Mike Ferrara wrote:
I'm with mike...sale shoes and make a little extra...nothing worse when they start digging in the bin of old pulled shoes..anyone who has shod gaited horses knows what I'm talkin about..

Mike Ferrara wrote:
Did that on a contest shoe. Worked great. Got the idea from either Walt Koepisch or Bruce Daniels.

So for those of you that use Drill-tec...

Do you prefer the light, medium, or heavy as far as the coarseness is concerned?

Do you use the same choice regardless of the horse's job?

As to the courseness of Drill tec it should always depend on the animal and the service it is performing.

I have no need for fine... On drafts I have used medium, but prefer course.
They are pulling wagons, carts, heavy loads, people, etc... on pavement and I want them to dig into the asphalt or cement and not slip. Pulling is what we think of but in actuality its the security in the horses mind of stopping and not slipping that truly matters.

While on the subject of hard face, proper positioning of it can and will make the shoe wear longer AND when on a hard surface will give the animal a stable stance... What am I refering to ?
The times I see someone put a dot (large dot) of borium in the center of the toe of the shoe, and then one on each heel. teeter totter effect, left to right, unstable and stress causing.
Your not saving money by being frugal, cause the shoe is going to wear out on either side and you have created more work next time making up a new shoe.

My 2 cents worth

Another way to close up a large nail hole is to drive a punch in the web next to it. It will cave it in some, then just use your pritchel and punch to get the nail hole back to the size you need.