c/farriers

Had to pick between a used forge and a new anvil... picked wrong

I was saving up for months to upgrade my setup, and I had just enough cash for either a used gas forge I found on Craigslist or a brand new 150 pound anvil from the supply house. The forge was a screaming deal at $300 from a guy in Des Moines who was getting out of the trade, and I figured I could make do with my old beat up anvil a while longer. Well, I bought the forge, got it home, and the burner was clogged and the insulation was cracked in three places. Spent a weekend patching it up and it still doesn't hold heat right. Meanwhile, that anvil I passed on got snatched up the next day for $450 and now I'm kicking myself. Has anyone else gambled on used gear and regretted it, or am I the only one who can't catch a break?

Wasted $150 on those 'premium' hoof pads from the catalog

Tried those fancy shock-absorbing pads on a client's TB with thin soles, and they just held moisture and made things worse. Anybody else had better luck with plain felt or leather instead?

Tried rasps from a cheaper brand for the first time and got a smoother finish than my usual $45 ones

Picked up a $12 rasp from a smaller company at a swap meet last month thinking I'd just use it for rough work, but it cut cleaner and lasted longer on a full set of shoes, has anyone else had a budget tool surprise them like that?

Just heard a guy at the feed store say he uses roofing nails on shoes

I was picking up supplies yesterday and overheard this older farrier telling a younger guy he saves money by using roofing nails instead of proper horseshoe nails. Said he's been doing it for 10 years with no issues. That made my blood run cold honestly. Roofing nails have way less holding power and they can shear off under the stress of a horse moving. Plus they're not designed to clinch properly which means a loose shoe waiting to happen. Has anyone else run into customers asking about this kind of shortcut?

PSA: Spent $75 on a "professional" hoof gauge from a fancy catalog - total garbage, bent after 2 uses

Got this stainless steel gauge from a big name catalog, seemed solid out of the box. First day out on a job in Davidson, NC, the little arm bent when I was measuring a draft horse hoof. Second day it just snapped off completely. Called them up and they said it's not covered under warranty since it's "improper use." Stick with the old school brass ones from your local supply shop, they're cheaper and actually hold up. Anybody else had luck with a specific brand that doesn't fall apart?

I think hot shoeing gets too much hype at clinics and here's why

Was at the Mid-Atlantic Farrier Conference back in March and watched a big name guy spend 20 minutes fitting a shoe hot when the foot was already balanced and cold. Crowd ate it up but I couldn't help thinking about the wasted time and risk of burning the sole. I hot shoe when I need to for adjustments (you know, tweaking toe grabs or clips) but for a basic flat fit on a sound hoof, cold works just fine. Am I missing something or does the theater of it just sell better?

Watch out for the guy who says he's been shoeing 40 years but can't hold a rasp right.

Had a guy come into my barn last spring bragging about his decades of experience, then I watched him leave a heel bulb so high the horse was walking on eggshells. Has anyone else run into these weekend warriors who talk big but won't take advice?

Old farrier told me to trim heels lower than I thought - he was dead right

I been shoeing for about 4 years now and always left heels a bit high because I was scared of making the horse sore. Then this old timer named Bill at a clinic in Lexington last fall said I needed to drop them at least a quarter inch more on a mare with underrun heels. I did it on one foot just to test him and the difference in her stride was night and day after 3 days. Now I follow his rule on every horse with heel issues and it's cut my callbacks by maybe half. Has anyone else had an old school farrier give them a tip that totally changed how you work?

Can we talk about how hot forge work gets in the summer?

I was shoeing a draft horse in Alabama last July and the heat coming off the anvil was brutal. Does anyone else set up a fan or work early mornings to deal with it?

Switched to aluminum shoes after 12 years of steel, here's why

I always thought aluminum shoes were just for racehorses and rich people. But last month I had a client in Lexington bring me a horse that kept losing steel shoes on hard ground. I was about to blame my nailing until I looked up some stats on the American Farriers Journal site. Turns out aluminum shoes are actually lighter by about 40% on average, which cuts down concussion on the hoof wall. That surprised me because I figured they'd wear out in a week. But the real kicker was reading that some dressage barns in Virginia switched completely and saw fewer quarter cracks. I tried a set on that horse and he's held them for 6 weeks now without one pull. Has anyone else seen better hoof health after making the swap?

That muddy field in Lexington last spring made me rethink my whole approach to shoeing

I was out at a farm in Lexington Kentucky back in April for a routine trim and shoe on a 5-year-old gelding. Ground was pure mud from all the rain we'd had, about 3 inches deep in the paddock. I popped his front left shoe off during the trim because the nail heads were buried and I couldn't get a good bite. By the time I finished, mud had packed inside my apron pockets and I couldn't find my hoof knife for 10 minutes. Now I refuse to work on anything but packed gravel or dry stalls after a soaking rain. Any of you guys set rules about ground conditions before you'll take a job?

Dropped $200 on a portable forge and it sat in the truck bed for 6 months before I finally used it

Bought one of those little propane forges from Northern Tool thinking I'd be making custom shoes on the go. Thing just sat there taking up space. Finally used it last week to heat up a bent clip and it worked fine. Got a few other farriers asking about it now. Anyone else buy gear that collects dust before you actually need it?

Realized I’d been setting my nails wrong for 12 years after a client spoke up

A jumper pulled her shoe off mid-ride and showed me the toe clip was pushing her foot sideways. It finally clicked that I’d been putting the nail line too far forward on her narrow horses. Has anyone else had a basic habit get busted by a horse or owner calling it out?

That one compliment from an old timer in Lubbock

I was shoeing a paint mare last Tuesday when this retired farrier, probably 70 years old, just watched me from the fence line for a good 20 minutes. He walked over after I finished and said "you got a nice touch with nervous horses, kid" and honestly that meant way more than any certification I've ever gotten. Anyone else remember a specific compliment that stuck with them?

Swore a hand rasp was always better than a power one until I tried a friend's die grinder on a nasty club foot last month

That die grinder shaved off a quarter inch of weird hoof wall in under a minute while my arm was still sore from trying to rasp the first foot, so has anyone else switched to power tools for certain horses or am I just getting lazy?

The old way of pulling shoes vs. now

I remember back in 2008 when I first started out, I'd spend 20 minutes trying to pull a stuck shoe with just a hammer and a pry bar, bending half of them in the process. Now I keep a pair of Knipex 8-inch pliers in my apron for stubborn nails, and I can pull a full set in under 5 minutes with no damage. Does anyone else still keep an old school hoof knife around just for nostalgia even though you barely use it?

Heads up - that new farrier supply place in Lexington has bad forge coke

So I stopped by All-Tack Supply on Richmond Road last Tuesday to grab some coke for my portable forge. Figured I'd try their house brand since it was $8 less per 50lb bag than what I usually get from Kentucky Horse Supply. Big mistake. That stuff clumped up real bad and wouldn't get past a dull orange heat, just sat there smoking. I had to dump my whole forge and start over with my regular stuff. Lost almost an hour on my shoeing schedule. Anyone else run into bad coke from a new supplier lately?

Old timer told me my nails were set too deep. Changed my whole approach.

Had a guy with 30 years in the biz watch me nail a shoe last spring. He said I was driving the nail too far into the hoof, making it a stress point. I was taught to bury the head flush, but he showed me to leave it just a hair proud. After a few months doing it his way, I've had way less callbacks for loose shoes. Anyone else get feedback that made you re-think a basic move you thought was solid?

A chat with a vet tech made me see hoof testers in a new light

I was at a barn in Springfield yesterday, and the vet tech, Sarah, was watching me work. She said something like, 'You know, I always thought those things were just for finding sore spots.' I told her yeah, that's the main job. Then she goes, 'But it's like a lie detector for the hoof, right? The horse can't tell you where it hurts, but the tool asks the question.' That hit different. I've been using my Diamond double-jaw testers for five years, and I always saw them as a simple diagnostic tool. Now I think of it as a conversation. It changed how I approach a lameness exam, making me slower and more thoughtful about each pinch. Anyone else have a simple comment from a client or coworker that totally shifted how you use a basic piece of gear?

Rant: I thought those new hoof boots were just a gimmick

A client in Austin insisted on trying the Easyboot Cloud for her trail horse last month, and I was sure it wouldn't hold up. After seeing it handle 30 miles of rocky terrain without a single rub or shift, I'm totally convinced. Has anyone else had a good experience with a specific boot model they initially doubted?

Question about the trend of using thinner shoes on draft horses

I've been seeing more folks, especially newer farriers, putting regular keg shoes on draft horses around here. I worked on a Percheron last week that had been shod with a size 2 plain stamp, and the owner said the last guy said it was 'close enough.' That's a problem. Draft feet are built different, they need the right support. A shoe that's too thin or narrow can lead to serious issues like quarter cracks or underrun heels because the weight isn't spread right. I learned this the hard way about ten years ago on a Belgian mare, and it took months to correct the damage. Using a proper wide-web shoe made for drafts isn't just a suggestion, it's basic good practice. Has anyone else had to fix this kind of work lately, and what's your go-to draft shoe?

I always thought those cheap hoof nippers from the farm store were fine, but one snapped on a tough quarter crack last Thursday.

PSA: My new hoof stand cost $350 and I'm not sure it was worth it.

I got the fancy one with the adjustable leg and the padded top. It's nice and steady, but it's so heavy to carry from the truck. My old simple stand was lighter and did the same job for holding a foot. Has anyone found a good middle ground that's easy to move but still solid?

My old boss said to never use a rasp on a hot shoe, but I tried it on a draft horse last week.

He was right. The steel lost its temper and the shoe wore out in two days. Anyone else have a rule they ignored and paid for?

A client in Bend asked me why I always trim the frog so thin

I was working on a big quarter horse named Gus, just a regular trim at a barn outside Bend. His owner, an older guy named Carl, was watching me like a hawk. When I got to the frog, I trimmed it back pretty thin, like I always do. Carl just said, 'You know, my old farrier used to leave a lot more of that. Said it was a cushion.' I told him I like to keep it thin to prevent thrush and let it make good contact with the ground. He nodded and said, 'Makes sense. Just never seen it done that way before.' It wasn't a fight, but it stuck with me. Made me think about why I do things a certain way and if I can explain it better. How do you all handle it when a client questions a basic part of your routine?