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?

2 comments

2 Comments

rivera.henry6d ago

Warming pine tar sounds smart, but I'd probably end up with it all over my own shoes instead of the hoof lol. My last attempt at being that smooth ended with a cold glob stuck to the apron.

the_hugo5d ago

Ever try to get it off your shoe?