Old farrier told me I was wasting time with my toe clip placement

Honestly, I was doing toe clips on front shoes for years the way the guy who taught me showed me. One day this old timer I respect, Gene from over in Lexington, watches me nail one on and says 'you're setting them too deep, they're gonna pop out before the reset.' I thought he was just being picky. But I tried what he said on my next horse, a big paint gelding who runs through shoes. I moved the clip back just a hair, closer to the white line, and angled the punch a little less upright. That shoe stayed on a full 6 weeks, no issues. Gene told me you get better hold and less nail damage to the wall that way. Has anyone else had to unlearn something they were taught first thing? I'm curious if it's common to pick up bad habits early on.

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3 Comments

lane.eric3mo ago

Maybe it's not that deep. A lot of farrier stuff comes down to what the horse needs that day, not a universal rule. If your old shoes held fine before, you might have just wasted an afternoon second-guessing yourself.

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perry.evan3mo ago

Tbh nobody's brought up the horse's mental state that day. Some horses get anxious or stiff in different weather or after a rough training session, and that changes how they move. A shoe that's always worked might suddenly feel off because the horse isn't carrying itself the same way. You can't just look at the shoe, you gotta watch the way the horse lands and picks up its feet. Second guessing is part of the job if you're paying attention to the animal in front of you right then.

3

robinj293mo ago

idk, some days the old shoes don't tell the full story.

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