Basic Facts of Farrier Work
- the goal in shoeing is to shape the shoe to the hoof, not
the hoof to the shoe
- the horse's sole should not bare weight
- it is easier to shoe a wide heeled horse than a narrow
heeled horse
- factors which determine the type of shoe needed include:
- conformation
- hoof shape
- type of work required of the
horse
- the surface the horse will work upon
- the front feet are rounder than the hind feet
- the hind feet are narrower than the front feet
- the outside wing or web of a hind shoe is longer than the
inside web of the hind shoe
- the hoof wall is thicker at the toe than at the heels
- the wings of the front shoe must be:
- long enough to
support the heels
- but not so long that they may be
pulled off by the hind foot
- pressure from the shoe on the sole may result in corns
- fullering is the creasing of the ground surface of the
wings of the shoe
- fullering makes the shoe lighter and provides some traction
- driving the nail "too green" means nailing into the
sensitive laminae, causing lameness
- causing lameless by nailing into the sensitive laminae is called pricking
- coarse shoeing refers to nailing too deep, or "too
green"
- fine shoeing is too shallow, causing the horse to pull the shoe
- clips hold the shoe more securely on the hoof and reduce
the chances that the shoe shifts position after nailing
- two types of clips are drawn clips and welded clips
- drawn clips are made by heating the web of the shoe and
drawing a portion of it upward, which makes for a more
finished job in the long run
- welded clips are additional parts added to the web of the
shoe
- "sharp shod" refers to a horse shod with ice caulks
- keg shoes are pre-sized, and are usually fitted cold
- steel is used for most horseshoes
- thoroughbred racehorses wear shoes made of aluminum,
since it is lightweight
- aluminum shoes weigh about 3 ounces
- pads may be used on horses recovering from hoof injuries,
such as sole bruises, or on horses with sensitive feet
- a bar shoe is also used on recovering horses, for example
in the case of laminitis
- a rolled toe is sometimes used at the point of breakover,
especially in cases of navicular
- borium may be applied to shoes to increase traction on
surfaces such as pavement, concrete, and ice
- a horse that scalps or speedy cuts should wear lighter
shoes in front
- a Scotchbottom shoe is used on a draft horse, especially
in the show ring
- the hoof wall grows faster in warmer weather (faster in
June than January)
- a pigeon toed condition can be reduced in a young horse
by trimming more off the inside edges of the foot
Shoeing Steps
- Cutting the clinches of the old shoes
- Removing the old shoes with pullers
- Trimming the dead sole with a hoof knife
- Trimming the hoof wall with nippers
- Rasping the hoof wall level
- Removing burrs or flares from around the edges of the
hoof wall
- Shaping the shoe
- Making sure the shoe fits
- Driving the nails
- Wringing off nails and setting clinches with clinch
block
- Cutting clinches
- Dressing off feet