mia638•1mo ago

Changed my mind about using a rasp on a really hot shoe

I mean, I always thought you had to let the shoe cool way down before you touched it with a file, especially on a big draft horse. But last week at the Fairfield County draft pull, this older farrier named Bill showed me his trick. He dips the hot shoe in his water bucket for literally one second, then rasps it right away. The steel is still hot enough to be soft but the quick dip stops it from wrecking the file's temper. I tried it on a Percheron's hind shoe and it saved me like 10 minutes of waiting around. Anyone else do something like this, or is it just asking for trouble?

3 comments

3 Comments

simonsingh1mo ago

Ever worry about the shoe cracking from the thermal shock?

emma_hayes801mo agoMost Upvoted

Totally, @simonsingh, my last pair split right down the middle!

the_seth26d ago

That's a neat trick. My old boss used to say a quick dip was fine, but he'd always tap the shoe on the anvil first to shake off the big water drops.