Freelance Forum - The Community for Independent Professionals

c/farriers

4

danielowens•1d ago

Got talked into trying a new hoof knife from a guy at a trade show

Last month in Louisville I ran into this older farrier who swore up and down his $80 specialty hoof knife would save me time. I figured it was just marketing but I was in a rush so I bought one. Turned out the damn thing actually did cut cleaner and faster - has anyone else had a tool you wrote off end up being worth the money?

15

corap61•3d ago

Shoutout to that one barn in Ocala with the concrete aisle flooring

I was down in Ocala last month trimming at a big show barn and walked into the aisle to grab my tools. The whole floor was this smooth, sealed concrete with drains every 10 feet. I spent half the day just admiring how easy it was to clean up hoof trimmings and not breathe in dust. Has anyone else worked in a place with flooring that actually made your job easier?

11

shane170•7d ago

Overheard a guy at the tack shop say something that made me rethink my hoof angles

I was grabbing some nails and this older farrier was talking to the shop owner about how he sets his front feet a full degree steeper than the book says. Said he's been doing it for 15 years and sees way less quarter cracks on his horses. I always followed the standard numbers from my clinic back in 2019, but I tried his method on three horses this week in Fresno. Two of them moved noticeably smoother on the lunge line. I'm not fully converted yet, but it got me thinking about how much of our trade is based on general rules versus what a specific horse actually needs. Has anyone else messed with angles away from the textbook numbers?

14

victorhernandez•8d ago

Dropped a hoof knife in a horse's water bucket last Tuesday in Lexington

I was trimming a standardbred mare around 3pm and my favorite hoof knife slipped right out of my hand and landed in her water bucket. Didn't realize till I went to reach for it again and saw it sitting at the bottom. Had to drain the bucket, fish it out, and clean everything. Anyone else ever drop tools in weird spots on a job?

10

blairm77•9d ago

Hit 200 horses shod this year and it barely felt like work

I've been keeping a rough count since January and I crossed 200 horses shod last Thursday. That's a new personal record for me in a single season and I honestly didn't expect it to happen this fast. I think it's because I switched to a lighter rasp and started using a smaller anvil on the truck for field work. Has anyone else noticed a big jump in speed just from swapping out one piece of gear?

26

henry_anderson54•26d ago

Vent: Hit 50 barefoot horse shoeing gigs in 4 months and my back is wrecked

I didn't realize how many owners are going barefoot now until I counted 50 jobs where there were zero nails involved and just trimming and boot fitting. Anyone else seeing way more barefoot requests than they expected?

1

cora813•27d ago

Tried that new forge welding technique I saw on a UK forum last week

Decided to try a 'scarf and tap' method instead of my usual upsetting approach for a steel repair on a draft horse shoe. The metal just crumbled on me after two strikes, totally ruined the shoe. Has anyone else messed up a job trying something from an overseas farrier group?

4

emma_lee22•27d ago

Just hit 1,500 horse trims in three years and it hit me different

I was out in the barn yesterday finishing up a trim on a standardbred mare when I did the math on my log book. Three years ago I started keeping track and I'm now at 1,503 trims total. That number surprised me because I always thought I was slow compared to older farriers. But seeing it on paper made me realize consistency really adds up. Anyone else keep a running count and get surprised by what you've actually done?

5

blairm77•1mo ago

The way I used to shape shoes on the anvil was all wrong until 3 years ago

For years I would just hammer the toe and heel cold and call it a day. Then I took a clinic in Lexington and the old timer there showed me how to work the steel hot all the way through. Now I heat every shoe to a cherry red before I start shaping, especially on drafts and warmbloods with big feet. It cut my fitting time in half, down to about 12 minutes per shoe. I used to fight the steel and end up with uneven heels that took forever to level. Now the metal moves smooth and I get a way better fit on the foot. Has anyone else changed how they forge shoes and seen a big difference in how the horse moves?

32

bell.jessica•1mo ago

TIL that gas station near the I-90 truck stop has really bad hoof rot going around

I stopped at that place just north of Rockford yesterday to grab a coffee and noticed three horses in the lot that looked off - one was practically hobbling. Their farrier was out there with a spray bottle and no gloves on, anyone else seen this spreading?

18

drews55•1mo ago

Old farrier watched me nail a shoe and just said 'you're rushing'

I was at a barn in Clifton last Thursday, halfway through my third horse, and this guy in his 70s I'd never met just stood there watching. When I finished he said 'you're rushing, the foot tells you when it's ready not the clock.' I was trying to get done before rain hit but he made me slow down on the next one. Had to re-set two nails on the front left that I would have missed if I kept my pace. Anyone else had some random old timer call them out like that?

10

hannahj49•1mo ago

Read a forum post about using rawhide mallets on new shoes and had to rethink my whole approach

I was scrolling through an old thread last night and some farrier from Nebraska swore he never uses a rawhide mallet on fresh shoes because it can mess with the temper. I've been using the same rawhide mallet for 8 years and never even thought about it. So I tried a deadblow hammer today on a set of front shoes for a gelding with thin walls. The difference in how the shoe sat after nailing was pretty noticeable. I had to adjust my hammer angle a bit, but the shoe seemed to grab the nail holes way better. Anyone else ever switch hammers based on the shoe or the horse's foot condition?

2

the_sage•1mo ago

Why does nobody talk about the cost of forge welding vs welding cast shoes?

I spent $80 on a secondhand forge setup to try welding my own shoes from bar stock. My buddy spends $50 a week on pre-welded keg shoes from the supply house. I'm three weeks in and my welds still crack on draft horses. He's never had a failure. Which path actually saves money long term? Anyone else go back to buying them ready-made?

6

paulnguyen•1mo ago

I finally called out a guy for using the wrong nails on a draft horse

Had a client last Tuesday with a Percheron that was limping bad. Pulled the shoe and found he used #4 nails way too short for a draft hoof. They barely held the shoe on and one was bent over inside the white line. I asked him why he didnt grab #6s and he said he ran out. Told him he shouldve just called me instead of risking that horse going lame. Anyone else deal with farriers cutting corners on nail sizes?

5

emma_lee22•1mo ago

Wasted $150 on a budget forge that couldn't hold heat

Bought a cheap gas forge off Amazon back in March thinking it would save me money. First week it worked okay but after that the ceramic wool started crumbling and the burner just couldn't keep temp above 2000F. Lost $150 plus the cost of two horseshoes I ruined trying to work with inconsistent heat. Anyone else get burned buying bargain shop equipment?

14

abby_fisher•1mo ago

TIL I was setting nails wrong for 10 years and a old school farrier called me out on it

I was out on a job last Tuesday up near Clarksville, working on a big draft cross that had some serious hoof wall issues. I've always set my nails a little high cause I thought it gave more grab and held better. This old timer, must have been 70 if he was a day, pulls up to the farm to check on his own horse and just watches me for a minute. He says 'you're gonna split that wall if you keep hammering up there, son' and I almost laughed it off. But then he showed me how he sets them way lower, right into the white line, and damned if the shoe didn't sit flatter and tighter. I've been fighting with quarter cracks and loose shoes for years and I thought it was just the horses, but it was me the whole time. Anyone else have a old horseman straight up change how you work with one simple thing?

3

sandragrant•1mo ago

Old timer showed me a better way to hold a rasp at a clinic in Kentucky

Guy had to be pushing 80, watched me file for two minutes, then just said 'you're leaning into your back foot son' and showed me a grip that saved my shoulder by the end of the day. Anybody else pick up a weird trick from an older farrier that stuck with you?

14

karen_hill3•1mo ago

Finally got the right forge weld after 4 tries

I had to decide between a gas forge and my old coal one for welding a bar of 1080 and 15n20. I stuck with the coal forge cause I know its heat zones better. Took a few tries but I got a clean billet on the fourth go with no cold shuts. Anyone else still prefer coal over gas for pattern welding?

24

ruby_bell47•1mo ago

Old school vs. glue on shoes for a show string.

I had a chat with an old timer last week at a barn in Lexington. He said hot shoeing is the only way for sound feet, said glue on shoes are just a crutch. But I've got a mare who won't hold nails, and glue on has kept her sound for 6 months now. Is tradition really better, or are we just scared of new stuff? What's your take on where you draw the line?

10

scott.alex•1mo ago

Switched to a different rasp for a draft horse and the finish was way smoother

I tried a Heller file on a big Belgian last month, thinking it would be fine, but the hoof wall was so much cleaner after. What's your go-to tool for heavy breeds?

24

iris_thomas85•1mo ago

Question about using a rasp vs. a grinder for final finish

Had a tough quarter crack on a Percheron in Boise last month, debated between my old hand rasp and a new 4-inch grinder. Went with the rasp for more control, and the owner said it was the cleanest finish she'd seen. Anyone else lean on hand tools for tricky spots like that?

8

fisher.jessica•1mo ago

Heads up on those new 'quick-set' acrylic pads versus the old school rubber ones

I just finished a tough week shoeing a string of jumpers at a barn in Lexington and had to swap out my usual rubber frog support pads for some new acrylic 'quick-set' ones I got a deal on. The difference was night and day, and not in a good way. The acrylic stuff set up way too fast in the heat, maybe 90 seconds, and got brittle. I had a horse come back after three days with the pad cracked and a piece wedged up in the foot. The old rubber ones I've used for years might take a bit longer to trim, but they stay flexible and mold to the foot. It was a real mess to clean out and cost me an extra hour of work and a free re-shoe to make it right. Has anyone else run into problems with these newer fast-setting materials on performance horses?

26

jessica331•1mo ago

I was burning my hoof knives for a decade before a guy at the Oregon show pointed it out

I was sharpening my hoof knives on my grinder like always, and this older farrier from Idaho just walked up and said, 'Kid, you're holding the color too long.' He showed me how to dip the steel in water the second it hit a light straw color, not the blue I was waiting for. I'd been overheating the edge and making it soft without knowing. Anyone else have a sharpening trick they learned way too late?

2

kevinw94•1mo ago

A trainer in Lexington told me my rasp angle was off by about 10 degrees

He showed me on a hoof he was working on, and the cut was so much cleaner. How do you check your own form when you're working alone?

8

blake_kelly19•1mo ago

Heard a vet in Kentucky talk about hoof wall separation at a clinic

She said she sees a lot of it in wet spring weather, especially with horses on rich pasture. Her big point was that a lot of it gets blamed on thrush, but the real fix often starts with adjusting the diet to lower sugar intake. Made me look at a few clients' horses in a new light this month. Anyone else run into this and have a go-to feed change they suggest?