c/farriers

Old timer at the auction showed me something about hoof angles I'll never forget

I was at a consignment auction in Kentucky about 2 years ago, bidding on some used rasps. This elderly farrier, must've been 80 if he was a day, walked over and pointed at my notes. He said "son, you're reading the angle wrong, it's not about the toe, it's about the heel." He spent 20 minutes showing me on a draft horse's hoof that was just standing there. I'd been doing this for 8 years and never saw it that way. Has anyone else had an older farrier totally change how you look at something basic?

Switched to a 2-inch hoof knife and my trimming time dropped by 20 minutes per horse.

I always used a 1.5-inch blade because that's what my mentor taught me, but after trying a wider knife on a draft cross with thick soles near Lexington six weeks ago, I found I could peel off layers way faster without losing control, has anyone else noticed a big difference just from changing knife size?

That horse at the county fair that ate my shoe while I was shoeing it

I was working the booth at the Indiana County Fair back in July, minding my own business, and this old gelding reached down and grabbed my left boot mid-shoe. He just held it there, chewing on the leather like it was hay. I had to finish the nail job with one foot bare on the gravel. Owner just laughed and said he does that to everyone. Now I always tuck my pants into my boots and wear steel toes. Anyone else ever had a horse snack on their gear?

Hot take: hand rasping instead of power tools saved me time.

I spent like 2 years thinking I needed a fancy power grinder to get through tough hooves fast. Then last month I took on a big draft horse in Richmond, and my grinder battery died after 10 minutes. Grabbed my old hand rasp out of frustration and honestly, I shaped that hoof cleaner and faster without having to stop and adjust. Am I crazy for thinking hand tools still beat machines for certain horses?

Tried the Knipex hoof nippers instead of my old GE ones and can't go back

Broke down and spent $78 on a pair last Tuesday after my 15-year-old GE pair finally gave up on a draft horse job. The cut is way cleaner with way less hand fatigue, anyone else switch brands and regret not doing it sooner?

Switched from kerosene forge to propane last month and wish I did it sooner

I been using a kerosene forge for like 8 years cause that's what my mentor used. Always thought propane was for weekend warriors or something. Then I helped a buddy at his shop and his propane forge heated a shoe in half the time. No smoke, no cleaning the nozzle every other day. Picked up a used one for $150 off Craigslist and I'm kicking myself. Anyone else make a switch like this and find it changed their whole rhythm?

Finally ponied up for a decent anvil after years of using a railroad track

Been shoeing horses for 8 years on a chunk of railroad rail I found behind a barn. Last month I dropped $450 on a 150lb Peter Wright anvil off Facebook Marketplace. First time I hammered a hot shoe on it I could feel the difference in rebound. Anyone else make a cheap anvil work for too long before upgrading?

Watched a guy explain how he sets nails and realized I been gripping my hammer way too tight for 6 years

My right elbow ached after every job and then this old timer at a clinic in Boise showed me how relaxing your grip lets the hammer do the work, now I got no pain and I feel like an idiot for not figuring it out sooner, anyone else have that one dumb habit they just never questioned?

Hot shoe forge vs. gas forge: my old one died mid-shoe last Wednesday and I'm torn

I was right in the middle of shaping a hind shoe for a draft horse when my propane forge just sputtered out. The regulator gave up, I think. I finished the shoe with a torch but it was a pain. A buddy says I should switch to a hot shoe forge, says it's more precise for stuff like this. But I've used gas for years and it's what I know. Has anyone here made the switch and regretted it or loved it?

That Tuesday last month where nothing went right

I had three horses lined up in one morning near Molalla and the first one had a quarter crack I didn't see coming. Then my nail puller snapped clean in half on the second horse. Has anyone else had a day where you just should have stayed in bed?

Had a client call me out on my hoof trimming and it stung but helped

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?

Can we talk about how I used to set nails vs. now?

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?

Old shoer I met outside Great Falls told me something I still think about

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?

Heads up about that horse rescue near Billings...

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?

After 8 months of shoeing this one mare, she finally stood square for me today

Ran into an old horse yesterday that made me rethink how I read hoof angles

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?

Warning: Overheard a guy at the feed store talking about hoof cracks getting way worse in dry summer months

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?

My old box of handmade handmade nails from the 80s finally ran out

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?

Tried that new hot-fit shoe method on a draft horse last Tuesday and the hoof split right down the middle

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?

Spent $600 on a used Forge 2.0 trimmer and it's already saved me two hours a week

Old timer named Bud changed my mind about hot shoeing last week

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?

Watched a guy in Oklahoma spend 20 minutes sanding a hoof wall smooth like he was finishing a table

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?

Unpopular opinion: most farriers get hoof angle wrong on purpose

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?

Heard a farrier at a clinic say 'a crooked shoe can make a horse lame in 20 minutes'

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?

Took an old farrier's advice about hoof angle and it paid off

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?