I swore by my old rounding hammer for years, but a 4-year-old Percheron with chronic quarter cracks made me switch.

I was trimming him every six weeks for a year, and the cracks just wouldn't stabilize. Another farrier at a clinic in Spokane suggested trying a cross pein hammer for setting clips. I was skeptical, but the different weight distribution and strike face let me set a much tighter, cleaner clip. After three shoeings with the new method, those cracks finally started to close up. Has anyone else had a specific tool change fix a long-running problem like that?

3 comments

3 Comments

mason7281mo ago

Totally! My rounding hammer was useless for seedy toe.

morgan_butler1mo ago

Yeah, @mason728, I used to think the opposite...

betty_white391mo agoMost Upvoted

Little correction there - rounding hammers are actually really good for seedy toe once you get the hang of them. The trick is you want to use the rounded face to push the sole away from the horn area, not try to cut it out like a knife. I used to blame my tools for everything too until someone showed me the proper technique. Maybe try a lighter hit angle next time and see if it makes more sense.