How do you handle hooves that are too soft for nail clinching?

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?

2 comments

2 Comments

aaronlee12d ago

Rough up the hoof wall MORE before you even pick up a nail. Like really rough it up, almost to the point where it looks fuzzy. Then use a slightly larger nail and angle it so it comes out higher up on the wall. That extra bit of solid wall above the nail exit gives you WAY more to clinch into. Also try drying the foot with a hair dryer or torch for a minute before nailing. It makes a big difference in Oregon where everything is damp.

park.tara11d ago

Try hit the nails higher up on the wall than you normally would. That extra bit of solid hoof above the exit point gives you way more to work with when you go to clinch. Also don't skip drying the foot with a torch or a hair dryer for like 30 seconds. It sounds extra but it really firms up the hoof wall. And yeah roughing it up with a rasp before you even grab a nail is key, that gives the nail something to grip instead of sliding through.