Had a talk with an older farrier that made me look at my workflow different

I was trimming a standardbred last Tuesday when an old timer, been shoeing 30 plus years, stopped by my rig. He watched me pull a shoe and asked why I was still using a 4 pound hammer for everything. He said I was wasting energy and making the horse nervous with all that extra force. Told me to try a 2.5 pound head for most of my work and save the heavy one for cold shoeing only. Has anyone else switched hammer weights and noticed a difference in their hand or the horse's behavior?

2 comments

2 Comments

jadeg814d ago

Yeah, but I gotta push back on that a little. I tried a lighter hammer years ago because everyone said it would save my arm and calm the horses down. Honestly, it just made me swing harder to get the same result and ended up wearing me out more. I mean, a 4 pound hammer with good technique lets me work faster and the horses don't seem to care about the weight as long as I'm not rushing or being sloppy. Plus, if you're doing a lot of pulling and setting on rough feet, a lighter hammer just doesn't have the authority to get things done cleanly. So I'll stick with my 4 pounder for most stuff, but I get why some people like the lighter one for fine work.

thea2464d ago

Hmm, I gotta say @jadeg81, I think a 4 pound hammer is actually on the heavier side for most farrier work, but I get what you're saying about the authority thing. The standard farrier hammer is usually around 2 to 3 pounds, so a 4 pounder is more like a driving hammer you'd use for heavy stock or really tough shoes. I've seen guys use them for pulling clips on big draft horses, but for everyday trimming and nailing, that extra weight can mess with your aim if you're not careful. Just my two cents from watching a few old timers at the barn, but you do what works for your hands and the horses, right?