When a well-clipped shoe is applied correctly, it sure looks sharp on a horse’s hoof. Some farriers will even go so far as to call them sexy. Proclivities aside, they serve an important function. “Clips are mainly used to improve the security of the shoe on the foot and relieve stress on the nails,” says Tucumcari, N.M., farrier Jim Keith. “They can be applied anywhere around the wall perimeter, but usually only in the anterior half due to their ability to constrict wall movement. They may be used to contain wall flares.”

A: Keep the end of your punch square, flat and sharp. I suggest using Jon Atkinson’s Tool Compound to keep the punch cool and prevent deformation. It seems to let the punch just slide right through a lot easier.

As footcare professionals know, the angle formed by the bony column of the phalanges with the hoof wall is referred to as the hoof-pastern axis (HPA), and is considered ideal when the dorsal surface of the hoof is parallel to the alignment of the digital bones (Figure 1).1

When experienced farriers check the wear on horseshoes they’ve just removed from a horse, it isn’t just to see whether they can reset them. They’re also looking for valuable information. Four veteran farriers took time to share some of what they’ve gleaned from studying the wear patterns on horseshoes over their careers.