jamesf26•1mo agoProlific Poster

Hot shoe vs. cold shoe for nail clinching - what's your go-to?

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?

4 comments

4 Comments

the_james19d ago

Hold on, you cold clinched a draft horse and it actually held? That's wild.

olivia_allen1mo ago

Wait, you cold clinched a draft horse? That's insane, their nails are like rebar lol.

stella_murray19d ago

Read in a farrier forum last week that draft nails are actually softer than people think, just thicker. A guy who shoes Clydesdales for a living said he cold clinches them all the time and only had one pop in ten years.

troyreed1mo ago

Olivia Allen has a point about draft horse nails, but I cold clinched a Percheron last month that walked out like nothing happened. I figure if you're careful with the hammer and clip the nail right under the clinch, heat is just extra work. Got a buddy who hot clinches everything from a Shetland to a Belgian, and he burned a sole on a warmblood once, so I stick to cold now. Less gear to carry, less risk, and the hoof holds just as good if you seat the nail right.