c/farriers

Rasp choice split: farrier rasp vs. a good old Nicholson

I had to pick between a proper farrier rasp and a standard Nicholson file for my weekly trims. I went with the farrier rasp because the handle felt more balanced in my hand and the teeth seemed sharper out of the box. First few horses were a dream - the rasp cut through hoof wall like butter and I finished each foot way faster. But after about 12 horses, the teeth started loading up with hoof dust and I was spending too much time cleaning it with a wire brush. The Nicholson I tried later stayed sharper for maybe 20 hooves before needing a clean, and it was half the price. I'm thinking of switching back for my regular work. Has anyone else tried both and found one lasts longer between sharpenings?

Watched a guy ruin a hoof in 20 seconds with a grinder

I was at a clinic in Lexington last month and this farrier took off way too much heel with a power grinder in one pass. Horse went lame on the spot and the vet had to come out. I've been hand-nailing front shoes for 12 years now and I swear by it. Anyone else see people get lazy with grinders?

Took me 3 seasons to figure out I was trimming heels way too short

I was at a clinic in Boise last spring watching a guy demo on a standardbred and he pointed out how much flare my horse had in the heel. I told him that's just how the hoof grows and he just laughed and said 'no, that's how you trim it.' Went back to my shop that night and compared photos from the last 18 months. All my horses had the same wedge shape because I was nipping off heel way past the live sole line without thinking. The next morning I left more heel on a mare that always looked clubby and she stood flatter than I ever saw her. Something about hearing it from a stranger in front of 20 people made it click. Anyone else have a basic habit that took a public embarrassment to fix?

Rant: Why I ditched nailed shoes for glue-ons on my own horses

Everyone in this group seems to swear by traditional nailed shoes for everything. But I got tired of dealing with cracked hoof walls on my two geldings after every reset, especially during wet seasons here in Oregon. So about 6 months ago, I switched to glue-on aluminum shoes and it took a while to figure out the prep work but now I get 6 weeks between resets with zero cracking. My farrier buddy says I'm crazy but has anyone else found glue-ons worth the extra effort?

Switched from square nails to concave and my shoes hold way better now

I used to swear by standard square nails for everything. Been at this for about 12 years now and that was just what my mentor taught me. Then last spring I took a clinic up in Kentucky and the guy running it showed me how concave nails actually let the shoe seat deeper into the hoof wall. I tried it on a couple of horses that kept pulling shoes on muddy ground and it made a huge difference. The nails grip tighter and I don't have to use as many of them either. It took me a few tries to get the angle right but now I'm using concave on most of my heavy sport horses. Has anyone else made that switch and noticed a difference with certain hoof types?

Why I switched from aluminum shoes to steel on wet pavement

I did a test last month on the same horse, one front foot aluminum, the other steel, and rode through a muddy field after a rain. The aluminum shoe slipped three times on a simple downhill slope while the steel held steady every time. My farrier buddy in Lexington told me steel gives better traction on slick surfaces and I thought he was exaggerating. Now I'm swapping all my clients' trail horses over, but has anyone else noticed steel wearing down quicker on gravel roads?

Tried a new hoof boot for a rehab horse... ended up with a nasty rub

I put a pair of Easyboot Clouds on a mare last week for some barefoot transition time, and within 3 days she had a raw spot above the coronet band. The sizing chart said medium but I should have gone large and added a pad... anyone else deal with fit issues on those?

Tried using a propane torch on a cold shoe and the metal flew right off my anvil

It was 18 degrees in Colorado last Tuesday and the shoe just pinged across the shop like a bullet, so now I preheat my anvil with a space heater for 20 minutes before I start, has anyone else had a shoe launch on them in winter?

Pro tip: Stop fighting with old clinch blocks on draft horses

I used to wrestle for half an hour trying to get a clean clinch on a Percheron with those old block anvils and a hand hammer. Last winter I switched to a clincher tool that does the curl and the seat in one motion, and now it takes me maybe 8 minutes per foot. Has anyone else found that a specific tool change cut your rough shoeing time in half?

That horse threw a shoe on a trail ride and I had to make do with what I had

Last Saturday I was out on a 6 mile trail ride near Mill Creek and a horse lost a shoe about 3 miles in. No spare shoes, no truck, just my apron and a few hand tools I keep in my saddle bag. I ended up using some duct tape and a piece of leather from a broken rein to rig a temporary boot that got us back. It held for about 2 hours but I bet most farriers have been in a similar spot. What's your go-to field fix when you're caught without the full setup?

Switched from hand rasps to a flex shaft grinder and my back finally stopped screaming at me

Used to do all my hoof work with a hand rasp. Took forever and I was always hunched over. Three years ago I finally bought a Baldor grinder with a flex shaft. Cut my shoeing time per horse from 45 minutes down to about 25. The older guys at the barn said I was cheating but my lower back doesnt ache after every single horse now. Has anyone else made the switch and felt weird about it at first?

Had to choose between a hand forge and a gas forge for my rig

Last spring I was setting up my mobile shop and couldn't decide on a forge. I went with a gas forge because I thought it would be faster for shoe adjustments on the road. Four months in I realize I'm missing the control I had with coal, especially when I need to work a tricky draft horse's foot in under 20 minutes. Has anyone else made the switch and regretted it or found a good compromise?

That $180 forge burner setup nearly cost me my workshop...

I got talked into buying one of those cheap aftermarket forge burners off eBay a few months back. Paid about 180 bucks for it, thought I was saving big compared to the name brand ones. Hooked it all up in my shed out back, fired it up for a test run and the flame just sputtered all over the place. Had a friend who knows propane come take a look and he said the jet was drilled wrong and the venturi was undersized. Spent another 50 bucks on replacement parts that still didn't fix it right. Ended up having to tear it all out and go with a tried and true one from a local supplier for almost 300. That cheap burner is just sitting in a box now, complete waste of money and time. Has anyone else had luck with those off-brand forge kits or is it all junk?

Sawed a hoof too short back in March and it taught me a hard lesson

Everyone says you can fix a little imbalance by taking more off the high side, but I went after a front hoof on a gelding in Eugene and left him sore for two weeks. The vet told me I basically gave him a temporary laminitis from the concussion. Now I only take off what's definitely dead and leave the rest for the next trim. Has anyone else had a horse act fine at first then go lame two days later?

Had to choose between aluminum shoes and plain steel for a tricky case

I got a call last week about a horse with some nasty quarter cracks. The owner wanted aluminum shoes to save weight, but I pushed for a plain steel shoe with a good clip and a full fit. I had to explain that the extra stability from the steel would help the hoof heal more evenly. We went with the steel and put rim pads under it to ease the pressure. Three days later the owner called to say the horse looked sounder already. I guess sometimes the old standbys still work best. Has anyone else had luck pushing back on trendy materials?

Spent $300 on those fancy titanium nippers and regret it

I bought a pair of titanium farrier nippers six months ago because everyone online swore they were the best. They cost $300 and I figured they'd last me forever. But after about 30 horses, the edge started chipping on me. My old $60 steel pair never gave me that problem. Has anyone else had titanium tools let them down like this?

Looking back at my first forge setup versus what I run today

When I started out twenty years ago, my forge was a simple coal pot I built from an old brake drum and a hair dryer for a blower. I spent more time managing the fire than actually shaping shoes. The heat was never even, and I'd lose a whole afternoon just trying to get a good welding heat. About eight years ago, I switched to a propane forge from a company called Majestic. It was a game changer. I can set the temperature, the heat is clean and steady, and I'm not breathing in coal smoke all day. I miss the feel of a coal fire sometimes, but the control and speed I have now lets me focus on the fit and finish of the shoe. Has anyone else made that switch and found they could take on more complex work because of it?

A client's horse went from a head-shaker to calm after we switched his shoeing schedule

He was getting shod every 8 weeks, but his feet were growing too fast and getting long. We moved him to a 6-week cycle and the change in his stride was immediate. Anyone else found a specific timing fix that solved a bigger behavior problem?

Finally figured out why my quarter clips kept failing on a big draft horse

I was working on a Percheron in Lancaster last month and noticed the shoe kept shifting after a week, even with a good fit. The old farrier who owns the shop saw me and said, 'You're driving that nail too steep, it's not grabbing the wall.' What's your go-to angle for a solid clip on a heavy horse?

Had a horse at the county fair in Springfield go down hard during a shoeing

The owner had been feeding a crazy high grain diet and the horse's hooves were just crumbling. Ever since, I make a point to ask about feed before I even pick up a foot.

Wasted a whole morning trying to fix a shoe with a bad weld from a new supplier

I got a batch of keg shoes from a new supplier that was a bit cheaper, about $15 less per box. Figured I'd give them a shot. The first few were fine, but then I had one where the weld at the toe just gave out when I was setting it. Not a clean break, it just sort of crumbled. I spent over two hours trying to salvage it, grinding it down, re-heating, the whole deal. In the end, I had to scrap the shoe and start over with one from my old stock. That's about $4 down the drain plus the two hours of my time I'll never get back. The horse owner was cool about waiting, but it threw my whole day off. I'm sticking with my regular brand from now on. Has anyone else had a problem with welds failing on budget shoes?

Hot take: I started using a small propane torch to warm up frozen shoes in the winter and it's a game changer

Last January in Boise, I had a draft horse with a thrown shoe and the new one just wouldn't seat right because the steel was so cold. I warmed the shoe for maybe 30 seconds with the torch before nailing it on, and it seated perfectly on the first try. Do you think this could cause any problems with the steel's temper over time?

My uncle told me to always use a rasp before the finish file on a quarter crack, and after a bad job in Boise last month I finally listened.

I rushed a repair on a warmblood's hoof without rasping first, and the patch popped out after two days, so now I'm asking if anyone has a specific rasp brand they swear by for that initial clean-up work.

Had a close call with a cold shoe on a draft horse near Spokane last month

Can we talk about the difference a proper hoof knife sharpening makes

I was working on a draft horse with a really tough sole last week, and my usual pass with the knife was just skidding. I spent 20 minutes putting a proper edge on it with a fine stone, and the next cut went through like butter. How often do you guys stop to sharpen during a full day of trimming?