Equipment

[katsujenkin]

I'd like to trim my horse's feet (he is kept barefoot and my farrier has confirmed that he does not need shoes). My farrier has taught me how to trim his feet and said it was fine for me to trim them and if I run into trouble to give him a call. He gave me some general advice on what to look for in tools, but now that I'm looking on the web I'm a bit confused.

I need a pair of hoof nippers (he said size 14 inch) a hoof knife and a rasp. I'm only going to be trimming one horse every once in a while, so the tools will not get a whole lot of use. I'm a college student, so I'm on a limited budget.

Any recommendations for tools that are good, but relatively inexpensive for someone who will be using them only to maintain one horse? Thanks so much.

[Rick Burten]

Unfortunately, a good pair of hoof nippers are not inexpensive. While I prefer the GE nippers, there are some others out there that are almost as good. There are many many rasp brands . Bellota, Save Edge, and Simonds all are good rasps, and I prefer the Simonds Heller Legend. However, it is a very aggressive rasp, and you might be better served with either a Bellota or a Save Edge. You will also need a rasp handle, and I suggest a wooden short handle screw-on one. Hoof knives are also a matter of personal preference, but I use the "Classic Knife" by Anvil Brand. Knives come in either right or left hand , so you will have to specify which you want. Do not buy a cheap knife as it can do more harm than good. You may also want to purchase a shoeing apron. Here too, there are many kinds. Many farrieres, myself included, have gone away from the traditional full leather apron, to the lighter cordura apron with leather patches.

I suggest you take a stroll through the MARKETPLACE here on the site. There you will find everything you need and it will be available from a variety of suppliers, so you should be able to find one close to you to cut down on the shipping costs.

You might also consider asking your farrier if he has any old but still serviceable tools he might be willing to either give you or sell you at a reasonable price. Actually, the rasp and the knife are not so expensive that you can't buy new, but the nippers and the apron are another matter.

Rick

[John Barney]

The best inexpensive nippers I have used are Enderes. I still use a pair for clipping nails and one 12 inch pair for minis, they really stay sharp. As for knives and rasps if you don't get quality you will never keep them sharp. A dull knife is more dangerous to you and your horse than a sharp one. Get a good rasp and keep it clean, no rasping a dirty foot. I also wrap my sharp rasp in soft leather to keep it from bouncing around in the tool box. I get between 25 and 30 trims with a new rasp, so that will give you a idea how long they last. Hope this helps.

JB

[Gary_Miller]

You can purchase all these items at D&B Supply for around $75.00. They are not the high quility that a perfessional might purchase but get the job done for a horse owner quite nicely.

Gary

[Ronald Aalders]

Funny to see Rick likes the exact same tools I've been using for years, being a few thousand miles apart. Its a small world afterall...

I don't think poor quality tools are going to help you any. I have a number of (reining) horse trainers set up to be able to slap shoes on when being pulled. There are a lot of el cheapo tools around and at some time I'd tell them to buy those, but in the end they all end up with the proper stuff.

My advise would be, if you want to save money that is, forget about the apron. I started out without one a long time ago and did pretty ok.


Ronald Aalders

[Red Amor]

Get and use the apron , even a cheep one may save you from a nasty rip
you say , there only trimming , well thats how we all start , next were pulling a loose or sprung shoe , then nailing it back on
get the apron and make it a habbit to use it every time you work a hoof

I think never tell a novis , oh dont worrie about this or that its irrisponsible we should tell them about every thing we can think of , prewarned is prearmed

us fellers that have done a little bit know better because we have the scars to prove it , its just so easy to get hurt

Please , there is no disrespect intended in my comments here either ;) so mind how you go now ;)