My uncle told me to never use a 4 inch nail on a draft horse, and I finally learned why the hard way last Tuesday.

2 comments

2 Comments

Wait, what happened with the nail? I've used 4 inch nails on my big Belgians for years without a problem. You just have to know how to place it right, like keeping it angled away from the quick. Maybe your uncle's method is different, but a longer nail can give you more to hold onto in a big, hard hoof.

joseph45528d ago

Yeah, but "knowing how to place it right" is a big gamble on a living animal. A four inch nail leaves a lot of room for error, even for an expert. My uncle saw a horse get lamed for life when a long nail shifted and hit something it shouldn't have. Sometimes more to hold onto just means more that can go wrong.