Took me 3 seasons to figure out I was trimming heels way too short

I was at a clinic in Boise last spring watching a guy demo on a standardbred and he pointed out how much flare my horse had in the heel. I told him that's just how the hoof grows and he just laughed and said 'no, that's how you trim it.' Went back to my shop that night and compared photos from the last 18 months. All my horses had the same wedge shape because I was nipping off heel way past the live sole line without thinking. The next morning I left more heel on a mare that always looked clubby and she stood flatter than I ever saw her. Something about hearing it from a stranger in front of 20 people made it click. Anyone else have a basic habit that took a public embarrassment to fix?

3 comments

3 Comments

taylorlewis14d ago

Wait, are you saying I've been cutting heels too short this whole time too? I always thought the wedge shape was just how my farrier left em, never realized I was the problem until a buddy literally took the nippers from my hand and showed me what I was doing wrong. Totally humbling but now my horses move way better.

adam67514d ago

Ha! Yeah @michael_craig it was definitely the public callout part. Nothing like 20 strangers staring at you while a guy points at your hoof work like it's a crime scene photo. Made me feel about two feet tall right there in the arena. But honestly that's what I needed. I'd been smug about my trimming for years and one honest comment in front of a crowd was the only thing that could shake me out of it. Now I tell every new guy I work with the same thing - you're probably cutting heels too short and you won't believe it until someone makes you look stupid in public.

michael_craig14d ago

Was it the specific angle of his demo that got through to you, or just the fact that he called you out in front of people?