I've been using MX50's for several years without any problems. I received a new batch of nails a little while ago and carried on as per usual. A few weeks later I was receiving calls about shoes coming off. Upon going out to reset I was finding that in almost all cases (4-5) that the nails sheared off between the shoe and the foot. The clinch and nail remained in the foot. I have changed nothing in my shoeing method. Has anyone experienced this problem... Any ideas greatly appreciated.

Patrick
Clearhills Farrier Services

clearhillsfarrier wrote:


I've had that problem with all Mustad nails sheering where I live.

Hey Patrick,
I used mx-50s up until a couple years ago when I had the same problem, went to e-4,e-5, the concave nail and the exl-5 and they have been fine

if you can put an E4/5 in the nailhole you were putting an MX50 in the nailhole is the wrong size i.e to big for the MX
chris

clearhillsfarrier wrote:
The mx50 is a soft nail. Try the vextor Vx50. Much harder nail.

Was this with clips that were shearing?

Patrick-

If nothing that you have been doing has changed, then possibly an extended dry spell has the hoofs harder and as they expand they are shearing the nails. Other then that, you should tear the box top off, which has the inspection number and send it with some nails from that box to:
Mustad Hoofcare Center
907 SW 15th St.
Forest Lake, MN 55025
Explain what is happening and they will send you replacements.

Steve Kraus, CJF (Mustad Farrier Consultant)

My opinion is that there is very likely another cause for the shearing other than a bad lot of nails. Hard hooves, hard work, traction, etc. Might be a good time of the year to pull some clips.

Try a lite blade nail like the Cooper , I do not have seared nails and my clients work the heck out of their horses on really dry , drought ground nowdays...e heads and Mx type nails work really good on handmades but on working horses that are not always in good conditions use a good nail...JMO.

Gary Hill wrote:
Agreed, Gary. My main nail is a Cooper 5-lite and while my endurance horses don't create shear forces like your can chasers do, hours of uphill and downhill do stress the nails. I have no sheared nails and I rarely clip.

I switched from Mustads to Vectors about 3 years ago, and haven't had any shearing problems since. Except on Bart. He has special talents in this area. I keep expecting him to shear a clip. .

Regards

Steve Kraus is correct in telling you to tear the nail box top off and send it back to Mustad along with some of the nails inside that particular batch.

If enough of you folks do this then Mustad will take notice and see if the problem is on their end.
If this problem is happening in different area's of the U.S.A. then it sounds like they need to make changes in the nail.

Either way how many times have you said to a customer.... "I can't fix a problem IF you don't tell me about it".

This is just another reason why manufactor's should view this forum. This is a great sounding board for much of the equipment used by farriers. Remember a yr ago all the discussion on rasps and holding an edge and the same with knives....

my 2 cents worth

Western Hill Forge wrote:
Rick,

That change, was not just a change in manufacturers but also in the nail making process. Mustards are made by the swedging process where as Vectors are made by the rolled process. The difference in process changes the properties of the wire, such as tensile , and orientation of molecules. Similar but not the same as cast Al. vs forged Al..

The swedged nail is most popular in other parts of the world whereas the rolled nail is most popular in the USA and hardly used in other parts of the world by comparison.

Regards

Ray Steele

Just use Capewells...

Thanks Ray.

Brian, No problems with the Capewells when I used them, or Deltas.

Regards

gave up on Mustad nails a long time ago; too many call backs...