Do you have a domesticated horse at your residence? Well, you need to know that there is a huge difference between a wild horse and a domesticated horse. Usually, a wild horse has the capacity to roam here and there for miles without any kind of protection on its hooves. But this is not the same with domesticated horses; they require special and regular maintenance to enhance their effectiveness as work animals and to protect their feet from different kinds of injury.
However, you can find some horseshoeing tools at the market that can help you to maintain the domesticated horse on a regular basis. Usually, the horseshoes are required to be replaced every four to seven weeks. If you have no knowledge about how to shoe a horse, then this post will provide you with effective tips from a trained farrier. So, keep reading to know the process.
Trained farrier guidance to shoe a horse
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Position the horse’s foot
One of the most important steps is positioning the horse’s foot while working with a horse’s hooves. By tucking your hip against the gaskin and hock of the horse, hold the foot in place. Moreover, you need to make sure that you praise your horse for cooperating at the time of cleaning the horse’s hooves. This helps to show the good behaviour of the horse during the whole process. And, make sure you have horseshoeing tools near to you.
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Remove old shoes on the horse’s feet
First of all, you need to break the nail clinches with the support of a hammer and a clinch cutter to remove the horseshoe. For this, you need to hit the clinch cutter with a hammer to straighten the nail. Also, you can use a horse raspto file the nail clinches away. Next, you need to use a pair of metal pull-off sand outside to centre rocking motionto loosen or remove the shoes. However, you need to continue the process until it is pulled off.
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Clean the hoof bottom
If you want the health and safety of your horse, then do not allow to trap any dirt or debris between its foot and its new shoe. Here, you can use a horseshoeing tool like a hoof pick to remove all the mud or dirt or manure, etc., from the foot of your horse before shoeing the horse.
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Remove flaky sole and excess from hoof bottom by using a hoof knife
The hard, dark, and outer layer of the hoof’s sole are removed before a horse is shod. While removing it, take care that you are not hurting the horse or not cutting it too deep. If your hoof knife razor is sharp, then it will be a very easy process. While working, try to use caution as any accidents can happen, like cutting yourself.
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Use a hoof nipper to trim the excess hoof wall
Usually, the hoof wall can be extended between 3 inches to 3 & 3/4 inches from the horse’s hairline. If you find the hoof wall is longer, then you can use nippers and horse rasp to trim the hoof wall to give it a perfect shape.
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Flatten and level the sole with the use of a rasp
After all the above processes, you need to ensure that the hoof bottom is flat, smooth, and level. For this, you need to use a horse rasp to gently file all the sports that are uneven. Make sure you do not irritate the frog or hoof too short.
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Size the shoe to the horse’s hoof
The horse’s feet also come in various sizes. Thus, you need to select a horseshoe that fits your horse’s feet. Here, you need to find the perfect size for your horse’s feet before starting the process. However, you may require different shoes for a horse’s front and hind feet as it has different shapes.
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Make some adjustments to the horseshoe shapes
You may find the correct size for your horse’s feet, but still, it might occur some issues or not fit a horse’s foot. For this, you need to make some adjustments. Here, you can use a horse rasp or grinding machine to make it a shape.
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Align the shoe against the hoof
You need to align the shoes in the right manner against the hoof edge, then drive nails to fix it to the foot of your horse. While doing this, make sure you do not hurt your horse. Also, make sure you do not drive nails into the hoof’s sensitive inner portion, as it can cause irritation for your horse.
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Remove the horse’s nail tips
You can bend the nail tip against the hoof wall with the use of the claw end of your hammer. After that, clinch the nail and file the rough part on the hoof walls to finish the process.
Overall, you need to follow the instruction of a trained farrier to shoe a horse in the right manner. This can also help your domesticated horse to stay safe and healthy.
