While you work, hold the foot in place by tucking your hip against the horse’s hock (the large joint on the hind leg) and gaskin (the muscle above the hock). Use the inside of your knee to pull the foot out slightly and up between your legs so that the sole of the hoof faces up towards you. Support the horse’s toe with one hand. This position locks the horse’s foot in place, making it difficult for the horse to kick or put its foot on the ground before you’re done working. Make sure that you reward your horse with praise for cooperating and waiting while you clean her hooves. Saying, “good girl” or “yes” after she lifts each hoof for you will help to reinforce your horse’s good behavior. [2] X Trustworthy Source American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Leading organization dedicated to the prevention of animal cruelty Go to source
Several alternatives exist for breaking the nail clinches. In a pinch, you can use a rock and a flat head screwdriver to bend the nail tips upwards, or, if you’re careful not to wear a hole in the hoof wall, you can even use a rasp to file the nail clinches away.
Take care around the frog - the triangular portion in the middle of the hoof. This part of the hoof is extra-sensitive.
This process is easiest if you keep your hoof knife razor sharp. But use caution. It’s easy to accidentally slip and cut yourself while working.
When you trim the hoof with nippers, be sure to keep the trimmed edges of the hoof uniformly straight and level so that they’ll sit flush with the ground. Trim from each side of the heel to the toe. The exception to this is in cases where a horse’s gait wears its hoof unevenly - in this case, you’ll want to take slightly less hoof material off of the side that the horse favors. Use caution when making this distinction and, if unsure, consult an experienced farrier.
If you have to choose between shoes that are slightly too big and shoes that are slightly too small, choose the bigger shoes. These can be bent, shaped, and ground down to a smaller size, while too-small shoes can’t be made bigger. Too long a shoe in front will cause the horse to step on the exposed heel of the shoe and pull it off.
If you’re a knowledgeable metalworker, you can heat the shoe until the steel can be bent to the size of the hoof. Or, you can cold shape the shoe on an anvil using a hammer and tongs. Some farriers do neither, opting instead to grind their shoes down until they fit with a rasp or grinding machine. Well-fitting horse shoes should align well with the edge of the hoof. Keep in mind that it may take some time to get a shoe to the perfect size for your horse.
Drive the nail through the hoof at an outward angle so that the nail tips go through the top of the hoof wall. Never drive nails into the sensitive inner portion of the hoof. To make this easier, use hoof nails that have a bevel on one side to guide the tip through the hoof wall. [6] X Research source With these special nails, the manufacturer’s stamp on the side of the nail head should face the center of the foot (towards the frog) - this ensures that the bevel is facing the right direction. Some modern horseshoes use glue, rather than nails, to hold the shoe in place. [7] X Research source If you’re worried about hurting your horse, you may want to try this alternative. Note that application methods for glue-on shoes can vary - consult the manufacturer or an experienced farrier for more information.
Another option is to use a special tool called a clincher. With this tool, all you need to do is align the jaws of the clincher over the nail tip and squeeze the handles.
You may also notice that excess hoof material protrudes over the edge of the shoe. If this is the case, use a pair of nippers or pull-offs to remove it.
