This message is from: "Skeels, Mark A (MED)" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
I agree with you Brigid. I got a new, fancy hoof knife this year as for some reason I couldn't get mine sharp enough, thought it was my sharpening techniques. When my knife was new attending the college course on hoof trimming, it cut a lot easier, on those quarter horses and arabians. The professional farrier said he sharpens his knife about every 8 horses. He said my new knife should be good and sharp, spent about 25 bucks for this one, real nice curved polished blade. My other one is a cheapy 12 dollar model. The new one doesn't seem any sharper than my old one. Like cutting iron wood, these Fjords are. I guess I never have experienced peeling off the shedding sole with the hoof pick, is this a condition the hoofs get in after those extended trims ;-O Mine should have by now, if I wait too long a couple horses start to crack. My mare Elli has real nice feet though. She paws quite a bit and seems I never have to really trim her much. Just a little rasp now and then. A couple other horses will grow out real long if I don't keep up on it. Mark In a message dated 6/8/2004 10:57:28 AM Pacific Standard Time, [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes: So...are you using a rasp and a grinder....and no hoof knife? The thing that keeps me from doing feet (aside from sloth) is fear of the hoof knife. Hee hee. Hoof knife, on barefoot Fjords? Their feet are like bricks and nearly break the knives. You can't go wrong removing shedding sole -- I just lift it up with the hoof pick and peel it off, or use the nippers to "grab" and peel it off. The only time the hoof knife works is if it's been raining and the horses have been standing in mud for 24-48 hours. Brigid
