c/farriers

Tried a 3-degree pad on a navicular case in Lexington and got a weird reaction

I was working on a Quarter Horse with a long history of navicular pain, and after talking with the vet, we decided to try a 3-degree wedge pad to change the breakover. The horse actually seemed more sore for the first two days after the shoeing, which was the opposite of what we expected. I'm wondering if the angle change was too much too fast, or if we missed something else in the trim. Has anyone else seen a horse get worse before getting better with a wedge pad?

Switched from a flat to a crowned shoe on a big draft horse with a low heel

I had this Percheron cross with a really low heel and a flat foot. For a while, I was just fitting him with a regular flat shoe, thinking it gave enough support. His owner said he was still a little short-strided on the hard ground. Last month, I decided to try a shoe with a good crown, maybe a quarter inch of curve across the bottom. The difference was night and day. The crowned shoe gave that frog a chance to work and helped lift the back of the foot just enough. I saw him move a week later, and his stride was longer and he just looked more comfortable. It made me think about how the shoe's shape can really help the foot do its job, not just cover it. Has anyone else had a case where a simple shoe shape change made that much of a difference?

Question about a horse's hoof angle after switching to a different anvil

I've been using the same old anvil from my granddad's shop for years, but last month I switched to a new 150 lb Peddinghaus. The difference in how I can shape a shoe is wild. I had a client's quarter horse in yesterday, and after three shoes, I realized I was getting a much cleaner 55-degree angle on the toe than I ever could before. Has anyone else noticed their work getting sharper just from a better anvil?

Shoutout to the crew at the Kentucky Horse Park

I was at the Kentucky Horse Park for a big show last week and saw something that made me rethink my whole approach to hoof packing. They had a team working on a draft horse with a deep crack, and instead of just packing the crack, they were using a mix of pine tar and oakum, but they warmed the tar in a small pot first. The head farrier there, a guy named Carl, said warming it just a bit makes it flow into the crack better without being too runny. I always thought warm tar was a mess waiting to happen, but seeing how clean their work was and how the horse stood calm the whole time? It clicked for me. They got that mix right into the base of the crack in one smooth go. Has anyone else tried warming their packing material slightly, or is that a bad idea for most shops?

Appreciation post: Finally got a clean pull on a tricky shoe after six tries

Working on a draft horse with a really underrun heel, and I just couldn't get the fit right for the life of me. On the sixth attempt, the shoe seated perfectly with no daylight, and the owner said it was the best his horse had walked in months. What's your go-to trick for dealing with a persistent underrun heel?

Noticed a big difference between trimming for a pasture horse versus a show horse

I worked on two quarter horses last month, one living out full time on rocky ground and the other in training for halter classes. The pasture horse got a simple, rolled toe and a bit more heel left on, maybe 1/8 inch more than usual. The show horse got a tighter, more upright trim to fit the shoe perfectly. After six weeks, the pasture horse's feet were holding up way better with less chipping, while the show horse needed more frequent touch ups. The right trim for the job really matters, doesn't it? What's your go-to adjustment for a hard keeper on rough terrain?

Had a brand new rasp snap clean in half on a draft horse last Thursday. Do you think it was a bad tool or just too much pressure?

Reading an old book and saw a hoof knife design from 1890 I'd never seen before

I was looking through a copy of 'The Principles and Practice of Horse-Shoeing' by William Hunting at the library. He shows a drawing of a 'reversible hoof knife' with a blade that could flip for left or right hand use. I had no idea they were making tools like that over a hundred years ago. Has anyone ever used one of those or seen a modern version?

Appreciation post: My $400 hoof stand upgrade saved my back last week

After years of using a basic stand, I finally bought a heavy-duty adjustable one, and the difference in my posture and speed during a full day of trims was honestly shocking, so what's the one tool upgrade that made the biggest impact for you guys?

A client's draft horse went from constant abscesses to clear feet in 8 months after we changed his feed.

I've been working on a big Percheron named Gus for about two years now. His owner, a farmer up near Spokane, was at his wit's end because Gus would get a new quarter crack or abscess almost every other month, no joke. We tried every trim and shoeing tweak in the book. The real shift happened when the vet suggested we look at his diet. Turns out, the farm had switched to a new, super-rich alfalfa mix about a year prior. We cut that out, put him on a plain grass hay with a balanced mineral supplement, and the difference was night and day. After about 8 months of consistent trims and the new feed, his hoof wall grew in solid and those chronic issues just stopped. It really made me debate how much we should be talking about nutrition versus just the mechanical work. Has anyone else seen a case where a feed change was the real fix for a persistent hoof problem?

Almost had a bad wreck at the Spokane rodeo grounds last month

I was shoeing a big quarter horse in the warm-up pen when he suddenly jerked his foot back. The hoof knife slipped and cut deep into my palm, right through my glove. It happened because the ground was uneven and I didn't have my own solid block to set the foot on. Now I carry a portable stand in my truck for any job away from my shop. Anyone else had to change their setup after an injury on unstable ground?

Thought those new composite pads were just a gimmick until I saw a draft horse go from a sore foot to a clean stride in under a month.

I was convinced they'd just crumble under real work, but after seeing the results on a 2,000-pound Percheron with a quarter crack, I'm debating if we're too quick to dismiss new materials versus sticking with what we know always works.

I spent way too much on a 'quick fix' hoof hardener that didn't work

I had a client with a horse that had really crumbly hoof walls, and I figured a bottle of that 'Pro-Hoof' hardener I saw at the supply shop would help. It cost me $45 and I used the whole thing over two visits. The stuff just sat on top like paint and washed right off in the paddock. My boss, who's been shoeing for 40 years, finally told me, 'You can't paint on structure, kid. It's all about diet and correct trimming.' I wasted that money and the client's time. Has anyone else been burned by a product that promised an easy solution?

Had a shoe pull clean off on a big draft horse yesterday

I was finishing up a reset on a Percheron in Oakville when the front left shoe just came off in my hand. It was a size 2 steel shoe I'd just nailed on. I checked the clinches and they were tight, but the hoof wall had some old nail holes that gave out. I had to clean the hoof again and move the nails higher up into solid wall. Has anyone found a good trick for dealing with that kind of blown-out hoof wall?

The client who asked for 'horse sneakers'

I was at a barn in Sedona, trimming a big quarter horse named Duke. The owner, a very nice lady who clearly didn't know much about hooves, watched me work for a minute and then asked, 'So, do you ever put those little rubber shoes on them? Like sneakers for horses?' I had to stop and explain that yes, hoof boots exist, but they're not permanent shoes. She just nodded and said, 'Oh good, I was worried about his arches.' Has anyone else gotten a question that made you pause and try not to laugh?

Shoutout to the old timer at the Kentucky Horse Park who showed me my clinch was wrong

I was shoeing a big draft horse there last fall, and this retired farrier named Hank watched me for a minute. He said, 'Son, you're driving that nail like you're mad at it.' I realized I was clinching too high on the hoof wall, leaving a weak hold. He showed me how to set the clinch lower and roll it over properly. Anyone else have a simple tip that fixed a bad habit you didn't even know you had?

Heads up about that new 'quick-set' acrylic filler from a trade show

Used it on a quarter crack for a client's hunter in Lexington, and it set up way too fast in the heat, like in under a minute. Anyone have a reliable summer alternative that gives you more working time?

Had a hoof knife snap on me mid-trim yesterday

I was working on a big draft cross in Spokane, just cleaning up the frog like normal. The blade gave way right at the base of the handle, didn't even feel a catch first. I had to stop the whole job, drive 40 minutes to the nearest supply shop for a new one. Anyone else had a brand new knife fail that fast? Makes me want to check all my edges before I start now.

Drove past the old Miller place near Springfield and saw something that got me thinking

Was heading to a job last week and took the back roads. Passed the Miller farm, where old man Miller ran a big draft horse operation for decades. The barn is still there, but the forge chimney is cold. Saw a brand new, shiny aluminum horse trailer parked where the shoeing stocks used to be. Made me remember helping him as a kid, 30 years ago. He'd have six Belgians lined up, all needing work. We'd be there from sunup, using his hand crank forge. Now it's all about the show horses and the fancy trailers. The real workhorse knowledge is just fading away. Anyone else see a shop or a farm from the old days that's just gone now?

Choosing between a regular rasp and a diamond one for a tough hoof job

Honestly, I had to pick between my old regular rasp and a new diamond grit one for a horse with really hard feet last week. The diamond one cost about $40 more, but I went with it because the owner said the horse's hooves were like rock. Tbh, it cut through that tough wall way faster and saved me a good 15 minutes on the trim. My hand felt way less tired after, which was a big win. Has anyone else tried a diamond rasp on a draft breed or something similar?

Found a weird way to seat a shoe on a draft horse in Spokane last month

I had a big Belgian that kept throwing a front shoe no matter how I nailed it. Out of ideas, I tried a trick an old timer mentioned: I heated the shoe, dipped just the toe quarter in cold water for 10 seconds, then nailed it hot. It seated way tighter as it cooled. Some guys say that's asking for a cracked shoe, but it held for the full cycle. Anyone else ever try something like that on a hard case?

Warning: I was trimming my rasp handle wrong for years until a guy in Kentucky pointed it out

I always cut the leather flush, but he showed me leaving a quarter inch overhang on the tang stops the metal from tearing through. Anyone else do it that way?

The day a draft horse taught me to stop fighting the foot

For my first two years shoeing, I'd muscle through every trim, especially on big draft feet. I'd clamp that hoof between my knees and just go at it with the nippers, thinking force was the answer. Last fall, a Belgian named Gus in Lancaster County changed that. He'd flinch every time I squeezed, and his owner said, 'He's not being bad, you're just hurting him.' I switched to supporting the foot on my apron and using lighter, quicker cuts. Now I get through a draft trim in about 25 minutes with way less sweat and zero complaints from the horse. Has anyone else had a client animal straight up teach them a better method?

I thought those new composite pads were just a waste of money.

About two years back, a supplier in Lexington kept pushing them, saying they reduced concussion on the anvil arm. I was set in my ways with leather. Then my elbow started giving me real trouble after a long day of corrective shoeing. I tried a set of the blue composite pads on my rounding hammer for a week. The difference in how my joints felt by Friday was not small. Anyone with old injuries find a specific tool change that actually helped?

I used to think a quick rasp was fine for a mild flare, but a horse in Spokane changed my mind.

I was working on a big quarter horse at a stable outside Spokane last fall. The horse had a mild flare on the left front, and I figured I could just rasp it down quick and be done. I got about halfway through, being a bit too aggressive, and I heard a tiny 'crack' sound. My heart just dropped. I stopped immediately and checked the hoof wall. I'd gone too thin in one spot and caused a small vertical crack. I had to stop, clean the area, and apply a patch with acrylic. It added a full hour to the job and I felt awful. Now, I take my time with the rasp, even on what looks like an easy fix, and I check my progress constantly. Has anyone else had a simple correction go sideways because you rushed it?