Update: I was trimming a draft horse's hoof too short for years

An old farrier named Walt at a clinic in Lexington told me I was taking off too much sole on big draft feet, maybe a quarter inch more than needed. I started leaving a bit more sole and using a different rasp angle, and the next shoeing on a Percheron named Duke went way smoother (the horse seemed more comfortable too, honestly). Anyone else get advice that made you change a basic step you thought you had down?

2 comments

2 Comments

quinn_nguyen19d ago

Heard a similar story from a buddy who shoes polo ponies. A trainer pointed out he was setting the nails a touch too high, making the clinches weak. He adjusted his hammer swing just a bit and the shoes held way better through a full chukker.

parkerk5619d ago

Exactly, that tiny change makes all the difference. I had a stubborn horse that kept throwing shoes, and my mentor watched me work. He saw I was driving the nail in one solid hit, which looked clean but didn't set it deep enough. He had me switch to two lighter, focused taps to finish each nail. It felt wrong at first, like I was babying it, but the clinch was so much tighter. That shoe stayed on for a full six weeks of hard riding.