wk 6 - farrier tools purpose

farrier or horseshoeing apron

• protects legs from unfinished driven nails & hoof cutting tools

• protects clothes from being burned by hot iron

hoof pick

• used to clean out bottom of horse’s foot

• picked out from heel to toe

• helps prevent thrush

clinch cutter

• two part: blade & point

  • blade — cuts or raises clinches; struck w driving hammer

  • point — punch nails & broken stubs from hoof; also used to raise the head of nail from creases of a shoe; or as hoof pick

pull offs or pinchers

• to remove shoes, nail stubs, & improperly driven nails

• also used to turn the clinches

• knobs at the ends of handles to distinguish them

hoof nippers (1/2)

• remove surplus growth of wall

• should never be used on nails

hoof nippers (2/2)

• 14-15 in nippers — used where more leverage is need on dry hoofs & draft horses

• 12 in nippers — used on show horses, race horses, & foals

sole knife

• remove dead sole from hard, dry hoofs

• held in 1 hand & struck w driving hammer

hoof knife (1/2)

• to pare away dead sole from hoof

• remove ragged parts from frog

hoof knife (2/2)

• relieve pressure on corns & cracks

• remove foreign bodies from foot

• left & right-handed styles available

rasp (1/2)

• make a level bearing surface after hoof is trimmed w nippers

• to dress a distorted or flaring foot

rasp (2/2)

• 14 in tanged rasp is most popular

• 1 side is coarse for rapid removal

• other side is fine for smooth finishing work

hoof gauge

• determine exact hoof angle & toe length

  • so feet is trimmed at same length & angle

• used mostly on show/racing horses, not usually pleasure horses

driving hammer or shoeing hammer (1/2)

to drive horseshoe nails & turn over or wring off nails after they’ve been driven to proper height

driving hammer or shoeing hammer (2/2)

• 6-10 ounces on race horses

• 12-14 ounces on saddle horses

• 16 ounce on show/draft horses

clinch block

• to turn the clinches

• many use a block of steel or use pull offs as a clinching block

nail cutters or nail nippers

• to cut off clinched, turned-over or wrung off nails to an equal length

• also when removing nails from worn shoes so it can be reset

clinchers or clinching tongs (1/2)

• to draw down the clinches

• designed for use on horses bothered by hammer & block clinching

clinchers or clinching tongs (2/2)

• 3 types:

  • saddle horse clinchers

  • gooseneck clinchers

  • draft horse clinchers

crease nail puller

• designed for easy removal of driven nails from creased or fullered shoes

• also used to pull nails from pads on show horses

hoof tester

• to determine location of painful area in foot of lame horse

• also to locate bruised/punctured areas of foot or to diagnose foot bone diseases or injuries

shoeing box

• should be difficult to tip over, no sharp edges, tools easily accessible, & light weight so it can be moved

• only has tools regularly used on foot

anvil

• lightweight (~70lbs) to shape cold, manufactured shoes

• heavier (~125-150lbs) to make handmade shoes

rounding or turning hammer

• to shape & make shoes

• should weight 2 - 2 ½ lbs

• handle should be shaped to fit ur hands

pritchel

• to open nail holes on the shoe to receive the nail

• should be shaped like shank of nail & lubricated w soap or wax

fire tongs

• to hold hot shoes while shaping

• some farriers also use them to hold cold shoes for shaping