Took me 3 years to figure out a better way to set hind shoes on a tricky horse

I had this one mare last week that always fights me on her hind feet. Shes got a narrow heel and flares out on the inside wall. For 3 years I kept fighting with clips and trying to shape the shoe perfect on the anvil. Finally last month at a clinic in Billings a old timer told me to try setting the shoe hot and just let the hoof tell me where it wants to sit. I did that last Thursday and it fit dead on in like 2 minutes. Felt stupid for not trying it sooner. Anyone else have a horse that made you totally change your approach to shoeing?

2 comments

2 Comments

matthewgonzalez4d ago

Man that hot shoe trick is a game changer. Had a mare with the same narrow heel issue, fought her hind feet for years till someone told me the same thing.

alex_hall913d agoProlific Poster

@matthewgonzalez actually it's not really the hot shoe that fixes narrow heels, it's the shoe fit and how it's nailed on. A lot of farriers just blame the shoe itself but it's the placement that matters more.