Had to choose between a Mustad and a St. Croix rasp for a tough quarter crack job

I was working on a big warmblood in Lexington with a nasty quarter crack. My old Mustad rasp was getting dull, so I had to pick between buying a new one or trying a St. Croix. I went with the St. Croix because I heard it cuts faster. It worked great, but it wore down quicker than I expected, maybe after about 20 horses. Anyone else find one type of rasp lasts longer than the other?

3 comments

3 Comments

wyattc762mo ago

That's a tough call with a quarter crack like that. @piperr58 is right about the teeth not holding up as long. I've seen the same thing where a St. Croix will just fly through the work at first, but on those really dense warmblood feet, it feels like the sharp edge is gone in a month. My Mustad might need more elbow grease on the first pass, but it seems to keep biting for the whole season.

piperr582mo ago

Yeah, that "wore down quicker" thing lines up with what I heard. A guy at the supply house said St. Croix cuts fast but the teeth don't hold up like Mustad's do on really hard hoof wall.

nelson.cameron1mo ago

That "sharp edge gone in a month" hits too close to home. I bought a St. Croix for my Percheron mare last spring, thinking I was being smart. It was like a hot knife through butter for about three weeks. Then it just started skating across her hoof like it was polished marble. Felt like an idiot pushing so hard with a brand new rasp. My old Mustad would have grumbled through it but kept cutting.