Guys, I'm in a bit of a panic; I NEVER have a problem with horses losing shoes, but this year, it's a damned epidemic!
The only things I've really changed are hot fitting, using a clinch gouge, and using Save Edge nails. (The ones with the beveled shank) I thought the first horse was just pulling them as a habit, but I had to nail one back on today, and got a call about another one!

So two shoes = an epidemic? From a mechanical perspective, how would using a clinch gouge affect the stability of the shoe on the hoof? Did the owner find the cast shoe(s) and if so, what was their condition? Was one branch or the other bent or otherwise distorted? Were the nails bent, twisted or the like? Where were the shoes found? Fronts or hinds? Rights or lefts? You'll have to become a CSI(Cast Shoe Investigator ), look at all the clues and evidence, and from that information, figure out what is going on.

Travis how often are you loosing shoes
is it the same horse thats pulling them
are the horses that are loosing them living out all the time
you say your new to hot shoeing
are you fitting any different or trimming any different
now that your hot fitting
and are the shoes your loosing fronts/hinds

Hi Travis! OK so ditto what the others have said.

I also use a gouge. One thing that MIGHT contribute is; if your not careful, you can take too much material right under the bend and then when you clinch you are basically folding nail to nail instead of nail over hoof wall. If that makes sense?
I have only used the Save Edge nails a couple of times and I have to say I don't like them at all. Even their slims are bulky feeling and I don't like how they drive. But that is just a personal preference and I haven't heard of people having trouble with them. Good luck, it may just be one of those things. And like Rick said, if it's only a couple than I would hardly call that an epidemic, but certainly always good to find out why.

smitty88 wrote:
I'm losing them damn near every time I put shoes on! The first horse, I shoed, he pulled both fronts in two days, then pulled one, then both. Then another horse. And another.

I'm doing everything the same. Not using hot fit to cheat on my trim, I'm still leveling off nice and flat before I hot fit.

I think it'm just overusing the damn clinch gouge; I was under the impression that the clinch was supposed to lay down into a slight groove? I think I'm gonna go back to just cleaning up under the clinch a little with my half round. That MFC combo gouge/clinch cutter is awkward, anyway. Might make myself a push gouge.

Lori,
I've been using the Save Edge nails for a while, and I like them okay, but they come in two styles, one has a beveled shank, the other is conventional. The beveled don't wring off worth a damn.

Rick,
The shoes that were recovered were pretty much flat. That's why I'm concerned. I was trying like hell to find them hung in some wire or something.

I would hate to have to rely on clinches to holds my shoes on.

Eric Russell wrote:
do you not use nails

I do use nails. Clinches have nothing to do with holding a shoe on.

Okay, so you leave them clinched when you pull the shoes?

I think your gouging too hard like Lori said. I dont feel that your gouge should ever make contact with the nail (If it does). Doing that on top of horses continually stomping for flies I feel could aid in shoe loss.

Sent from my DROIDX using Tapatalk 2

Eric Russell wrote: Of course not, it is the nailhead that holds the shoe on. Clinches only hold the nail on.

HAHAHA, I was TOTALLY waiting for someone to say that.


But seriously, I have heard this statement made before. So IF the clinches play no part in holding the shoe, and this is a legit question; (p.s. love what Christos said) then WHY do we do it?

Eric, do you nip the nail off and then rasp it flush? Because that would save me time and effort. Plus it would look awesome, just sayin.

Travis Morgan wrote:
More often than not, I do leave them clinched. Weak feet, sensitive horse, sore feet, low nails, I will cut clinches (actually, I rasp them off). Good solid feet, I generally just pull the shoes.

I do the same as Jack. I just pull em off most of the time unless its a weak foot. Never had any be sore from it.

Sent from my DROIDX using Tapatalk 2