My old timer mentor showed me how to scarf weld on a coal forge and now I see why the guys who learned in the 60s laugh at these expensive electric setups, anyone else ditch the high tech gear after seeing the real deal work?
I was out with a client near Pine Creek when her mare lost a front shoe on some rocky terrain. Had to do a temporary patch with duct tape and a hoof pad to get her back to the trailer. Has anyone else had to improvise a field fix like that?
I was working a clinic in Lexington last fall and the lead farrier there made me re-do five shoes in a row because my clinches were uneven, and since then I've slowed way down and actually check my work before moving on has anyone else had a mentor who just would NOT let you slide?
It cracked right through the middle last Tuesday while I was shaping a tricky hind shoe, so I had to weld up a new one from some scrap I-beam I had sitting behind the shop, anyone else ever have a piece of gear just fall apart mid-job?
Shoed a client's horse near Lexington last Tuesday. Perfect fit, clean finish, nails all set. Horse walks out of the barn, steps onto the new crushed limestone they just dumped there. Slipped on a loose rock and chipped the edge of the right front shoe. I spent 20 minutes resetting it in the dirt. Client wasn't mad but I felt stupid. Anyone else deal with bad ground conditions messing up your work right after you finish?
Has anyone else had a bad experience skipping that step?
Back in 2003 I rigged up a belt driven blower from a 76 Chevy alternator and it worked fine for years. Now I just plug in this fancy Centaur unit that cost $400 but barely needs any upkeep. Any of you old timers still using homemade setups or are we all spoiled by modern gear?
I was out in Ocala last month shoeing a big thoroughbred and this 70 year old farrier watched me work for like 10 minutes then said 'you're polishing horseshoes, not filing them, kid.' Turns out I was taking way too many passes with the rasp trying to make it perfect, now I just go fast and aggressive and it holds better. Has anyone else gotten a simple tip like that that totally flipped their approach?
Had a horse in Lexington with a quarter crack that kept splitting no matter how much I patched it. Swapped to a half-round rasp to feather the edges way smoother and that crack sealed up in 2 weeks. Has anyone else had luck with a specific rasp shape on tricky hoof wall splits?
I had a horse in Amarillo with a cracked hoof that just wouldn't hold nails no matter what I tried. Buddy of mine kept telling me to try the glue-ons from Sound Horse, said they'd buy me time. After 6 weeks of fighting it I put a set on and the difference in hoof growth was night and day. Anyone else had luck with glue-ons for rehab cases?
Had a mare with a quarter crack that kept re-opening for like 8 months. Tried all kinds of patches and glue but it just kept coming back. Then a old-timer at the Michigan Draft Horse Show told me to rasp the wall at a 45-degree angle just above the crack to relieve pressure. Been 4 months now and the hoof is solid - no more cracking. Anyone else got a weird fix that worked better than the textbook method?
Met a guy at the feed store who's been shoeing since the 70s. He told me I was spending too much time on the hoof prep and not enough watching how the horse moved. I shrugged it off at first but then watched him work a lame mare in 20 minutes flat. Made me wonder how many of my horses I could fix with better observation instead of just more filing.
I tried it for a week and ended up with a dull rasp that wouldn't cut clean, so I'm back to wiping it down with a wet rag after each horse like I always did.
I had a job on a damp morning in Oregon last week where the hooves were so soft the nails just pulled through when I tried to clinch them. I ended up using a rasp to rough up the wall before nailing, but it still took me twice as long as normal. Does anyone have a better method for getting nails to hold in wet or soft hooves?
I've been doing squared toes on front shoes for like 5 years now. Last week a client brought in a horse that had been shod by some old timer with a rolled toe and the difference in breakover was wild. Watched that horse move out on the lunge and it just looked so much smoother and freer. I tried a rolled toe on a similar horse this morning and it felt way more natural through the stride. Any of you guys made the switch and stuck with it?
I was driving back from a job in Lancaster when a shoe I put on that morning came off on the shoulder of a busy two-lane road. Had to pull over and nail it back on with a borrowed hammer from a nice guy in a pickup truck. Anyone else ever had to do field repairs in a sketchy spot like that?
I was unloading my gear at a 4H event near Columbus last spring, and a spooked mare nailed my door so hard it flew off its hinges. Cost me $1200 to fix, so now I always park at least 30 feet from the trailer ramp. Any of you guys had a horse do some serious damage to your vehicle?
After three months of resetting the same front shoe every two weeks, last Tuesday I checked the hoof angle with a gauge and realized the toe was too long by almost a quarter inch, has anyone else found that a tiny measurement change makes that much difference on gravel?
I was wondering why my shoes kept losing hold and now I see I was basically shaping them wrong the whole time - has anyone else had a senior farrier call them out on something basic that totally changed their whole approach?
Old farrier named Bill at the Michigan State Fair kept saying my front hooves were 3 degrees off. I laughed it off. Finally checked with a gauge and he was dead right. Horse moved totally different after the fix. Anyone else have an old timer call it perfectly?
Been using the same $30 nippers for 7 years, figured expensive ones just had fancy handles. Borrowed a set from a guy at the shop in Flagstaff last month and clipped a hoof in half the time with way less effort. Anyone else have a tool they swore was overpriced until they tried it?
Was working on a heavy draft cross in the afternoon and the old Farrier's Choice puller just gave out after about 6 years of use. Anyone else had a favorite tool break at the worst possible time and had to scramble for a backup?
Twenty years ago we were all using borrowed truck tire rims and charcoal that barely got hot enough, now I've got a propane forge with a digital regulator that hits 2400 degrees steady. Anyone else feel like the old way taught you more about metal even if it was way slower?
I thought I was being smart using a thick welding glove to handle a fresh hot shoe, but I lost ALL feel for the fit. The shoe ended up so crooked I had to redo it three times in front of the owner. Has anyone else had a tool choice totally screw up their timing like that?