Discussion Board Archives from 1999

Name: Kim Hillegas( Feet First Farrier)Subject: Hoof Gauge Useage and effects

Email: Ladyshooz@aol.com

I am in my 3rd year of shoeing and have almost 300 horses on my roster. I continue to upgrade my education by attending clinics and conventions where this topic comes up continuosly. Recently, at our local monthly farrier's meet in Ocala, FL., I got into a good debate with a 20 year veteran farrier from Canada.



This farrier (who will remain nameless) that debated me said he felt that the hoof gauge is a useless, sometimes even dangerous tool. He says a good farrier should be able to use JUST his eye. He claimed he could probably set up 2 feet to be a specific degree and they would be identical in angle just by eye alone!



I maintain that a hoof gauge is an essential reference tool that should be used by any good farrier. My reasons of course stem from #1: my mentor (Don Canfield, CJF and Int'l. Hall of Fame Inductee) and #2: the fact that my new client's horses were done by farriers that had "set the foot up by eye only".



My new clients always ask me, "What is that thing?" Or they comment,"You are the first farrier I have seen use one of those." I demonstrate to them the hoof pastern axis and its effects. I point out the imbalances evident in the hoof.

I explain that the gauge not only helps me align each hoof capsule with the legbones, which will help the horse move better but; also the gauge helps me set up the feet as a pair.



This "nameless guy" claimed that because of his experience, using only his eyes, he could set up 2 feet to be a specific degree and they would be identical in angle!



I replied that no matter how much experience a carpenter had, I would not chose to live in a house that was built without meauring devices. He said that was not a good analogy.



In addition to the hoof gauge I also use 2 pairs of calipers; one to measure and compare toe lengths, the other to do heel heights. My tape rule is used to measure the width of foot, distance between heels, and circumferance of each foot.



I claim the foot is the foundation of the horse and my eye is good but measurements are better. I will grant that one measuring device may not be the same as another device but, if I am using only MY device then all MY measurements have the same reference points.



Furthermore this "nameless guy" said that setting up the foot to a gauged angle has little effect because the placement of the shoe changes the hoof angle anyway!



This is where I really got fired up! Because I totally disagree with that idea. I say that once the foot is trimmed to a certain angle it stays at that angle until new hoof is grown.



I say that varying the placement of a shoe will change the timing of the foot's breakover, flight, landing or stance but the hoof angle is the same UNTIL NEW HOOF IS GROWN.



Something else I like to point out to the gauge naysayers is that developing an eye is good, however, our eyes can deceive us. Such as in the case of how a white foot can appear bigger than a black foot, or a striped foot can appear more vertical than a black foot. So, do I believe my human eyes which may be susceptible to visual deceptions or do I believe my measuring devices?



I think I will continue to believe my measures. What do you believe?

Name: Stan Trestick, Ballston Spa. NY

Email: stresti1@nycap.rr.com

I have shod horses for 19 years using the angle guage. I trained on the Standardbred track and have a shop at Saratoga Harness. My feeling about the angle guage or any other measuring device, such as the T square and calipers, is that they are great aids to balance the horse and to maintain cosistecy and to eliminate the guess work. It is also important to know the limitations of the angle guage. One obvious example would be a bull nosed foot, or a dished foot. Another thing to remember with the guage is that it is a aid to your eye. In time you will be able to tell within a degree what the angle is of a foot just by looking at it. This only is developed by using the guage as a reference.

Name: James Rennie

Email: jhshawre64@hotmail.com

Forgot to proofread my last message. The last paragragh should have read:

Kim, one day you'll pick up a horses foot and say, "Who the hell shod this horse last?" You could be suprised to find out the last farrier was you. Even though you knew beyond a doubt you had done your very best. I've had this happen to me and know of others it has happened to. To say the least it is a very humbling experience. At this point you'll realize why horses aren't really like houses.

Name: James Rennie

Email: jhshawre64@hotmail.com

Kim,

I respect the fact that you strive to be the best that you can. It shows with your selection of a qualified farrier to apprentice under. Don't get me wrong I have used angle gauges, wing dividers, and even a level one time or another. In fact, at one time every horse I crawled under out came my angle gauge, tape measure and what ever else -I thought- I would need to get the horse where he/she needed to be (early in my career). After years of doing this I found my angles/lengths were right on the mark without using meassuring devices. I thought I had everything figured out, that is, until I was introduced to new concepts.

The concepts of medial/lateral, posterior/anterior and diagonal balance. It took me awhile to grasp these concepts but when I did my shoeing improved by leaps and bounds. Then I re-discovered the concept of looking at conformation (seems I foregot about this some where along the way) to determine how I would shoe a particular horse. I then went through another learning curve and found some horses were in a category all to themselves where angles and measurements where of little use. I gained this knowledge by attending clinics, riding with other farriers and learning from the best teacher of all, the horse. I learned every little nuance they could teach me (you can learn something new from anyone if you pay attention). It seems now I learn more each year than I did in all the previous years of my shoeing career (17 years).

Kim, I wish you the best in your shoeing career. Keep an open mind and pay attention to what the horse tells you because ultimately they are the best judge of how they need to be shod whether you use measuring devices or a skilled eye. I'm sure our ultimate goal is the same, a happy horse, quality work and a satisfied customer.

Jim

Name: S.R. Kimbrell

Email: RKHORSESHOER@JUNO.COM

The use of an angle gauge is warrented by the horse and sometimes by the client. The horse has four different feet, thus four potentially different angles. An example would be, the off front might be buck kneed or calf kneed, thus requiring a higher or lower angle to bring the conformation back into a safe usefullness for the horse. I do use my angle gauge for a reference point on most horses, but allow the horse to teach me where he is comfortable(ie watch the horse walk, trot, turn, etc. The gait of a horse tells more about the horse than most people see).

The angle gauge is not accurate to the angle. I own two Ward & Story anlge gauges and both read different degrees on the same foot. My instructor at my Farrier Science School said it best when he stated, " the gauge might read "applebutter", dont let the numbers on the gauge control how you trim the hoof. Trim the hoof to the comfort of the horse. The horse will usually let you know when you have made a mistake, by watching the horse when you beleive you are finished.

I agree with you in that I don't trust my eyes, a reference point in angle, length, and width are all a must for farrier science, but dont alow those reference points to make a sound horse lame.

In summary and closing for every one hundred different horses there are four hundred different feet and four hundred different problems.