c/farriers

Just realized I was over-trimming the bars on my quarter clips

I used to take them way down, but after a clinic in Boise last fall, I leave about an eighth inch more. The instructor said it gives the shoe a better seat and reduces pressure points... anyone else adjust their clip work recently?

Had a chat with an old timer at the feed store about hoof knives

I was picking up some supplies in Billings last week and got talking to this retired farrier, maybe 70 years old. He said, 'A sharp knife is a safe knife, but a dull one makes you push too hard.' I've always kept mine sharp, but hearing him say it made me really think about my pressure on the hoof. How do you guys judge when you're using too much force on a trim?

Bought a new rasp for a tough quarter crack and it was worth every penny

Had a client's horse with a nasty quarter crack that just wouldn't clear up. I was about ready to give up on my old rasp, so I dropped about $65 on a new one from a brand my buddy recommended. The difference was night and day, it cut through the dead sole so much cleaner and faster. Finished the job in half the time and the horse was way more comfortable. Anyone have a go-to tool that turned a frustrating job around for them?

Had a shoe twist sideways on a big draft horse in the middle of a trim last week.

Remember when we all used to forge our own nails from bar stock?

Back in the 90s, my mentor in Kentucky had me making nails by hand every afternoon for a year. We'd cut, heat, head, and point each one, and a good day was maybe 60 nails. I switched to buying factory-made around 2005, not because I couldn't do it, but because the time cost got too high for most clients. The quality is super consistent now, but I do miss the feel of a perfectly formed nail you made yourself. Do any of you still hand-forge nails for special shoes, or is that skill pretty much gone from regular work?

A trainer in Colorado told me my clinch was too far forward on a hind shoe. I moved it back an inch and the horse stopped forging.

I always thought quarter cracks were mostly from dry hooves until I read a study from the University of Kentucky

It said over 70% of the cases they looked at were linked to poor hoof balance and uneven weight bearing, not just moisture. I found it in an old issue of the American Farriers Journal while cleaning out my truck. Has anyone else shifted their trim approach after seeing that kind of data?

Bought a cheap anvil stand online and it cost me more than just money

I thought I was saving cash by getting a $300 anvil stand from a website I found. It arrived and looked fine for about a month. Then during a normal shoeing session, the whole thing started to wobble and one of the legs bent. I had to stop work, which meant losing a full day's pay, about $400. On top of that, I had to rush order a proper stand from a real supplier. I should have just gone with the heavy duty one my buddy recommended from the start. Anyone have a solid brand they trust for stands that can take a real beating?

Looking back, dropping $800 on that digital hoof mapping system a decade ago felt like a huge gamble, but it totally changed how I see balance.

It saved me from a lot of guesswork on tricky quarter cracks and I still use it today, so what's the one tool you bought that seemed fancy at the time but actually paid off?

Switched to a new hoof knife for a tricky quarter crack job

I was working on a quarter crack on a big draft horse in Boise last Friday, and my usual knife just wasn't getting the right angle. I grabbed a new one I got from a tool sale, a Mustad 4-inch curved blade, and it cut through the old hoof wall like butter, way cleaner than I expected. Anyone else find a specific tool that just clicks for a certain problem?

Overheard a new farrier say they only use a rasp for touch-ups now

I was grabbing coffee before a job in Bozeman and heard a young guy at the next table talking to a friend. He said he'd just bought a $400 electric finishing tool and only uses his hand rasp for 'maybe five minutes' on a shoe. It made me think about how my old mentor, Frank, would spend half an hour just on the finish with his favorite 12-inch rasp. I guess the trade keeps moving, but I still like the feel of a good hand file. Does anyone still do a full finish by hand, or is that just me being old?

Vent: I read a study that says most hoof cracks are not from moisture

I found a paper from a vet school in Kentucky. It tracked 200 horses for two years. The study said only about 30% of hoof wall cracks were linked to wet or dry conditions. The big cause they found was poor hoof balance and landing force. I always thought keeping a horse's feet dry was the main thing. This makes me question a lot of the standard advice we give. What do you all think about hoof balance being the real problem?

Saw a guy at the fairgrounds rasping the sole flat on a healthy foot, and it made me cringe.

I was taught to only remove flaky, dead sole, but some farriers argue a flat surface is better for shoe fit. Which camp are you in and why?

At a clinic in Kentucky, I saw a farrier use a hoof stand for every single shoe and it blew my mind.

He was working on a big warmblood, and instead of holding the leg between his knees, he had this portable stand set up in under 10 seconds. The horse stood totally still the whole time. I tried it on my next client, a nervous thoroughbred, and the difference was night and day. My back felt way better after three horses. Do you guys think using a stand for every shoe is overkill, or is it the new standard?

Just finished my 500th shoeing job of the year and it felt pretty good

I was updating my log book last night and the number really jumped out at me. It's not a huge deal in the grand scheme, but for a guy who went solo three years ago after working for a bigger outfit, it feels like a solid mark. It means I've kept a steady pace, even through that rough patch last winter where the ice kept canceling appointments. The work itself is the same, but hitting that number makes me feel like I've built something real. It's not just about the shoes, it's about the trust from all those barns and owners. I still remember my first solo client, a nervous mare named Daisy over in Millerton. Now her whole barn is on my regular route. For the other solo folks out there, do you keep a running count, or do you just go by the feel of the work week?

A clinic in Kentucky changed how I handle a nervous horse for shoeing

I was at a clinic in Lexington last fall, and the instructor, a vet, showed us a simple trick. He had us hold the horse's lead rope with a very loose, low hand, almost letting it drape, while we picked up the front foot. He said the tight, high hold most of us use actually signals to the horse that we're worried, which makes them worry. I tried it the next week on a jumpy quarter horse gelding, and it cut our setup time in half. He just stood there. Has anyone else picked up a small change like that from a clinic that made a big difference?

Unpopular opinion: I think we overrate the need for a forge in every shop

I was reading an old trade journal from 1998 I found at a yard sale in Boise, and it said over 60% of corrective shoeing cases at that time were solved with stock shoes and careful fitting, not custom forging. I've been in this for 12 years and always felt pressure to have that setup. It made me realize we push new folks toward a big equipment investment they might not need right away. Has anyone built a solid business for years without one?

Tried a new hoof knife sharpening method from a clinic in Boise

I used to just use a basic whetstone, but the instructor showed us how to use a leather strop with compound after each pass. The edge held up way better through a full day of trimming six horses last week. What's your go-to way to keep your knives sharp?

Talked to a vet in Bend about a navicular case that changed my mind on pads

She said 'I see a lot of farriers using a full pad to get a breakover, but that's just trapping moisture and making the problem worse long term.' It hit different because I'd been doing exactly that for years. She showed me how a simple rocker on the shoe with no pad was working better for this horse after three months. Has anyone else moved away from pads for these cases?

The difference in a hoof after switching from a plain rasp to a Heller file

Had a horse with a tough, flaky hoof wall that just wouldn't smooth out, no matter how long I worked with my old rasp. About three months ago, I switched to a Heller 14-inch file on a whim. The first pass took off a clean, even strip instead of just dust. After four trims with it, the hoof wall is way more solid and holds a shoe better. Anyone else find a specific tool that fixed a problem you were just living with?

That time a draft horse spooked and I had to think fast

I was trimming a big Percheron at a farm outside Boise, had the hoof between my knees. A truck backfired on the road and the horse jumped, pulling his foot straight up. My nail apron tipped over and my rasp went flying under his belly. I just kept talking calm, got the foot back down slow, and had the owner hold his head while I picked up my tools. Anyone else have a good trick for keeping your stuff from spilling when a horse moves sudden?

Back when I started, I'd shape a shoe cold and just hope for the best. Now I heat it to a cherry red every single time, no exceptions.

Had a horse come up lame after a cold set in '19. The farrier who fixed my mess said 'heat is your friend, kid.' Anyone else have a moment that changed their whole approach?

My anvil stand gave out during a shoeing job yesterday

I was working on a draft horse for a client in Springfield, and the whole wooden base just split down the middle when I was setting a heel. I had to finish the job with the anvil on the ground, which was a real pain. Has anyone else had this happen, and what's the best wood to use for a rebuild?

Tried a new rasp on a tough quarter crack versus my old one

I was working on a draft horse with a deep quarter crack, and my usual rasp just wasn't cutting it fast enough. Switched to a new one with a different tooth pattern, and it took down the high spot in half the time without grabbing. Anyone else have a go-to tool for bad cracks?

Bought a new propane forge last winter for about $800 and it's been a game changer

My old coal forge was fine, but working in the cold was brutal. This one heats up way faster and holds temp better, so I'm not fighting it all day. It paid for itself by spring just from the time saved on basic shoe shaping. Anyone else switch from coal to gas and have tips for keeping the burner ports clean?