Why Use A Farrier's Hoof Stand?

The quick answer is to save your body from wear and tear or possible injury. When I finished farrier school in 1988, I purchased a lot of my farrier tools from an old farrier named John, he was 65 years old and still shoeing, and get this, he started when he was 16 years of age. John told me he credited his long farrier career of almost 50 years to the advice he shared with me.

Get yourself a farrier's hoof stand and use it. Need I say more?

I bought a hoof stand from John and used it till I wore it out over the course of about 18 years, I have two newer ones I presently use. So what exactly does a hoof stand do for you? First of all it provides a stable platform to place the horse's hoof on during the majority of your work time. I use it whenever I bring the feet forward to rasp the hoof wall, as well as clinch my nails and smooth the clinch whenever I shoe a horse.

I use an additional tool called a hoof cradle that inserts in the top of my stand to hold that back feet while I trim them. Once trained to the hoof stand, horses like the stability that is provided for them. If the horse decides to get out of Dodge, you don't have to be underneath, simply step back and let the hoof stand take the brunt of the action, and start again.

Lucky for you today there are a number of commercially available stands and I do suggest you get one and I do suggest you use it. Don't buy a hoof stand that is too tall, having one that adjusts is nice and convenient, if you need to do different size horses or ponies. You can make them yourself, although usually they are too heavy once you get done building them.

I credit using my farrier's stand for allowing me to be a professional farrier for 19 years. I did not start my farrier career until I was 42, so if you're a young buck you might not need one today, but you will some time, so you might as well get one and use it today. It just make sense to make trimming your horse as easy as possible. I can think of no other farrier tool that can make hoof trimming an easier and less dangerous task.

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