I almost caused a serious hoof split by using regular nails on a thin-walled horse.

The horse started limping right after I finished. I took the shoe off and saw a crack starting from a nail hole, so I switched to finer nails and the hoof held up. What's your go-to nail for delicate hooves like this?

3 comments

3 Comments

ivan981mo ago

Whoa, scary stuff man, glad you fixed it before it got worse. But switching to finer nails isn't always the full fix, the hoof wall might just be too weak for standard nailing. My absolute favorite for thin hooves are those lightweight aluminum nails, they hold without as much strain. You gotta be real careful with your nail placement and angle too, or it'll just crack again. Honestly sometimes skipping nails in a pattern works better than trying to use them all.

dakotajones1mo ago

Glue-on shoes could work too.

-1

haydenjackson1mo ago

Hey @dakotajones, glue-ons are a neat idea for a truly wrecked hoof wall where you can't nail at all. The trouble is they can be a real headache in practice. The glue bond fails a lot in wet, muddy conditions, or if the horse is good at pulling shoes. I've seen them pop clean off if the horse catches it on something solid, way easier than a nailed shoe. They're a last-resort fix, not really a go-to for just thin walls.