Does anyone have any suggestions on how to pull a good toe clip. I can pull pretty decent side clips on but for some reason every time I try and pull toe clips they come out on the thin side. I never really used clips on shoes before, but I have started shoeing alot of horses that are used for driving, and the shoes seem to stick on better with the toe clip, than a regular flat shoe. I tried using side clips on some but have a hard time setting the side clips in properly without burning them on, which isn't really a problem except that alot of the horses I am working on have never been hot shod and they get crazy when the smoke starts rolling off. Any suggestions on how to set them in without burning is appreciated as well.

DoubleCFarrierService wrote:
I'm not sure why drawing a toe clip should be any different than a side clip. If it's too thin, don't draw it so much...take more stock if you need more clip.

One mistake I've made is to fail to draw enough at the base of the clip resulting in a clip that's smaller than it could be for the amount of stock but still too thin at the tip.
I find that is sometimes helps to use a fan to keep the smoke out of the horses nose.
I mark the clip location with a sharpie and cut a notch with my rasp.

DoubleCFarrierService wrote:With a hammer , concentrated, blows, that give a good source material, then draw the clip out, Dress the dorsal wall back to where it should be, and put a radius, on the clip. burn it in lightly, maybe come back with a knife, and seat the clip, burn again and you should have it , If your shoe fit in the first place. Sounds pretty simple, it is not. Go to some clinics and get some help! If you are trying to figure-out how to get clips - fit ,in without burning them, You are looking in the wrong direction, I think!

What kind of hammer are you using to pull clips?

I use a ball pein hammer for my clips I saw a farrier using a cross pein and I am going to try that and see if I can get a better clip.

Get somebody that knows how to pull clips to show you
i know lads pulling clips all their life and still dont know

how to do it right same goes for fitting clips hot or cold
you need to be taught otherwise you could be making the same

mistakes over and over

you would think its an easy exercise but not so

On the horses that are new to being done hot. I have good luck with taking some trimmings and burning them on a shoe, slowly, letting the horse know that the sizzling & smoke is not harming them. Most cases just talking to the owner while doing this and reassuring the horse. (sometimes feed, or a treat helps this process)
Dave

smitty88 wrote:
Smitty,

A while back on another thread you said that if you got time you'd post your clip fitting process. I'd be interested if you felt like doing it.

The problem I've noticed with novice farriers pulling a toe clip is that they can't center them. The side clips may shift a bit but it doesn't show as readily. Much like hitting a golf ball at the range, they all seem to go straight, on the course there's a target and your misses are obvious. If you try the corner of the anvil face, ground surface down with the shoe, and start a bulge of metal for the clip that way, you should be able to be very accurate in placement and size consistency. Thinning a clip is simply over striking.Try whistling when setting the shoe hot. Believe me you don't have to be good at it for whistling to work.Usually I burn them in new but rarely when resetting. One reason I don't is to re heat them the pins in the calks will often loosen and drop out. I realize there are those that frown on the clips "sitting" on top rather than seated into the horn, I have never had a problem of weakness in the setting because of this process. It does take extra care to make them look nice and molded, but it can be done.
John

A bob punch is a good place to start because you don't have to have as much hammer control. I used an old head stamp that I smoothed the end out.

Drive the bob punch diagonally into the outside edge of the web to push matierial outside the circumference of the web of the shoe.

Find a soft corner of the anvil and use the round side of your hammer to pull the base of the clip. This will allow you to grab onto material to start the drawing procedure.

It is very important to keep your hammer shoulder in line with the anvil's edge. People have a tendency to keep the center of their chest lined up with the edge of the anvil. The clip will draw away from you and be tipped to one side. Make your tong hand uncomfortable rather than your hammer hand. The clip draws to where the hammer is pulling it too.

Keep you clip from being to big and thinning out too much. This will allow you to reset if the shoe can be. Strong small clips that are on the perimeter of the web of the shoe work out best.

Great stuff Craig. Thanks for sharing it.

Rick