Horseshoe nail. It is a robust nail with a precise and shaped head, with defined flanks and specially formed angles at the nail tip, all this results in better control when placing the nail.
Summary
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- 1 Main features
- 2 Importance of horse shoeing
- 1 Sequence of horse shoeing
- 3 Sources
Main features
- The pyramidal neck ensures a perfect fit on the horseshoe claws, preventing it from decaying.
- The slim body and beveled edges displace less helmet and prevent it from tearing.
- Durability, resistance, easy handling. These properties guarantee the protection of the helmet, keeping it well balanced for longer and without problems when removing the nail.
- A fine tip and precise guide make it easy for you to get in and guarantee you to get out.
Importance of horse shoeing
The shoeing of the horse is a routine fact, to which many do not give enough importance, however a well done shoeing is a demanding job and must be done by a trained and specialized person.
The horse’s hoof grows, like the nails , continuously. It is estimated that each month the hull grows between 6 to 10 m / m. on average, depending on various factors, including age, diet, work, season, weather , etc. This growth is offset by continuous wear and tear produced by the terrain. A horse that has been cut out to compensate for the wear of its hooves on a working day would have to rest for two to nine days, depending on the conditions of the soil on which it has worked.
In the wild, when his hooves become sensitive from excessive wear, the horse searches for the wettest and softest terrain to move around. When, as a consequence of domestication, this possibility is lost, it is necessary to protect the helmet from wear in some way, for this reason man has developed throughout history, and continues to do so, different forms of protection, the most effective and most widespread is the shoeing with traditional metal horseshoes. We could define the horseshoe as a metal band or strip, curved on one of its edges, which is applied to the helmet, fastening it to it with nails implanted in the wall, in order to avoid wear and tear on said organ .
As we all know, the horse is a herbivorous animal , being a prey in the wild. In order to defend itself against its predators, the horse has developed a great escape capacity, being able to achieve great speed in a short space of time.
To get to its current form, the horse has evolved through thousands of years, until it became a perisdactyl hoofed animal. Ungulate indicates that it has hooves, which are protective structures of hard horny tissue at the end of its limbs; This type of tissue is the same as nail tissue, it is a tubular keratin material. Perissodactyl is the ungulate that has an odd number of fingers on each limb, as we know the horse has only one finger (the heart), leaving evolutionary traces of the other four.
Horse shoeing sequence
The following steps, from removing the horseshoe to having nailed a new one after shelling, is a contribution by Daniel Anz addressed to the new farrier who is in search of the correct shoeing. 39 photos with useful data that will give you a lot of ideas to adapt to your daily work.
When trying to extract the horseshoe, the horse’s foot must be held firmly between our legs, in case of being a hand, and on them, in case of being a leg.
The tool used to cut or unfold the rivets is a rivet cutter. In order not to break it, it must be hit with a plastic- headed hammer . The hammer blow must be strong enough to cut or unfold the rivet.
To extract the horseshoe, a special, strong, wide and wide opening pliers must be used, in order to be able to make a good lever when applying force with the hands.
The lever with the pliers to remove horseshoes must always be made following the direction of the horseshoe. Forcing sideways will break the wall of the helmet with nails.
Note that the position of the pincer respects the direction of the horseshoe branch. By prying and lifting the horseshoe, it can be removed with a few firm pulls or nail by nail can be removed until the horseshoe has been released.
In the gripper area, the pliers must continue to respect the direction of the horseshoe. Remember, with the pliers you should not pry it forward, as it will break the wall using the nails still attached to the helmet.
After having completely removed the horseshoe, make sure that there are no hidden nails left in the wall, because when working with the gouge or the pliers, they can damage the edge. It is useful to clean the palm of the helmet with a steel brush , in order to get a good view of the area and remove possible stones that will then blunt the tools.
The way to take the horse’s hand is by placing it between the legs and above the knees . Pressing the limb of the limb with the sartorius muscles. For better support, the toes should point inward. Remember to have safety shoes and leg protectors while doing the job.
A gouge is used to clean the palm. Of these, there are right-handed and left-handed farriers. Perform the work using wrist movements, not arm movements, and press with the thumb of the other hand to facilitate the work. Keep the tool sharp to avoid loosening the handle. Double-edged gouges are not very good because you cannot apply proper pressure with your thumb.
When cleaning the palm]] and frog, only loose material should be removed. The objective is to discover the limit between the wall that grew and what must remain on the foot, because it belongs to the horse. The natural shape of the frog must be preserved so that it can fulfill its function.
