This older guy with a 25 year old mare watched me work last month and said I was taking too much heel too fast. He showed me his horse was landing toe first after I left and I had to admit he was right. Any of you guys ever had a client teach you something you thought you already knew?
Honestly, for the first five years I was shoeing, I'd always set my nails high and drive them deep into the wall. Then I worked a clinic in Lexington back in 2019 with an old timer named Hank, and he showed me a lower angle approach that saves the hoof wall big time. He said 'you're punching holes for no reason' and now I use a 45 degree pitch instead. Has anyone else switched up their nail placement after trying something different?
He was maybe 75, bent over a anvil in his truck bed, and said 'son, I've shod more horses than you've ever seen, and not one of 'em cared about my fancy tools or my YouTube channel. They just cared if I was gentle and got it right the first time.' Anybody else had an old timer drop some simple truth on you that stuck around?
Stopped in to check out their farrier setup last week. Told the guy I'd take a look at their forge. That thing is busted in a weird way - the fire's not even the right temp for shaping. They're burning up shoes left and right. If you're donating time out there, bring your own propane setup. Has anyone else run into this problem with volunteer spots?
I was out at a barn in Grafton last Wednesday and this 20 year old quarter horse had the weirdest foot shape. Owner said he's never had a lameness issue but I kept second guessing myself on the angles. Looked up some old notes from a clinic with Pete Ramey from 2019 and realized I've been overthinking sole depth on older horses for years now. Anyone else find themselves trusting the horse more than the textbook?
I was picking up some baling twine and heard a farrier with 30 years in the trade say he sees a 40% spike in quarter cracks every July and August because people aren't adjusting their shoeing schedule for dry ground. He told another shoer that he switches to full pads and more frequent trims around June 1st to stay ahead of it. I usually just go with the flow and trim when the horses need it, but that conversation got me thinking. I lost a good client last year because a hoof crack got bad after I didn't suggest anything for the heat. Anyone else change up their approach when summer hits, or just roll with the same routine no matter what?
I got a box of handmade farrier nails from a retiring blacksmith back in 2005. They were leftovers from the 80s when a few guys still forged them by hand. Used the last one last week on a draft horse in a barn outside Boise. Anybody else miss how those old nails would bite into the hoof compared to the machine pressed ones now?
I been shoeing for close to 20 years now and always stuck with cold fitting. But a younger guy at the feed store kept talking up hot fitting so I figured I'd give it a shot on a big Percheron I was working on. Grabbed a size 5 keg shoe, got it cherry red, and pressed it on. Thing sizzled like bacon and looked like a perfect seat. But when it cooled down and I started nailing, a crack ran from the nail hole straight down to the toe. Horse flinched and I felt about two inches tall. Owner watched the whole thing and just shook his head. I finished up with some epoxy filler but I learned real quick that hot shoeing ain't something you just jump into on a cold Tuesday without practicing on some scrap first. Anyone else had a shoe go sideways on a draft foot like that?
I've been cold shoeing for about 8 years, always figured hot shoeing was just more work for no real gain. But this guy Bud at a clinic in Missouri showed me a hoof that had been hot fit 3 weeks prior. The shoe sat flush as a pancake with zero gaps. He said heat lets you match the foot exactly instead of forcing a cold shoe to fit with clinching. Now I'm trying it on my next few horses to see if it sticks. Anyone else come around to hot shoeing late in the game?
He kept saying the shoe would just glue on better if the surface was glass, but you're burning up the hoof capsule and taking off all the natural seal, so has anyone actually seen that method hold past a week?
I went to a clinic in Lexington last month and the vet running it showed us x-rays of 20 horses. Turns out the 'textbook' 50 degree angle is too steep for most of them because it ignores the pastern axis entirely. I've been adjusting my angles by 3-5 degrees on my last 12 horses and they're moving better. Has anyone else checked their angles against x-rays?
Watched him pull a shoe that was barely twisted and the horse went from three-legged to sound right there in the parking lot - has anyone else had a shoe shift just a tiny bit and cause big problems fast?
Old guy named Buck at the stockyard told me to quit guessing and use a protractor on every trim. First time I did it, a horse that was always short-strided moved like a different animal. Any other tips from the old timers that turned out to be gold?
So I had a last-minute booking up in Snoqualmie last week and the horse came in soaked from the rain. Normally I'd just reschedule or wait it out, but the owner was in a bind. Figured I'd rough it out with my old Nicholson. Big mistake. The rasp loaded up after maybe 3 passes, started skating all over the place, and I ended up taking off way more heel than I meant to. Had to pull out my Diamond after 10 minutes of fighting it. What do you guys use on wet hooves? Is there a trick or do you just turn the job away?
I used to just glue my loops together or use a mig welder for my shoes. Looked like crap and failed half the time. Last Tuesday I went back to basics and actually watched my heat color instead of guessing. Spent 2 hours just practicing with scrap steel till it clicked. Any other farriers here switch from welding to forge welding and have tips for getting consistent heat?
Grabbed a pair of those cheap no-name hoof boots off eBay for a client's barefoot horse. Told myself they were worth a shot for the price. First ride on a gravel road and the sole split right down the middle. Second one tore at the strap anchor the next day. Just threw the whole $60 in the trash. Anyone else gotten burned by budget hoof boots that look good online?
Tried it after my buddy in Spokane swore by it for 3 years, saved me 15 minutes per horse and the finish is actually smoother, anyone else ditch hand tools for power?
I was reshoeing a 20 year old mare that had been dead quiet for her last owner. She flipped out when I picked up her hind foot, caught me right in the ribs. Ended up having to sedate her with 2cc of ace and work real slow. Anyone else seeing more horses that just can't handle the stand anymore?
I was trimming a big draft cross last Tuesday when he swung his head around and rubbed his whole wet muzzle across my leather apron. It left a huge, slimy mess right on the chest piece. I had to stop, wipe it down with a clean rag and some water from my bucket, and let it dry in the sun for ten minutes before I could keep working. It threw my whole rhythm off for that foot. Anyone have a good, quick way to clean gear when a horse decides to help?
I spent years using factory keg shoes on trail horses in the Smokies, thinking they saved time. Then I started hand forging a set for a rocky customer's mare last fall, and the fit was way better with less slipping. Has anyone else noticed a big difference after switching to forging more of your own shoes?
I used to spend 45 minutes just leveling by hand, but after a clinic in Boise last spring I switched to a 4-inch grinder for the initial pass. Anyone else find it saves that much time, or am I just getting faster?
Back in my first year, I'd sharpen my hoof knife maybe once a month. Thought it was fine. Then this 20 year old gelding in Cheyenne leaned his full weight on me, and my dull blade just skidded off a chunk of sole. Took me 15 extra minutes of careful picking. Now I strop that knife after every single horse, no exceptions. The edge just glides. Anyone else have a horse that basically forced them to change a bad habit?