Shoutout to the farriers who still fire up the forge every day

Lately, I've seen a big push for pre-made shoes in shops around here. Some say it's the only way to keep up with demand and make a living. Others argue that custom work is what sets a real farrier apart and prevents lameness. I'm torn because both sides have good points. How do you all handle this in your practice?

3 comments

3 Comments

the_lily2mo ago

Man, my only experience with a forge is when I tried to fix a garden hoe and nearly set the shed on fire. I see the appeal of pre-mades for speed, but a horse's hoof doesn't come in a standard size from a box. It seems like the real skill is knowing when you can use a pre-made as a good starting point and when you absolutely have to start from scratch. Guess it's another "pick your poison" deal.

xena_brown502mo ago

Totally, and I saw this article once about old school farriers who would literally travel with a mini forge on their wagon. The point was that they had to make everything from bar stock because no two horses were alike. It really is all about reading the animal and the wear pattern. Having a few basic pre shapes on hand just saves time on the easy ones, but you can't cheat the weird cases.

the_nora2mo ago

Oh man, my buddy had a draft cross with these crazy dish-shaped front hooves. He tried a pre-made shoe from a supply catalog once, and the horse was off within two days. He ended up having to burn a whole afternoon at the forge, bending a bar shoe to actually match the hoof wall. That horse went sound right after.