That moment I realized I was burning my horses with hot shoes for years

I was at a clinic in Boise last month and this old timer watched me fit a shoe on a mare. He just said 'you're putting that on way too hot, man.' I always thought you needed them cherry red to get a good fit, but he showed me a dull orange is way better. Has anyone else found their burn marks got way less after they backed off the heat?

3 comments

3 Comments

daniel_wood1mo ago

Yeah that old school idea of cherry red is still pretty common. Most guys just don't know how fast that heat carries through the hoof wall when it's that hot. Dull orange is the sweet spot for sure.

christopherwilson1mo ago

Yeah I toasted a few hooves learning that lesson the hard way back in the day. @daniel_wood nailed it, dull orange gives you way more control and the burn doesn't creep up as fast.

victor_jones991mo agoTop Commenter

Get that shoe a dull orange and it'll stick to the wall like glue without scorching the whole foot. Had a buddy turn a hoof cherry red once, the heat traveled right up into the white line and softened it up bad. Had to reset the shoe two weeks later because it started shifting. Now I just pull the shoe when it hits that orange glow, hold it steady for a couple seconds, then nail it down. Works way better and you don't risk cracking the wall.