My old boss told me to always use a rasp before the shoe, my new one says it's a waste of time

First job out on my own, I had a big draft horse with a tough hoof wall. Did the full rasp like I was taught. Took forever. Next month, worked with a different guy who just shaped with the nippers and went straight to fitting. Way faster, horse was fine. Now I'm not sure which method is actually better for the hoof in the long run. Anyone have strong feelings on this?

2 comments

2 Comments

wyatt_ross271mo ago

That "passed down without asking why" thing is everywhere, like how we all just accept bad software updates.

quinn_nguyen1mo ago

Honestly, the rasp-first rule feels like one of those things that gets passed down without anyone asking why. If the hoof is crazy overgrown, sure, knock off the worst of it. But for a regular trim on a horse with decent feet, that's just making extra work for yourself. The nippers exist for a reason. Your new boss has the right idea, speed matters when you're doing this all day and the horse is standing there getting annoyed.