I finally got a consistent fit on draft horse shoes with a simple trick

Was always fighting the heels on big Clydesdales, getting gaps no matter how I shaped them. Started using a piece of chalk to mark the hoof wall before I even pick up the shoe, and now the fit is dead on every time. Anyone else have a better method for those wide feet?

2 comments

2 Comments

aarons3622d ago

Honestly, that chalk trick is a solid idea. I read about a farrier who would trace the hoof outline onto a piece of cardboard first, then shape the shoe to that paper pattern before even touching the hoof again. Seems like it's the same basic idea, just getting that shape locked in before you start bending. For those massive heels, I've always had to remind myself to leave just a little extra width at the quarters, more than you think you need, because the hoof wall spreads so much under weight.

johnson.lee21d ago

Cardboard? You actually trace the whole hoof onto cardboard first? That seems like a whole extra step that would take forever in a busy day. I can't imagine pulling out paper and a pencil for every big foot that comes through. The chalk trick is one thing, but that sounds like making a whole blueprint.

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