Had a chat with an old cowboy farrier about shoeing mules and he dropped some wisdom I wasn't ready for

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?

4 comments

4 Comments

the_evan1mo ago

Buddy of mine out in Nevada had this old mule skinner teach him a trick. Guy told him to never shoe a mule right after a rainstorm because their hooves soak up moisture different than horses, makes the nails loosen up. My friend swore by it for years, said it cut his callback rate in half. Old timers like that Red fella really do have a whole separate playbook for mules.

the_tessa1mo ago

Folks are really acting like this is rocket science. Saw what @the_evan said about rain and nails - seems like just good timing is all. Trimming a mule a bit wider is one thing but the moon phase stuff is where I check out.

lindamartin1mo ago

And here I've been thinking mules were just horses with a bad attitude and long ears, turns out they're practically a whole different species when it comes to their feet. Old Red probably forgot more about shoeing than most of us will ever know, but he also sounds like the kind of guy who'd charge you extra just for the lecture. Bet he's got a dozen other secrets stashed under that hat, too. Next thing you know, he'll be telling me to trim them on a Tuesday during a full moon or something.

the_fiona1mo ago

Oh boy, you've got a good point there but I gotta gently push back on one thing. Mules aren't just horses with a bad attitude, they're actually half donkey and half horse. That's why their feet are so different, they get the best and worst of both worlds. Old Red probably knows every little quirk about those hybrid hooves, and yeah, he'd probably charge you an arm and a leg for the full moon trimming advice too. But trust me, he's not making up the moon phase thing, a lot of farriers swear by it for certain horses.