Trim the heel & then wedge

[Tom Blasdell]

I got to chatting with other shoers over this one.
On big outfits the cowboys shoe there own horse. I think this is good because they can't blame anyone but them selves.
They may leave long heels or sort heels. There is dubbed toes or long toes.
Thes darn horses trot miles a day and hardly ever come up lame. They may pull a shoe or 2 put they just nail it back on, not lame or nothing.
We go find out how a horse should be correct, do the best job we can, heith of heels,lenght of toes,levelness, or what ever else we see fit and still might get a call from Sweet Blossoms mom that something is wrong.. Go figure..
Maybe I'm just vetting but it looks like a good place to do it!!!!
Later
Thomas westcoast

[Andrew Grimm]

Thomas,
I'm not sure were your coming from but this is a great place to vent. Take care.


Andrew Grimm

[calshoer]

Well some of those horses DO come up lame. I've seen horses from the big outfits enough to see some of them "off", but still being used anyway. A little limp or the occasonal stumble and they dont get time off.
As well consider this...usually those horses have been running barefoot all winter when they get brought in to get that first set of spring shoes. Short feet, worn down and balanced to where the horse needs them. So basically the steel is just nailed onto a foot that that nature set up for that horse..not much changing the angles length or anything. The breakover may get moved forward a tad from where the foot was naturally rockered, but once the shoe wears in it is back where it wants to be(or closer to that at least). Then they may have another shoeing or two until the fall gather, then shoes off again for the winter....not a whole lot of time in bad shoeing to develop serious hoof distortion and get permnently screwed up.
Patty

[Bill Adams]

What Patty said. On the ranches around here the horses are bought because they are , or come from good ranch stock, not because they are cute or have bonded with someone. The horses are looked at for longevity by experinced hands, mostly.

Thomas,
what part of Oregon are you in?
Bill

[Tom Blasdell]

Hey thanks for having a vent place. From Prineville,Or. Patty you made a very good point. it was just one of those days!!!
Sure makes the mind fill better when we do vent thow!!
Thomas