A tough case taught me to ditch pre-sized shoes

I know a lot of farriers stick with pre-sized shoes for speed... but I've come to think custom shaping is worth the extra time. Last spring, I worked on a gelding with chronic lameness, and the store-bought shoes just didn't match his hoof angles. After talking to an older farrier, I started bending steel bar stock to fit each hoof perfectly. It took me a whole afternoon the first time, but the horse walked sound right away. Now I do this for most of my jobs, even though some call it overkill. I get that we're all busy, but a perfect fit means fewer call backs... and happier horses. That's a trade off I'm willing to make.

3 comments

3 Comments

the_keith1mo ago

Five bent shoes later, I finally got one that didn't look like a pretzel.

juliadavis1mo ago

lol the "look like a pretzel" part is too real. It feels like everything from apps to small products needs a few bad versions before you get the decent one.

the_jenny28d ago

Tell me about the bent shoes. Were they all from the same brand, or did you try a few different ones hoping for better luck?