Farrier Product Distribution Blog

The overwhelming majority of tools that are returned to manufacturers of top tools are not defective. Most tools show obvious signs of misuse and/or lack of maintenance. Even under correct use you have to realize top tools are not lifetime tools. If you have used your tools properly and taken the time to maintain them you will generally find you get your money’s worth.

The following photos will give you some idea how simple it can be to extend the life of your tools. When reworking tools, the most useful piece of equipment in your truck or shop is a belt sander or disc grinder. The belt sander serves a dual function, it can also be used to bevel or dress shoes. Most rework is done with no heat in the tool. If you try to forge the tools back into shape you will probably destroy any heat treatment that has been done or create problems with the weld between the mild steel handles and the tool steel head.

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Photos 3-5. When the head of your forging tools are struck off center often enough this is the result. Both ends of the tool have been deformed. Better hammer control and early cleanup would fix the problem.

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Photos 19-21. Pritchel with broken tip. Grind end flat. Grind to desired dimension. Use this approach to the wheel for aggressive stock removal.

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This article is from The Natural Angle Volume 3, Issue 3. For more Natural Angle articles and tips, click here.

We have all heard the sayings “time is money” and “wasted time is wasted money.” The use of grinders to modify shoes and buffers to dress hooves not only improves time efficiency; it also reduces wear and tear on the body by eliminating the need for additional forging, hot rasping or the use of a finish file. Using grinders and buffers becomes inefficient when one does not care for them properly, causing a premature end to their usefulness.

Using grinders and buffers becomes inefficient when one does not care for them properly.

Improvements in abrasive component technology have greatly enhanced material removal rates and the life of the abrasive. However, without proper care, belts and sleeves can have their lives shortened, even with the new improvements. One of the primary reasons for shortened belt life is loading. Belt loading tends to occur most often when grinding or sanding non-ferrous metals such as aluminum. It can also occur when working with softer materials such as leather and urethane pads or, in the case of buffer sleeves, hoof wall material. In any of the aforementioned cases, the material being ground away becomes trapped in-between the abrasive particles to the point that there is no longer definition between the particles. Cutting performance is greatly reduced when this happens and it is often incorrectly assumed the belt has reached the end of its serviceable life.

Luckily, belt loading is easily remedied in seconds with the use of a rubber belt cleaning stick. With regular cleaning you can expect to see increased belt life and reduced working time. The steps below show the proper use of the rubber belt cleaning stick to save you time and money.

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This article is from The Natural Angle Volume 18, Issue 3. For more Natural Angle articles and tips, click here.

by Michael Wildenstein, CJF, FWCF (hons)

“Conformation of an owner’s horse can be a very sensitive subject.” – Ted S. Stashak

In my experience that statement is very true and includes individual horse owners that I felt were open-minded. Study the equine conformation; learn what is normal for a breed, discipline and environment. Use that information to modify shoes to enable the horse to do the best of its ability, in comfort, with the conformation it has. The study of equine conformation and the effect of modifications to the horseshoes on the hoof and limb can be overwhelming, yet interesting.

“Conformation, a major factoring soundness of the limbs, often determines the useful lifetime of a horse.” (Ted S Stashak) It is our responsibility as hoof care providers to take the conformation into consideration when defining shoe type, weight, size and modifications made to the shoes. “Every modification to the shoe has an influence on the biomechanics of the horse.” (Denoix, 1999) Historically, we have guidelines that are used when defining modifications to shoes, such as, “the principle thought should be to set the shoe, which should always be regarded as the base of support of the hoof, farther towards the more strongly worn side.” (Lungwitz, 1884) Another guideline, “if the shoe wears hard on the in or outside of the foot, place the wide branch of the shoe on the side of greatest wear.” (William Russell, 1887) I use historical references, as well as modern studies, to help define the modifications that will be made to a shoe. Knowing the environmental conditions, including the ground conditions are also taken into consideration. Artificial surfaces will require different modifications and shoe types than a natural surface.

Observe the shoe, hoof wear and the conformation of the hoof as this will give indications of deviations or issues above. Observe the horse in movement, standing in flexion and in extension for a complete evaluation of conformation. Radiographs and filming the horse in movement and reducing the speed of the film are useful information. (Photo, above right – Right Hind) This horse travels base narrow, the right hind is fetlock varus, pastern valgus. There is an abaxial rotational deviation at the hock. There is an axial rotational deviation from the Fetlock down. There is exaggerated rotation of the hoof as the hoof begins to break over. The hoof flares laterally.

EXPLANATION OF DESCRIPTION

• Base Narrow = “The distance between the center lines of the feet at their placement on the ground is less than the distance between the center lines of the limbs at their origin.” – Ted S Stashak
• Fetlock Varus = The limb deviates in below the fetlock.
• Pastern Valgus = The limb deviates out below the pastern.
• Abaxial rotational deviation = Twists out.
• Axial rotational deviation = Twists in.
• Rotation of the hind hoof during break over = “The result of a rotational deviation in the hock joint.”
• Denoix flares laterally = “An outward distortion which may occur on any portion of the hoof wall.” – Millwater’s Farriery

When trimming, I follow the guidelines set forth by Michael Savoldi in trimming to uniform sole thickness. The width of web of the shoe is defined as twice as wide as the wall is thick. To define the wall thickness, measure from the outside of the live sole to the outside of the hoof wall. Traditionally the crease or nail line would be placed in the center of the web of the shoe. This would place the nail line over the white line. Uniform wall thickness on an average saddle horse is 3/8 inch; therefore a ¾ inch width of web shoe would be appropriate. Web width over ¾ would be considered wide web and under ¾ would be narrow web for a horse with a 3/8 inch thick hoof wall. A shoe with wide web would be used for greater protection of the solar surface of the hoof or to reduce traction. When defining thickness of the shoe, consider the weight of the horse, environment, wear, and integrity of the hoof. A thick shoe would be appropriate for a weak hoof, to increase traction for longer wear, or to increase the mechanics of modifications built into the shoe. When defining Shoe type, consider; weight of horse, conformation, condition, environment, rider ability, discipline and management.

A Kerckhaert DF Grand Prix which has a greater width of web laterally was used to allow for the modifications needed. The horse is large and heavy boned, capable of carrying the weight of the shoe The width of web was further increased laterally by extending the crease and setting the lateral heel down toward the inside width of web. The thickest part of the lateral heel of the shoe is under the viable hoof wall. The medial branch width is decreased by grinding. The shoe is perimeter fit to the hoof at uniform wall thickness. Pins are used for traction on the concrete the horse traverses on the way to the arena. It is important to minimize the traction on horses that have rotational deviations within the tarsus – or hock. In attempting to reduce the twisting we would inadvertently create greater stress to the hock. (Photo, above left – Left Hind) The left hind limb is not the same. The abaxial rotational deviation at the hock and the fetlock varus are the same. There is less pastern valgus and no axial rotation from the fetlock down. The medial toe has a tendency to flare. The lateral heel of the hoof is collapsing. Often the lateral heels on horses with this conformation will be painful. This hoof, in extension, travels further under the body and often beyond the midline. The modifications to the shoe on the left hind need to be consistent with the differences in conformation. Because of the differences in hoof conformation we know the stresses to this hoof are not the same as those to the right hind. The medial toe flare is addressed in trimming to uniform wall thickness. Because this hoof extends closer to the midline than the contra lateral limb (right hind) the width of web on the lateral heel needs to be greater than that of the shoe on the right hind. To address the compromised heel, the shoe is set down to the outside of the heel of the shoe. The shoe is fit to the perimeter of the hoof with the thickest part of the lateral heel of the shoe under the viable hoof wall. This lateral heel is fit full. In movement on soft ground the increased width of web will widen the stance. By setting down the outside of the lateral heel we are reducing the impact on the heel during the landing phase. This shoe is historically called a side bone shoe. This conformation increases the chance of formation of side bone. To shoe the horse for the conformation we are being proactive in changing the stresses to the hoof and limb. The medial branch is reduced in width with the grinder. The heel checks are cleaned up by forging and grinder.

The conformation of every limb and every horse must be evaluated before defining the shoes and modifications to be prescribed. I described the guidelines that were used to shoe this individual horse. The variables from one horse to another are great and many factors have to be given consideration. The changes are conservative and adjusted on a regular schedule. I encourage you to closely study the conformation of the horses that you provide hoof care and use the information to help you help the horse.

REFERENCES
Historical references are from The National Museum of Horseshoeing, Sulpher, Oklahoma

This article is from The Natural Angle Volume 16, Issue 1. For more Natural Angle articles and tips, click here.

By Roy Bloom, CJF APF-I

Roy Bloom, CJF APF-I provided us with an opportunity to get some good step by step shots of him forging a plain stamped shoe using 5/16”x3/4” flat stock. Notice that Roy, right-handed, works with his struck tools in line with his center-right side and is not trying to cross-over the shoe. This allows much more controlled use of the tools and allows you to strike the center of the tool in a balanced position. You are likely to get better results in the shoe and also avoid damaging your tool with off balance impact. You can see Roy talking about tool maintenance and forging in videos we have posted on our YouTube channel.

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This article is from The Natural Angle Volume 16, Issue 3. For more Natural Angle articles and tips, click here.

Articles in past issues of the Natural Angle have focused on techniques, tools and other methods of bringing more efficiency into the daily routine of shoeing horses. We’ve assembled some images of the more common daily applications for various abrasives equipment. You have to decide what kind of equipment works best in your rig and your practice. But don’t undervalue the time savings that can be realized.

Hoof Buffer
For years, everyone has used a second rasp, finishing file and/or sanding blocks to put the final finish on the outer wall. Now there is a hoof buffer that can help you get a perfect “10” on your wall finish. This hoof buffer attaches to a cordless drill; we’ve heard that an 18v or higher unit perform well. The buffer has an inflatable bladder that holds the sanding sleeve in place and allows you to follow the contours of the wall. Sanding sleeves are available in 60, 80 and 100 grit. You will need a small air pump when changing sleeves. As you can see from the images, the finish you get is excellent, all the way to the coronary band – and with far less effort than files or sanding blocks require.

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Belt Sanders
A belt sander is one of the most versatile pieces of equipment in today’s farrier rig. It can be used to bevel toes, heels or make other modifications to a shoe. If you are shaping cold this is a lifesaver. Working hot you might begin your bevels with the hammer as you shape the shoe but the belt sander puts a nice blend and final appearance on it. If you are using shoes that are wider in the heels to give more support, a belt sander can be very helpful to get the bevels you need to blend the fit and safe the shoe. There are a number of belt options for shoes: The 3M Cubitron is probably the best quality and life. Ceramic belts are also durable with a very hard crystal. Zirconia belts would be the low end for grinding shoes. Aluminum Oxide (brown) belts are even less expensive but don’t last as long. However, they work very well in the finer grits for dressing tools. Depending on how aggressive you want to be, a 24, 36 or 40 grit belt will usually work very well for shoes. If you want a smoother finish you can go to 60 or 80 grit.

The expander wheels have proven to be a great choice for a shoe grinding attachment. They don’t take up as much space as an arm and the belt speed is phenomenal on the 10” and even the 6”. Belt sander attachments like the FootPro 2”x36” or 2”x48” are popular because of the quick belt change feature and the 8” contact/drive wheel also creates excellent belt speed. You get at least twice the belt speed of the average belt sander with a 3-1/2” drive wheel. Be sure to use a grinder unit that can handle the work. A 1/2hp motor or larger will perform well unless it is one of the very light economy models sold at the mass merchandisers. Baldor has a number of options including the new 1/2hp two-speed unit. It can operate at 3600 or 1800 rpms so it can work well for your heavy grinding or your knife sharpening.

Sole Relief and Heel Checks
Many shoers are putting some sole relief into their shoes and adjusting the heel check to be sure of good cleanout. It can be a little difficult getting to the inside edges with a belt sander but a 4-1/2” flap disc on an angle grinder is one option. Perhaps a better option if you have a bench grinder is the new FootPro™ Double Sided Bench Grinder Disc. It should only be used on a bench grinder because of it’s design but it works like a charm. The recommended grits and types of crystal are the same as for the attachment arms and expander wheels.

Tool Maintenance
A belt sander is useful for maintenance and repair of tools. For tools you should use different belts from those used on the shoes. Most of the time your work on tools is not aggressive, unless you have let them go for too long. Zirconia belts work best when the grind is very aggressive, like the grind on shoes, which is constantly breaking the crystals. With tools you are not going to get good results with Zirconia. It will be difficult to break the crystals and you will end up with a glazed surface on the belt. The Aluminum Oxide belts are a better choice. You can also get an orange belt made by 3M that has a coolant already added. These belts are more expensive but they will last and help minimize the heat build up. The grit choices are many, but an 80 grit belt is a good starting point for the rough in, then you can go to 100 or 120 for a smoother finish. There are belts much finer than this if you are looking for an even smoother finish. The pictures indicate a few tool situations that fit into the belt sander scope. All of your struck tools should be dressed on the struck end to avoid chipping or pieces breaking away after severe mushrooming. Fine tuning your pritchels and punches and even clinch cutters is a very simple chore with the belt sander.

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This article is from The Natural Angle Volume 8, Issue 2 . For more Natural Angle articles and tips, click here.

By Roy Bloom, CJF APF-I

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There are a lot of forging hammers in the market and just as many ideas as to how hard they should be. I have always held that the hammer hardness should not be more than the struck tool. The first reason is related to safety. A hammer that has an extremely hard heat treat level is more likely to chip or cause a problem with the struck tool or anvil if there is any kind of miss or errant blow. Secondly, because of the mass of the hammer in relation to the struck tool, damage to the tool is more likely. You will spend more money and time maintaining your struck tools if the hammer is extremely hard. In the end, this will cost you more than the occasional maintenance of your hammer if it is approximately the same hardness as the struck tools.

A hammer requires regular maintenance. If you don’t dress the face and edges regularly, you can end up with “dings” to the face that will mark the material you are working. Any deformation of the edges of the hammer can develop into a mushrooming area that is at risk of chipping or fracturing- creating a safety issue and also making it more difficult to maintain.

Pay close attention to your hammer faces and edges as well as the struck end of your top tools. If you see any indication of marking, mushrooming or other blemishes developing you can dress these using a grinder with a fine grit belt- something in the neighborhood of 100-120 grit will work well. When dressing the hammer or tools be careful not to create enough heat to bring color to the tool. This can destroy the heat treat of the tool and is very difficult to repair.

This article is from The Natural Angle Volume 14, Issue 4. For more Natural Angle articles and tips, click here.

In July of 2020, we had a horse come in the FootPro Shop that proved to be a good example of what can happen when hoof care is not done on a regular schedule.

Dave Farley, CF APF-I came to the shop to talk about the evaluation process he follows before shoeing his horses. It was obvious the feet had not been trimmed for some time, indicating no farrier had been scheduled to keep them in reasonable shape.

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JULY 2020
Annabelle before trim.

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Beyond the excessive growth, Dave could see immediately she had a problem with her right front that needed to be dealt with. The owner told Dave the horse had just popped an abscess a few days before coming to the shop. In examining the size of the break in the hoof wall, it seemed likely a considerable amount of wall undermined as the abscess worked its way up the wall. There were also indications the sole had been compromised, as well.

Dave was able to get the foot trimmed, treated with FootPro CS+ and a shoe applied, despite the discomfort the abscess caused. He recommended the owners ask their vet how to treat the open wound and to make sure to follow up with a local farrier. The abscess appeared to have been ongoing for some time to cause this amount of wall separation and the poor condition of the hooves indicated she had not had any recent farrier work done either. The question was whether that neglect would change.

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JULY 2020

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Fast forward to March of 2021. We contacted the owners to see if they would like to bring the horse back to the FootPro Shop to be shod by Hank Chisholm, CJF. We had no idea that she had not been done since July of 2020. You can imagine our surprise- and Hank’s- when she walked into the shop. You can see from the images that the wall had grown considerably in the months since she was in the shop but she had not received any farrier care and a large area of the lateral wall of the right foot was broken off. What was still there was undermined and significantly detached. The sole was also undermined and had cracks and separation that were going to require extra care. Hank wasn’t rattled, he just knew this was going to be a tedious shoeing job that was going to take some time to get things back on track.

We had no idea that she had not been done since July of 2020.

Have a look at the images from 2020 when the abscess first caused damage to the wall and the work Hank went through to get this horse back on a good path.

This may be a good article to share with your clients that don’t stick to a good schedule. Perhaps they’ll understand why it’s important for the health of the horse to work with you to get a reasonable schedule set up.

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March 2021
Missing wall and lateral Toe quarter undermined.

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We had Bobby Menker, CJF APF-I come to the shop for two follow-up shoeings on this horse after Hank got her on track for recovery. The hoof is almost completely grown back and in a cycle or two, she should be as good as new.

Let’s all hope the owners learned how important it is to keep a regular schedule for her hoof care, whether it’s just to be trimmed or to be shod.

The work that Dave, Hank and Bobby did is documented in video footage that you can see on our YouTube channel.

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MARCH 2021

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APRIL 2021
Hoof is growing down and a much smaller area requires the Adhere patch.

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JUNE 2021
Very little patch needed to fill void in toe quarter.

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This article is from The Natural Angle Volume 18, Issue 4. For more Natural Angle articles and tips, click here.

by Doug Workman, CJF

This is a show Hunter that has just finished a long show season. He has come into my life for a little light training and to let mind, body and feet have a much needed break. The life of a show horse being what it is, the farriers that work on them during the show season really have their hands full keeping these horses showing and sound. The fact that the horses have limited turnout, two to three baths a day and a variety of footing to deal with makes keeping them sound a tough job. My hat is off to these farriers.

I was very fortunate on this day to have my good friend, Patrick Bone, to help me. Patrick and I have been working together a long time and I consider it a privilege to have him work with me on any horse. Normally we would be in a hurry to get done so we could take the rest of the day to go fishing, but the boat was in the shop for repair. So we pulled out the camera, put on our aprons and dove in.

The first thing we looked at is the overall conformation of the horse and how he is shod. He is not the straightest legged horse we had ever seen, but we both have seen worse. You can also see where he has been nerved in the past. He was shod just as you would expect, a little extra foot and a hunter fit (spot on). Since we had the luxury of a break from show biz we could think in terms of more support and gathering up the feet. We just want to make sure that we put the foot in the center of the leg and the foot and leg in the center of the shoe.

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ABOVE: VARIOUS VIEWS PRIOR TO SHOEING,
NOTICE SIGNS OF NERVING PROCEDURE IN IMAGE TO FAR LEFT.

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The front feet were shod in aluminum as all hunters are and fit spot on. A very safe job. After removing the shoes and removing the dead sole we trim the frog removing any dirt traps and finding the true apex of the frog (where the frog meets the live sole). We now use the trimmed frog as the foundation to start our trim. My goal is to have the widest part of the foot parallel with each other approximately 1/2” to 3/8” behind the true apex of the frog after the trim. Also, I want to be as equal as possible medially and laterally across this same point (widest part of the foot). The heels should be equal length and back as close to the highest and widest part of the frog as I can get. The main thing that I keep in mind is that these are goals and I do not want to over prep the feet to achieve them.

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PHOTO 4: TRIMMED FROG TO LOCATE TRUE APEX

PHOTOS 5, 6, 7: TRIMMED TO REACH GOALS FOR BALANCE AND FORM

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After I have trimmed the feet as close to this protocol as I can, I will use the shoe choice and placement to compensate for any deviations that I come across. For this horse we decided to go to steel to give a more stable base of support since we are fitting with a little more length and width. To compensate for having more foot medially or laterally, I fit the shoe as if both halves are equal and box and safe the shoe on the narrow side. This is not always possible due to environment or job, but you can generally give a little help. To address anterior/posterior deviations I start at the widest part of the foot again. I want to have equal amount of foot in front of and behind this point. I’m not a big proponent of totally unloading the toe wall of the foot. I generally set my shoes back a little, but I want the toe wall bearing and supporting weight. As you can see on these feet the white line appears stretched or stressed. By using the widest part of a properly trimmed foot as a landmark, I do not have to guess where to put my toe, it gives me a destination.

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PHOTOS 8, 9: ON GROUND WE CAN EVALUATE ANGLES AND ALIGNMENT

PHOTOS 10, 11, 12, 13: SHOD WITH SX-8 CLIPPED STEEL, NOTICE ADDITIONAL SUPPORT OF FIT IN 12 AND 13

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Once again these are goals that I’m trying to achieve, not hard and fast rules. By having a set foundation to work from, I’m better able to see the successes or failures of my work.

This article is from The Natural Angle Volume 12, Issue 1. For more Natural Angle articles and tips, click here.