| Custom Fitting and Shoeing a Horse |
| The shoes are fitted for an exact fit. |
From "Trade School"
episode DTRS-209 |
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In this session, Kit Lindsay fires up the forge and demonstrates his blacksmithing skills to custom shape prefabricated shoes for the horse. If all goes well, he'll have the horse shoed before the end of the afternoon.
Basic Tools:prefabricated horseshoes
tape measure
gas forge
farrier tongs
blacksmith hammer
anvil
tub of water
bench grinder
table vise
rasp
shoeing hammer
After trimming, Kit measures the length and width of each hoof to determine the correct size and shape of the shoes (figure A). No two hooves are alike, and there are several types of pre-made shoes, so Kit does his best to remember the exact shape of each hoof. Based on this mental image, he selects a "spike" shoe, which doesn't curl in as much at the heel as the other shoes (figure B).
Saftey Note: Wear the proper welding hood, shield or goggles when welding. A leather apron and half leather canvas work gloves are also recommended. Always wear 100% cotton when working with fire or hot materials.Now in the shop, Kit fires up his gas forge and places the shoe in the chamber (figure C). The forge heats to a temperature of around 2,600 degree's, which is enough to turn the hard steel shoes into malleable putty. Kit waits until the steel begins to turn a bright fiery yellow. Using tongs, Kit places the hot shoe on the farrier's most important tool; the anvil (figure D). Consisting of a face, a horn and other built-in implements, a farrier's anvil is designed to make almost any shape of shoe imaginable and accomplished farrier's know each and every sweet spot (figure E).
Before he can manipulate the steel, Kit waits for the shoe to cool to a glowing red color. The red-hot steel cools quickly and is malleable for about 30 seconds--so reheating the steel several times is often necessary. Kit works quickly between heats to maximize his time. Securing the shoe with the tongs, Kit begins striking the shoe against the face of the anvil with a hammer to flatten the hard ridge along the inner curve of the shoe (figure F). This should be done to every pre-made shoe. Once the ridge is flat, Kit uses the tongs to dip the shoe in a tub of water, which cools it instantly (figure G).
Kit then moves outside to reference the shoe by placing it against the horse's hoof (figure H). Ideally, he wants the shoe to fit exactly around the bottom edge of the horny wall of the hoof. The fit is almost exact, but the heel ends are curled in too much and will need to be flared out. Back in the shop, he again heats the shoe and this time utilizes the anvil's horn to flare and shape the heel ends (figure I).
Kit makes several trips back and forth, referencing the shoe to the hoof and adjusting the shape through forging, striking and cooling. When satisfied that the shape is correct, Kit eyeballs the shoe to make sure it's flat and level (figure J). He then secures the shoe in a table vise and rasps all the edges smooth figure K).
To secure the shoe to the horse's hoof, Kit again assumes the farrier's position. Using a shoeing hammer, he drives a nail through the first nail hole near the toe of the shoe (figure L). He makes sure to drive the nail through the wall of the hoof at an angle away from the sole. After each nail is driven, he clinches the protruding ends over the horny wall of the hoof with the hammer claw (figure M). Once the shoes are attached, Kit observes the horse as her owner leads her around the lot (figure N). Each hoof strikes the ground squarely indicating Kit's first successful field job.
In the next segment, Kit crafts a custom bar shoe from raw bar stock.
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