clip on a foot that needs a 5/8, he's gonna feel that.' I'd always used the longer clip out of habit. Switched it up the next day, and the owner called to say the horse was moving way better. I've been checking the breed and foot shape before I even pick a clip size now. Anyone else adjust their standard clip lengths for different horse types?

2 comments

2 Comments

diana1554d ago

My friend had a similar thing happen with a draft horse cross. She was using a standard clip and the farrier pointed out the hoof wall was too steep for it, said it was putting pressure in the wrong spot. She told me it made a night and day difference in his comfort on hard ground. It makes sense what @viola_butler said about measuring, you really can't just eyeball it. My friend uses a simple ruler against the hoof now before she even starts.

viola_butler4d ago

Wow, that's a huge detail to catch. So you're basically saying the standard clip length we all learn isn't one-size-fits-all? I always figured a quarter inch here or there wouldn't register. How do you even start to measure for that, just by eyeing the hoof wall or do you use a gauge?