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Question about the old rule of thumb for hoof wall thickness
I was reading an old farrier manual from the 80s and it said a common guideline was a quarter inch of wall for a thousand pound horse. My vet just told me newer research shows that's often not enough, especially for performance animals. Where do you all stand on this, still using the old measure or going thicker?
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betty_price141mo agoTop Commenter
My farrier mentioned this shift last year when he was shoeing my mare. He said the old quarter inch rule was based on pasture pets, not horses doing hard work on hard ground. Now he leaves more wall, especially for my friend's eventer who pounds over jumps. It reminds me of how we used to feed dogs just table scraps, but now we know they need specific nutrients. A lot of old school rules get updated when we actually study the results.
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the_holly1mo ago
Exactly, @betty_price14. That old rule is like using a recipe from the same era and wondering why the cake is dry. Modern hoof care looks at the whole picture, like the horse's job, the ground it works on, and even its confirmation. My farrier aims for a solid 3/8 inch on my gelding who does a lot of trail riding on rocky paths, saying it's about shock absorption, not just holding a nail.
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