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I used to shape all my shoes cold, but a clinic in Kentucky changed my mind
For about five years, I shaped every shoe cold on the anvil before nailing it on. I thought it saved time and kept the foot cooler. Then I went to a clinic near Lexington where the instructor showed us hot fitting on a draft horse with a tricky flare. Seeing the shoe mold perfectly to the foot in real time was a game changer. I started doing it for my tough cases about eight months ago, and now I hot fit probably 70% of my work. The fit is just so much better, especially on horses with uneven walls. What's one thing you changed in your routine after seeing someone else do it better?
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matthew_hart256mo ago
Man, I was just as stubborn. Thought I had it all figured out with the cold shoeing. Felt like a real genius until I saw that hot shoe just melt into place on a wonky foot. Made my old method look like I was just guessing. Had to eat a big slice of humble pie that day. Now I’m burning hoof every chance I get because the proof is right there on the anvil.
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vera_campbell6mo ago
Read an article that said hot fitting lets you see the fit before the hoof cools. Makes total sense now.
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lilys826mo ago
What kind of clinic was it, a farrier school deal or something more informal? I had a similar stubborn streak about cold shoeing for years. Watching an old timer hot fit a club foot finally made it click for me too. That smell of burnt hoof still means a good fit is coming.
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