A: To get more horses out of my rasps, I stage them. The newest is used just for trimming. Once it dulls, it’s used for dressing. The next level of dull it gets used to dress a shoe in place or at the anvil.

I am usually working two rasps on a horse. I will go through about a box of rasps per year, mostly in summer.

— Kevin Scheerer, Leesville, S.C.

A: Use a wire brush and hoof pick to thoroughly clean the feet of rocks and sand.

I also clean and then spray my rasps with WD-40. Then I cover them with flexible, blue hose that you can get for a dollar a foot in the plumbing section of hardware stores.

I sharpen them on the buffer, as well.

— Travis Morgan, Augusta, Kan.

A: To get the most longevity from a rasp, I keep the feet as clean as possible and brush out the rasp after each use.

— Mike Hooper, Siloam Springs, Ark.

A: I use one rasp to cut and level and another rasp just for finishing the hoof. I file down the clinches with a worn rasp.

— Barry Henderson, Silver Spring, Md.

A: I just try to keep them as clean as possible. Then I learn how to sharpen them to get more life out of them and which ones are the best to buy.

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