Hi

I'm doing a little study on comparing the microstructure of a couple of brands of horseshoe nails with their mechnical properties. I would be very much interested in any comments drawn from personal experience about the ways in which nails fail, whether during fitting or use, especially if a particular brand seems to have a particular quirk.

If you would like to comment on specific brands that would be very useful, but if you would rather keep any angry opinions off air, please feel free to email me directly.

Thank you

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I've had trouble with the Australian nails sheering two or three weeks into a shoeing cycle.

Dave

Never had an issues with shearing of aussie nails. I use them daily, i believe them to be of the highest quality. From AX50's, E-4(slim), A4.5slims, A4.5RN A5(slim), A5 city.

I have however had an issue with mustads shearing off about a month into a shoeing cycle. MX50 and MX55. It has not happened in some time know. Maybe i had a bad batch or something.

Don

I received a batch of mx50's about six months ago that were so soft they would buckle when they hit the wall...really sucked.
Jason

I use predominantly Australian nails for the saddle horses. The only time I've run into a nail shearing problem was if I didn't check the shoe nail hole for burrs or proper pitch.

I use some Mustad E heads, JC's and MX 50's too. The first box of MX 50's I got felt like I was driving rubber nails! Since I changed my driving hammer from the modified Nordic to a Roy Bloom - I haven't had as much problem with those nails. I think the longer thinner shank of the MX50, while nice for getting a higher nail was overpowered by the heavier hammer.

I use Capewells for the drafts and several warmbloods.

On the thin walled horses I'll use the Australian 4.5 or even Coopers 3.5 on some Pasos.

Hope this helps!
Kim

I used to use the Austrailian nails. They semed to work but there were horses losing shoes that had all the nails in the foot when I returned to replace the shoe in three to four weeks. I was happy with them, then had a bout of about four months with this. Now I use a lot of Mustad combo 5 and have success.

I also know of there being a difference in the Duratrac nails. Here in Washington they cost $30 for 100. That is .30 a nail. The mustad Duratrac Nails drive nice but the Capewell is beveled too little on the tip. This causes the nail to often times come out too high. When you pull it, you ruin the nail. An expensive cost. To rememdy this I will sometimes take my finish rasp and file that bevel steeper.

SAveedge nails are too soft. THey drive nice but are soft.

Tony

THamilton wrote: You might find it easier just to add a bit more angle to the tip of the nail by simply bending the tip a bit more in the claw of your hammer. Or, just start the nail into the hoof on a bit more outward angle.

I use the Australian nails and have little problem with them. The Deltas are a bit soft for my liking. I also use a lot of Capewells, Anvil Brand and am starting to like the Naula brand nail that Ray Steele sells. I particularly like his 5 slim. Its head is a bit of an 'inbetween' size. It a long nail and a bit stiff, which I like in a nail in the first place.

I to use the Aussie nails the majority of the time. Has anyone else noticed the burrs on the shanks? It seems to me only the last case i bought had these, most of the time it's not a bother but occasionally the burr is quite large and I knock it off with a bastard file. Which adds to the time it takes to shoe a horse. Hopefully it was just a bad run from the factory and not a sign of things to come.

Jason Maki wrote:
Maybe if you tried moving the horse over closer to the center of the alley way, Jason..... :cool:

Scott,
that was a good play on words. It took me a minute to figure it out, but then I howled!
Jason