Pro tip: Don't try to trim a hoof with a dull rasp

Honestly, I used to just keep going with my old rasp until it was totally smooth, thinking I was saving money. Then last month in Boulder, I spent 45 minutes on one foot and the horse got so annoyed it tried to sit on me. I sharpened my tools the next day. Anyone else have a horse pull a weird move when you're taking too long?

3 comments

3 Comments

wader7113d ago

Oh man, that's the worst! My old gelding started doing this little shuffle-dance, then he'd just lean all his weight on me. It was like trying to hold up a wall. I finally got a sharp new hoof knife and it cut my time in half. Now he just stands there, half asleep. A sharp tool is a game changer for sure.

elliot_roberts12d ago

My buddy's draft cross would actually start to snore if the trim took too long. He was using a super old pair of nippers that just pinched. Swapped them out and the horse stayed awake for the whole thing, which felt like a weird kind of victory.

mileslane13d ago

Totally feel that. My mare started doing this thing where she'd slowly, slowly try to turn herself in a full circle while I was bent over. It was like she was trying to unscrew herself from the ground. I was too stubborn to admit my rasp was just scraping at that point. Getting a fresh one made it a ten minute job and she stopped the spinning act completely.