Have you ever hurt yourself with one of your shoeing tools ?

[vthorseshoe]

I am sporting a black eye from bending to close while pulling off some draft shoes.
I actually hit my upper cheek bone with the handles of my pull offs.
I had hold of a nail and gave a steady pull and it came out quicker than I enticipated and bingo !! hit myself.
I knew it was sore but didn't realize it had turned color until a customer asked if I had a fight recently.

Makes you feel kinda uncoordinated, but I have also hit my thumb with my nailing hammer and had a #9 capewell driven into my third digit on my left hand when the draft decided to move and pull his leg back.
Caught my finge and drove the nail into the folding/bending part of my finger.
Had to pull and rip it out to keep it from going in deeper.
The horses leg and I were going in different directions at this time. :rolleyes:

By the way, all this happened at different times over the years. the black eye being the latest.

Tell me your mishaps...

my 2 cents worth ;)

[dave murray]

must of been that kind of day today bruce . today was the last day of racing at the track i shoe at and i was busy pulling shoes on horses heading to the farm. was in the stall just going to pull the hinds off a horse real quick. it was in the 30's today so i had my jacket still on . when i pulled the medial side of the shoe up the horse ripped his foot away real quick . wasn't expecting it and the heelof the shoe got caught in the sleeve of my jacket. horse put his foot on the ground and me with it. luckily the horse didn't panick and i got free without incident but hey you never know , when you least expect something could happen. stay safe out there!

[hoosiershoer]

Bruce,

Thank goodness I thought I was the only one who did something like that. Pretty much same cituation pulling a draft shoe by the nail. It slipped and hit my upper lip: no black eye or even buising but it kinda smarted a little.

[Gary_Miller]

Everytime I pull out a new rasp.:D

[Jack Evers]

Pulled the guard off my angle grider, then let it dance around on my hand. -- OUCH,

[vthorseshoe]

Gary My finger tips look like they go through a sharp shredder everytime I pull out a new rasp.

Jack I did that once, but only scarfed one of my knuckles a bit.
Scared me worse than anything I have ever done before.
Hand Grinders are a very dangerous tool we use.

My 2 cents worth ;)

[calshoer]

1) shredded fingers from new rasps,
2)smashed fingers/thumbs from driving hammer
3)bruised knee from driving hammer,
4)smashed finger from ROUNDING hammer once,
5) burned palm from grabbing hot handle end of modified tongs with the handles made into hot seat tongs (which have now has the tong end ground off)
6) knife slashes.
etc etc etc. 26 years of brain ****s.

[PerformanceHorseshoeing]

Pulled the guard off my angle grider, then let it dance around on my hand. -- OUCH,

OMG I cringed after reading that! I've picked bone out of a new rasp before that came off my thumb knuckle. Wore gloves for a while then realized that wasn't the answer, getting my damn digits out of the way was. I picked up a black hot shoe the other day. Didn't realize it was hot until I smelled something burning.:eek:

[NorvalWilhelm]

I was constantly getting tiny slivers from the nails, a few blood blisters, a few hits from the hammer until I started wearing mechanics gloves. They really protect the hands but I have trouble nailing with them.
I did have a serious wrist slash from a nail when the horse pulled his foot away and I once went between the legs of a mare when I couldn't unhook her fast enough from my hip.

[texfarrier]

Driving hammer to the knee,fingers..rounding hammer to the wrist and some knuckle sheared off by a rasp..thats it so far

[Ken Norman]

I always seem to lower a part of my thumb knuckle when triming ponys,.Seems there isn't enough hoof to keep my hand below bottom of sole. Yea I had my old Makita (shortly after buying one years ago ) angle grinder take off and do some damage too. Just gotta keep your head on straight and not hurry too much. All our tools are sharp or HOT.....

[cowboy_bc]

1) shredded fingers from new rasps,
2)smashed fingers/thumbs from driving hammer
3)bruised knee from driving hammer,
4)smashed finger from ROUNDING hammer once,
5) burned palm from grabbing hot handle end of modified tongs with the handles made into hot seat tongs (which have now has the tong end ground off)
6) knife slashes.
etc etc etc. 26 years of brain ****s.

Hi all,

Except 4, 5 but the fastest thing I learned when I started makeing shoes was not to pick them up with my fingers.

Kevin

[Ray_Knightley]

I used a carpet knife to cut what i thought was a hollow snow stopper over my knee,leg ,found too late that it was solid and pushed too hard the 1,half inch blade went through chaps ,trousers and to the hilt in my leg .....i put the horse in the stall ,loaded my van ,told the owner i will be back tonight to nail the shoes on ,,,,three stiches later and a over due jab..:eek:took the stiches out funny enough with my GE`s two weeks ,later....
ray knightley ,farrier

[Matt_McMicken]

Im the worst for hitting my knee with my driving hammer. Of course, its always the horses fault!LOL Got stuck inside my upper thigh area once, #5 slim blade, bled enough to get me worried, that was probably my scariest.

[JWHORSESHOEING]

Ditto everything everyone else has said:eek:

I did one time get my spare tire(belly) stuck between my anvil and the anvil stand left about an 8 inch red mark clear across my belly.

One of the worst though was some little girl said can I nail a nail in and I said sure. I got the nail started and was still holding the horses leg between my legs and said just go ahead and tap it in. Well this little girl swung that hammer like she was hitting a home run and nailed me right in the shin I jumped about 30 foot off the ground. I had a bruise there for probably a good month and it was sore for about 6 months. Needless to say no one is allowed to help me nail a nail anymore.

Jonathan Wilson

[ray steele]

[.

One of the worst though was some little girl said can I nail a nail in and I said sure. I got the nail started and was still holding the horses leg between my legs and said just go ahead and tap it in. Well this little girl swung that hammer like she was hitting a home run and nailed me right in the shin I jumped about 30 foot off the ground. I had a bruise there for probably a good month and it was sore for about 6 months. Needless to say no one is allowed to help me nail a nail anymore.

Jonathan Wilson[/QUOTE]

Jonathan,

your lucky that she swung like a low ball hitter, otherwise you might be trying out for the Vienna Boys Choir!

Regards

ray steele

[SlowShoe]

I was trying to forge extended heels on shoe. I had run out of gas and was forging the last heal. I was trying to hit it as hard as I could, it was about cold. The shoe glanced off the edge of the anvil, I hit the face square with my hammer, and the hammer rebounded fast and hard. Im ok though, luckily it hit me in the head. That left quite the flinstone egg.

[Red Amor]

Nailing up the nearside fore on a draught that snached the foot drove the nail throught my left index finger to the bone pulled me to the ground like a rag doll then stood on me pinning me by the arm

slipped with the hoof knife first hoof on a shoeing cut a nice flap of skin outta the parlm at the base of my lill finger wrapped it in duc tape did the job the off to the vet half a dozen stitches

put a 2/4" drill bit tp the bone left index finger

always putting nails through me chaps into me legs um not very smart but I can lift heavy fings yeah

hit meself in the gurrers several times while turning and nailing up

hands ripped several times with nails
rasped countless knuckles heep a steel dug outta me eyes yeah

stacks o burns bites kicks stomped feet broken toes ribs ertibrae right wrist [ but that was a ram]
concussion several times and a couple black eyes
some nasty bites
But ya know what I hate the most is lice cant stand gettin under lousy horses
give me self a crew cut every time yeah
lookin for somethin easier yeah
I was thinkin of becoming a golf pro but I swear to fargone much ay ;)

[cdnshoechic]

Haha, now I don't feel so bad! I was using my friends pull offs that are a bit longer than mine the other day. Almost every horse I pulled I hit myself in the chin about once.

[Tom Stovall, CJF]

Jack Evers

Pulled the guard off my angle grider, then let it dance around on my hand. -- OUCH,

I usta use a twisted wire cup brush on a little Makita 4" angle grinder to clean up shoes. I didn't think much about the hazards until one day, it hung on a shoe, kicked back, and jerked plumb out of my hands. Before I got it under control, it had whacked some pretty fair divots out of both hands and made shop rags out of a good work shirt. To this day, I have a VERY healthy respect for twisted wire cup brushes.

I think any wire brush turned by a powerful motor is probably the most dangerous tool in a blacksmith/fab shop - if they're not hanging up and thowing the workpiece back at you, they're shedding wire, poking little holes in your anatomy and testing the Lexan in your safety glasses. :)

[NewShoes28]

I was sharpening my hoof knife one day with a crowd of observers. The knife caught on a notch in the wheel and fired itself about 20 feet before hitting a stall door. It passed right between the people watching. I know how to run folks off!!!
Plenty of scars from the same as most of you, and surley more to come!
Adam

[HoustonFarrier]

So, last night, I'm pulling the shoes off one of my Clydesdales. I'm pulling a hind shoe, it was a bi*tch to get off, so I give a HARD pull, and it comes loose, size 8 shoe swings down and hits me SQUARE on the funny bone of my elbow!! I'm sporting a nice bruise!

Steve

[blueflames]

I rasp my thumb with new rasps.

I was nippering the other day and the horse jerked (on back foot) and nipper broke through the hoof and it hit me in the forehead. That rang my bell.

I was nailing a shoe on a draft and he jerked away, I went with him and my hammer hit my right above the right eyebrow. I cursed and went to work on the draft. I had a black and blue eyebrow for a week.

I miss my swing everyone once in a while and him own shin.

Man do I sound like a cluts.

Plus I just went to the Dr. and he said I have tendonitis in my shoulder and shoved a 4 inch needle in my joint. I am feelin better now but dang that hurt. Its from the repetative motion of pulling the hind legs onto my lap. and for me having long bones in my shoulders which wears on my tendons.

Anyone have anything like that happen to them? Huge needs and all?

[Gary Hill]

I have bursitis in my right elbow. Too much hammering causes it to swell up like a golf ball! I used to have it drained but it does go down on lighter days? Kinda looks like Popeyes elbows!

[Jason Maki]

I must be lucky...I've never even caught a cold or got a spliny\ter sheoing:rolleyes:....;)
It ain't a question of if, its when, how often and how bad. Just how it is.
Jason

[T. Wm. HALL]

I am much like Jason, I have been quite lucky with my horseshoeing tools. I have got the average run of the mill knife cuts, blood blisters, slag in the eyes, but nothing major.

However, I have been fairly well maimed by every other tool in the barn! For some reason, I can't use a pair of fence pliers without a blood-letting session.

My wife and I draw looks from the public when we go out in the summer time wearing shorts...her legs are dinged and dented from years of running barrels and getting too close, where I have my share of dings and dents from various Stihl Chainsaws.

Be Safe out there!!

Trevor

[Jack Evers]

Trevor, I've always said you can spot a barrel racer by the scars on their shins.

[John Emsley]

Try shoeing with this technology, could be tricky. Not necessarily a shoeing tool. :D

http://i152.photobucket.com/albums/s189/jaemsley/solarwatch.jpg

[Bill Lawrence]

Somewhere around 1977 I was shaping a shoe,and a piece of scale came off and went into the underneath side of my arm,couple inches up from the wrist.I was bleeding pretty good,went into ER and they patched me up.The hospital didn't have a magnet and they never got out that piece of metal. Few years ago , I'm having my hand X-rayed for something else,and they inform me that I got this piece of metal down in between my middle and index finger.So that piece of scale took a little journey before ending up there.

[Bradley-1stChoice]

Somewhere around 1977 I was shaping a shoe,and a piece of scale came off and went into the underneath side of my arm,couple inches up from the wrist.I was bleeding pretty good,went into ER and they patched me up.The hospital didn't have a magnet and they never got out that piece of metal. Few years ago , I'm having my hand X-rayed for something else,and they inform me that I got this piece of metal down in between my middle and index finger.So that piece of scale took a little journey before ending up there.

I suppose it traveled every time you swung your hammer. :D

PS
Oh hey . . . Welcome.
and nice job on the foot in your avatar.

[Bradley-1stChoice]

One of the worst though was some little girl said can I nail a nail in and I said sure. . . . Needless to say no one is allowed to help me nail a nail anymore.
Jonathan Wilson

Reminds me, about years ago,
I had just got home from a week on the road with MC.
5/7 of the days were 600 mile days, a lot on a bike.
(rigid frame, foot clutch, jockey shift, Springer,
no shield on the bike or the lid)
So I'm home for a day and the chick friend down stairs
needed to go a thousand miles somewhere and back.
So after I hear a bunch of belly achin about it said
If she paid for the whole trip, I'd take her.
(rooms, meals, fuel, beer, etc.) (course I don't drink any more)
She said ALRIGHT LETS GO.

Well 3/4 of the way down I was bagged, and was havin a time about it.
Here it is:
She said well I could DRIVE it.
I said doubt it and forget it.
Well she was one of those,
"Ya never gonna hear the end of it"
She talked about, how her and her brother rode dirt for years . . .

We were havin a beer and a burger and a, what have you at a camp spot,
so I said, OK here's the keys, if you can start it
you can show me here and now whether you can ride or not.

I shoulda stuck with Shut up.

She rode it right fast,
and straight into a pick-nick table.

I was sure glad Buddy One wasn’t there to see me St-up-id.

[ollieolson]

I got a little lesson in expressing frustration about a year ago, when I first started. I was just finishing trimming my wifes horses hind feet. He'd been a jerk the whole time, pulling and twisting and leaning on me, then jerking on my. Most of this was my falt b/c I think I was wrenching his hind leg up so high that it was hurting him. Anyway, he finally ****ed me off, and I jump up and smacked him with the only tool I had right in my hand, my nippers. But I was holding them backwards, so when I hit him, the handles compressed, closing the jaws on the heel of my hand. I was bleeding really bad, and no matter how I tried to cover it up, it bled through the bandages.
My wife came out and saw the blood all over the place, and thought it was the horse. I'm glad it wasn't, but I was real embarrased to tell her what happend.
The morel of the storie: Hitting him isn't going to make it better!

[JWHORSESHOEING]

I got a little lesson in expressing frustration about a year ago, when I first started. I was just finishing trimming my wifes horses hind feet. He'd been a jerk the whole time, pulling and twisting and leaning on me, then jerking on my. Most of this was my falt b/c I think I was wrenching his hind leg up so high that it was hurting him. Anyway, he finally ****ed me off, and I jump up and smacked him with the only tool I had right in my hand, my nippers. But I was holding them backwards, so when I hit him, the handles compressed, closing the jaws on the heel of my hand. I was bleeding really bad, and no matter how I tried to cover it up, it bled through the bandages.
My wife came out and saw the blood all over the place, and thought it was the horse. I'm glad it wasn't, but I was real embarrased to tell her what happend.
The morel of the storie: Hitting him isn't going to make it better!

Back when I first started I had one that really pushed my buttons. Finally I had had it and gave him a good crack with my rasp. He jumped forward landing on the wooden handle of my hammer snapping it into 2 parts.
Two lessons learned:
1. Hitting him isn't going to make it better
2. Keep your stinking tools picked up :)

[Dan Puckett]

I was home at the break after my first 8 weeks in school, and it was time to do my mom's horses. I had passed my dead leg test, but hadnt shod a live horse just yet- probably about 100 trims, though (or it seems so). I was nailing the shoe on, and when I wrung the nails off, I pulled them up parallell with the wall, using the corner of my driving hammer (on the claw end) before I wrung them off. Hammer slipped right up, and I clocked myself good on the right cheek- left a light shiner for a few days. 20min later, on the other side, I did the same thing again, only on my left cheek. (I'm fairly ambidextrous, so it depends on which side of the horse, which hand I use to drive nails.)

I have had a fair amount of scr@pes, cuts, burns, bites, kicks, etc. One time, we had some students from a local university AnSci class come out and we students gave them demos on shoe removal and pasture rolling. We had a young bronc rider from Colorado in my class giving a shoeing demo to the vet students (they removed them, why not let them nail one on?). The class was 90% female, and he was showing off a bit. He drove the fist nail halfway in, and went to drive it home, and POP! he hit his kneecap instead After some dancing, and a creative linguistic display, he picked up the dead leg, and proceeded to do it again. I told him to focus on the foot, not the chics there:).

Our Finnish classmate was trimming a horse on one of the farms we do, and he had been struggling with the horse a little (end of the day, horse is old and stiff, etc). I see the mare kick him in the thigh, commplete with a resounding POW!! that we heard from 50yards off. He grasped his hand, and kinda did a jig. I told him he was the only person I know who gets kicked in the leg, and then holds his hand. Turns out, he'd had his hand on his leg, and she clipped a corner of it as well.

Dan

[halfmiler]

ive nicked my self with hoof knives when i only used a righty knife,i use a left and righ now. ive tore the side of my left thumb up with rasp quite alot. but the worst was the one time i nailed my self thru the palm of my left hand. that hurt like hell for alomost a month.