c/farriers

Just realized the value of a proper clinch block after a tough Tuesday with a draft horse

The old one slipped and I spent 20 minutes wrestling a hot shoe, but switching to a new 4-inch block from my truck changed everything. Anyone else have a simple tool that saves the day when a big animal gets fidgety?

PSA: That new anvil stand from the trade show in Louisville is a real problem

I was working on a big draft horse at a farm outside of Lexington last week, and the whole stand started to wobble on the third shoe. It's got this slick powder coat that just doesn't grip the shop floor, even on level concrete. I had to stop, wedge a scrap of rubber matting under one leg, and finish the job ten minutes behind. Has anyone else had this happen, or did I just get a bad one?

Warning about that new flexible hoof packing material

Tried it on a quarter crack for a barrel racer and it failed after just two rides, letting moisture in. Has anyone found a reliable alternative for high-movement cases?

That old-timer at the Kentucky Horse Park said 'a good farrier listens to the horse, not the owner' and it's stuck with me for years.

I was trimming a big warmblood for a nervous owner who kept insisting on a specific angle, but the horse was clearly telling a different story with its stance and wear, so I followed the old guy's advice and explained my reasoning to the owner, which actually calmed her down.

That week in April with the three founder horses

I had a string of three horses with founder back to back, all from the same barn. The first was a 22 year old pony, the second a 7 year old quarter horse, and the last a 15 year old draft cross. Each needed a different trim and pad setup, and I spent over 30 hours there in four days. The barn owner kept asking if I could just do the same thing for all of them to save time. How do you guys handle clients who don't get that founder care isn't a one size fits all deal?

Chat with an old timer at the county fair made me look at my rasp again

I was at the Clark County Fair last weekend and got talking to a retired farrier named Walt. He watched me work for a minute and said, 'You know, you're holding that rasp like it's a baseball bat. Try choking up an inch and letting your elbow do the work, not your shoulder.' I tried it on the next hoof, and after about ten strokes, I could feel the difference. My shoulder wasn't getting tired, and I had more control on the toe area. It's a small change, but it's already saving me some ache at the end of a long day. Has anyone else picked up a simple grip tip that made a big difference?

A vet in Bend told me my trimming was making a horse's navicular worse

He said I was taking too much heel off a horse with low angles, basically forcing it to walk on its toes. I'd always been told to get that heel down, but now I'm rethinking my whole approach for that type of foot. Anyone have a good method for balancing a low-heeled horse without overdoing it?

I always thought a straight knife was fine for trimming, but a buddy showed me his curved one.

He let me use his Mustad curved hoof knife on a draft horse last month, and the way it followed the sole's shape was a game changer. I was fighting to get a clean line on the quarters with my old straight blade, but his just rolled right through. After that one job, I ordered my own and it's cut my trim time down by about a third on the bigger feet. Anyone have a favorite brand for these curved knives, or is it all pretty much the same?

Spent a full day on a single hoof with a hidden abscess

I had a client's draft cross last week, a big guy named Gus, who was just off on his front left. Everyone, including the owner, was sure it was a simple case of needing a trim and maybe a slight adjustment. I started in, and the hoof felt solid, but the horse kept flinching. After pulling the old shoe, I found a tiny, dark spot near the white line that looked like nothing. I decided to dig a bit, and three hours later, I was still chasing a track that went straight up the heel. I had to stop, call the vet for a nerve block just to keep going, and ended up opening a huge pocket of pus that had traveled way further than it looked. From start to finish, with waiting for the vet, it took me over 7 hours for one hoof. It made me really question the common idea that you can always 'see' a bad abscess right away. Has anyone else had one hide that deep in a seemingly normal hoof?

My neighbor said to always use a rasp before the finish file on a quarter crack

He told me this about two years ago when I was working on a draft horse with a bad crack near the heel. I followed his advice and spent extra time with the rasp, but it just seemed to make the area too thin and weak. The next shoeing cycle, the crack had actually spread wider. I switched back to my old method of just careful filing and the hoof wall held up much better. Has anyone else found that too much rasping on a quarter crack can do more harm than good?

I was sure hoof boots were just a fad until a client's horse proved me wrong

A regular client in Springfield asked me to try EasyCare Gloves on her rehab gelding about eight months ago. I thought they'd slip or rub, but we put them on for light trail rides twice a week. After three months, his heel bulbs looked better and his stride was more confident on hard ground. Has anyone else had a horse change their mind about a specific type of boot or pad?

I always thought a standard rasp was fine for finishing, but a buddy in Kentucky had me try his 10-inch mill file last week and wow, what a difference on that final pass.

The 3 month glow-up on a rescue pony's hooves

Got a call from a new rescue place over in Millerton back in April about a little paint pony with feet that looked like elf shoes... they were so long and curled up at the toes it was crazy. The owner said he'd been found in a field and hadn't been touched in years. First trim was just getting the length off without making him sore, and honestly they still looked pretty rough. But after three months of regular four week trims, the change is wild. The walls are tight to the sole now, the heels are back under him, and he's walking without that short, stabby step. The farrier who does the work with me just said last week, 'Looks like a different horse.' It's all about that slow, steady correction. Anyone else had a case where the before and after photos just didn't seem real?

Changed my mind about using a rasp for every trim after a bad week in July

Had a string of six horses in three days with really hard, dry hoof walls. My usual rasp was just skidding off, taking forever. A guy I know from the Ohio circuit saw me struggling and said, 'You're fighting it, just use the nippers more to start.' I was always taught to rasp first to be safe. But I tried his way on the next one, a big Percheron. Took off the bulk with nippers, then finished with the rasp. Cut my time per hoof almost in half, no loss of quality. Anyone else switch up their order of ops for different hoof conditions?

Realized I've been shaping my toe clips backwards on draft shoes for like two years because an old-timer in Kentucky just pointed and laughed at my setup.

He walked over, said 'son, that clip's facing the wrong hoof,' and showed me how the wear pattern on the old shoe proved it, which totally explains why those big guys kept throwing shoes last winter, huh?

Appreciation post: My old boss in Boise taught me to always use a hoof stand, but I think it slows you down.

Last week I trimmed a quarter horse in under 20 minutes by just holding the leg. Has anyone else ditched the stand for certain jobs?

Changed my tune on that portable forge after a wet spring

I always thought a portable propane forge was a luxury I didn't need, sticking with my old coal setup in the shop. This past spring was so rainy here in Kentucky that I lost a bunch of work days because I couldn't get a good fire going outside for corrective shoeing. I finally bit the bullet and spent about $600 on a decent propane rig. Having that steady, clean heat right out of my truck bed let me finish jobs on the spot instead of rescheduling. It paid for itself in maybe two months just from keeping clients happy and not losing appointments. The control is different, but I'm getting the hang of it. Has anyone else made the switch and have tips for working with propane on the road?

Dropped $700 on a new forge blower and I'm still not sure if it was smart

I got tired of my old hand crank blower giving out on big jobs, so I bought a new electric one. It was a big chunk of change, about seven hundred bucks. The good side is it gives me a super steady heat, which is great for making custom shoes or doing repairs that need a lot of focus. But man, the noise is something else. It's loud enough that I have to wear ear protection the whole time, and I miss being able to hear the fire and the metal. Plus, it needs power, so I'm stuck near an outlet or running a generator. My old way was slow but quiet and I could work anywhere. Did I just trade peace and quiet for a bit of speed, or is the steady heat really worth the headache?

Read an old vet journal that said draft horses used to get shod with shoes weighing over 5 pounds each

Found it in a box of my grandpa's stuff. He was a farrier in the 50s. The journal said they'd make them from bar stock right at the farm. Can't imagine shaping that much steel on a portable forge. Makes our modern keg shoes look tiny. Anyone here ever worked on a true draft horse with shoes that big?

Spent 3 hours on a hoof with a hidden abscess track

Had a horse in last week with a slight limp, thought it was just a trim issue. Cleaned the hoof and found a tiny black spot near the white line, but the probe just went in a quarter inch and stopped. Kept digging with the hoof knife and found the track curved up under the sole. Ended up having to open a much bigger area than I first thought to drain it all. Anyone have a good trick for spotting those sneaky ones before you start cutting?

Switched to a new rasp style on a tough quarter crack job

Got called out to a barn near Springfield for a standard quarter crack repair last month. The horse was a big draft cross, and the crack was deep. I usually stick with my old Heller rasps, but my supplier was out, so I grabbed a different brand, a 'Fine Cut' model they said was just as good. Started working it, and the feel was totally off, way too grabby on the hoof wall. Instead of a smooth finish, it was leaving little chatter marks I had to spend extra time fixing. Took me almost an hour longer than it should have, and I was sweating bullets trying not to take off too much hoof. Learned that even a small change in tool teeth can throw off your whole rhythm on a detailed job. What's your go-to rasp for clean finish work on cracks?

Remembering that crazy hot week in July '09 at the county fairgrounds

It was over 100 degrees for five days straight, and I was the only farrier who showed up to shoe for the draft horse pull. I had a line of eight Belgians and Percherons, each needing a full set. My anvil felt like it was sitting on the sun, and the forge heat just made the air thicker. What made it stand out, though, was the old timer who ran the event, a guy named Frank. He brought me a steady stream of ice water in a metal bucket and set up a big fan, saying, 'A man who works in this heat deserves a little wind.' We got through every horse, and the teamwork with the handlers in that brutal weather just felt different, more solid. I still think about that week when I'm on a tough job. Anyone else have a story about a day where a small act of help turned a terrible job around?

Had a close call with a spooked draft horse in Lancaster last week, my apron got caught on a stall latch.

PSA: I just read that a horse's hoof wall grows about a quarter inch per month

I was flipping through an old textbook from my apprenticeship and saw that stat, which honestly surprised me because I always thought it was slower. It really puts the timing for resets into perspective for me now. Does that growth rate seem about right from what you all have seen in your regular clients?

A client's horse gave me the weirdest shoeing feedback ever

I was trimming a big draft horse named Gus last month, and his owner stood there watching the whole time. When I finished, she looked at his feet and said, 'You know, the left hind looks sadder than the right.' I just stared at her. She went on, 'The angle is fine, but the feel is off. It's not a happy foot.' I almost laughed, but she was totally serious. So, I went back and checked my work. I realized I'd been rushing the finish on that hoof, leaving a slightly thicker wall and a less crisp line. I took the time to balance it out perfectly, even though it looked okay before. Now, I make a point to give every hoof a final 'mood check' before I call it done. It sounds silly, but it made me slow down and see the whole picture, not just the parts. Has a client ever said something that made you rethink a tiny part of your routine?