Had a older gentleman bring in an OTTB with thin walls and cracked hooves. Said he wanted glue-ons for the front pair. I tried to talk him into nails. He insisted. That was 8 weeks ago and the horse is trotting sound with good growth. I still prefer nails but I can't argue with results like that. Anyone else change their mind on something after seeing it work firsthand?
Was trimming an old thoroughbred last Tuesday and the farrier next to me pointed out my bevel was facing inward, no wonder I'd been struggling with cracked hooves. Has anyone else had that lightbulb moment where you realize you've been doing a basic step backwards the whole time?
New client called me out to a barn in Woodinville. Said her mare loses a shoe every 3 weeks like clockwork. I checked everything - angles, balance, even the clips. Took me 3 visits before I noticed she was dragging her hind toes because of a stifle issue the vet had missed. Simple fix once I saw it. Anyone else run into a horse that made you feel like you forgot how to read a hoof?
Every single farrier there was working with a different brand of rasp and had their own way of holding it. Makes me wonder if we all just get stuck on what we learned first or if there's actually a best tool for the job. Has anyone else seen this at a clinic or competition?
I always thought hoof stands were just for show until I borrowed one from a guy at the Kentucky farrier meetup last month. After 3 hours of trimming with it vs without, my lower back didn't ache at all. Any other farriers here swear by one for heavy horses?
I was dead set against glue-ons for years. Thought they were just a way to separate farriers from their money. Then I got a call about an old mare in Woodinville with coffin bone issues that couldn't hold nails. Tried the glue-ons as a last resort and that horse was sound for 6 months straight. Has anyone else had a client change your mind on a technique you hated?
I was grabbing some oats last Tuesday and this older farrier was talking to a younger guy. He said he never bothers looking for thrush in the frog unless the horse is already limping. That scared me a bit. I find most of my thrush cases before they get that bad just by flipping the foot and giving it a quick sniff during trims. Has anyone else run into farriers who skip that basic check until it's a major problem?
I was out at a ranch near Chimacum, Washington working on a big draft cross. Old farrier named Hank watched me for a minute and then just shook his head. He pointed out I was landing the front feet way too toe-first on that horse's conformation. I had been doing that same motion since I started in 2005 and never questioned it. Has anyone else had a random encounter totally change how you approach a common movement pattern?
I picked up an anvil at a farm auction for $200 thinking I got a steal. Turned out it was cast iron with a beat up face, not forged steel like I thought. After three tries shaping shoes on it, the face started chipping and I had to toss it. Lost the money and a full Saturday of work. Anyone else get burned by a bad anvil buy?
Got a client last month with a standardbred that was tearing up his fronts every 4 weeks. Tried the usual keg shoes with some clips but he kept losing them. Threw on a set of aluminum sliders with a rocker toe and that horse went from yanking his feet back to standing like a champ. Has anyone else found certain horses just do way better with a lighter shoe even if it costs more?
Used to spend 45 minutes per horse just doing the front feet with a hand rasp. Wrists were always killing me, especially on the draft horses. Got a used power rasp off a guy retiring in Ohio for $200 and it cut my time down to 15 minutes. First couple shoes I tried it on I messed up the angle bad though. Took about 2 weeks to get the feel for it. Any other farriers here make the switch and have tips for not taking too much off the toe?
I got all excited last spring after watching some online video about how a fancy adjustable stand would save my back. Bought one from a big catalog, the thing weighs like 40 pounds, and it's such a pain to haul out of my truck I barely use it. My old plastic block and a bucket lid work just as fine for 90% of horses I see. Anyone else blow money on a tool that sounded great but just sits in the corner?
I've been going back and forth on this for months. My mentor swore by the hot shoe method, said it locks the nail better. But I tried cold clinching last week on a draft horse in Boise and the hoof held up fine. The heat takes extra time and I'm worried about burning the sole. What do you guys prefer and why?
I tried angling my clinching block way steeper and it worked on the first try yesterday on a big Percheron, has anyone else found that adjusting the block angle makes a bigger difference than the hammer blow?
Was out on a 10 mile ride with a client way up in the Bitterroot Valley. Horse threw a front shoe crossing a creek. Had to pack up everything, drive 2 hours back to the shop, forge a new one on site, then drive back. Charged the client for the shoe plus drive time but they weren't happy. Anyone else deal with emergency reshoes on remote rides?
Been using the same rasp for twice that long for years. Tried swapping it out like he said and my filing time dropped by almost 15 minutes on a full set of four. Anybody else notice a big difference with fresh tools?
I was trimming a draft cross and forgot my glove on the passenger seat. Grabbed the shoe bare handed after pulling it from the forge and got a solid blister across three fingers. Any tips for getting back to work faster when your grip hand is sore?
The difference in traction was night and day (my horse went from slipping around to actually gripping the ground) and I couldn't believe I waited this long to try them out. Has anyone else had a similar moment with a shoe style change?
Ran into this guy named Red at a feed store last Tuesday. He's gotta be 70 if he's a day, been shoeing since the 70s. I was complaining about a tough mule that kept throwing shoes. He just laughed and said 'you're trying to make his foot look like a horse's, that's your problem.' Then he showed me how he trims mules more square and sets the shoe a little wider at the heel. Never even crossed my mind to treat them that different. Has anyone else adjusted how they handle mules vs horses?
I always struggled getting a perfect fullered section on hind shoes until a guy at a clinic showed me to wet the anvil horn first. The steam cushion actually stops the steel from slipping sideways. Anyone else use water or something else to control the steel?
I got a great deal on a bulk pack of synthetic hoof pads from an online discount place last spring. Figured they were basically the same as the name brand ones for half the price. Big mistake. After three days on a trail ride with a client's horse, the pads had shifted completely sideways and one was bunched up near the frog. The horse went dead lame and I had to refund the whole ride, plus pay for the vet to come check for an abscess. Total loss was around $120 between the pads, the refund, and the vet call. The client didn't hire me again after that either. Anyone else get burned by cheap pads that just don't stay put under real work?
Went back to plain old leather pads from the feed store for $12 and they've held perfect for three months now, anyone else find the expensive stuff is just marketing?
I know most guys here think glue-on shoes are a gimmick for lazy farriers. But I put a set on a nasty foundered pony back in March and they held up for a full 8 weeks. No clips, no nails, just cleaned the hoof wall good and used the polyurethane stuff. The owner called me last week saying the pony is moving better than he has in years. I get that they're not for every horse but why is the hate so strong? Anyone else had a good run with them on a tough case?
She watched me trim for two minutes then started yelling about my hoof angle. Said I took off too much heel. This was in Amarillo last Tuesday. Her horse had flares on both fronts though. Has anyone else had a client try to micro-manage mid-trim?
I've been trimming this little Shetland named Peanut out near Lancaster for about 14 months now. When I first got him his coffin bone rotation was bad, toes way too long, heels underrun. The owner was doing the bare minimum before. After a year of consistent 5-week trims and balancing the heels first, his hoof angle went from 50 degrees to a solid 58. Has anyone else seen that big a shift just from getting the trim schedule right?