#trimming tools

[damamhardware]

Buy Hardware Trimming Tools from the Best Supplier

Al Damam hardware is the leading online store for all your Trimming Tools needs. It is committed to providing the customers with professional and high quality products at affordable prices. Al Damam has a wide range of hardware trimming tools such as pliers, snips, scissors, hammer, levels and screwdrivers.

[bahconz-blog]

The Different Types of Tools Used for the Pruning Process

pruning process involves the use of various pruning and trimming tools for the most effective and efficient execution of the pruning process.

[hooves-blog]

I really want apron pants rather than an actual apron just because I have big ass thighs and aprons tend to fall forward and get in the way... I’ve briefly looked for them, but I highly doubt they exist. full seat breeches could be a substitute I guess? maybe I should sew my own with thicker patches on the fronts?

[barefoothooves]

halfbloodstrut reblogged your post and added:

what do you recommend to sharpen hoof knives? They dull so fast and I find them really hard to sharpen again, especially the curved part.

I (and by “I” I mean my husband because I suck at it) use a Dremel 8220 to sharpen knives and sometimes nippers. The narrow cone shaped bit makes sharpening the curved edge easier. You can also use a handheld knife sharpener like this one although it is way more work.

[barefoothooves]

Trimming Tools

Rasps are used to file down the hoof wall from the bottom and the top. They are typically about 14 inches in length (though there are some pony rasps which are shorter) and typically have two sides, rasp and file.

The rasp side (above left) is more aggressive, with deeper/larger teeth and is used to remove material quickly. The file side (above right) is shallower with smaller teeth. This is used to “finish” or smooth the hoof wall, usually at the end of the trim, but sometimes it is used by beginner trimmers or when the hoof doesn’t need a lot taken off. A rasp is also used to file off the popped clinches of a steel shoe when it is removed.

The pointy bit at the end is referred to as the tang, and some people cover it with a handle (I don’t personally). That end of the rasp is where the trimming power comes from. No matter where on the rasp you are holding, the teeth will only work if you move the rasp away from the direction the tang is pointing. Rasps are not easily reconditioned, so once one is dull it is replaced. This is the first tool you would learn to use, and is easy to manipulate with a little practice.

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Nippers are used to trim down the hoof wall and save the trimmer some work when there is a lot of material to be removed. 

They use leverage to cut off chunks of hoof wall and come in a variety of lengths. The longer the handles, the easier they will cut through hoof wall. 14 inches is standard, with draft nippers longer and pony nippers shorter. The cutting end is flat which in turn leaves behind a flat surface on hoof when a piece is removed. They cutting edge can be reconditioned, but eventually it will wear out. This is a moderately advanced tool and requires more skill than the rasp, as it is easy to remove too much material.

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Hoof knives are small tools used for trimming bars, frog, and excess sole, They can also be used for trimming hoof wall in the case of resections. The main categories are Left Hand, Right Hand, and Loop, but there are many kinds of blades and handles. Which ones are used really comes down to personal preference. The end of the blade, whether a loop knife or not, is usually curved, allowing you to cut small, precise slivers. They are sharpened regularly until the blade thins too much. These are advanced tools, as it is easy to gauge out too much material, and it is VERY easy to cut yourself.

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Shoe Pullers or Pull Offs are used in a similar fashion to nippers to help remove a shoe. You can also use nippers for the job if the mouth is wide enough, but I prefer a separate tool so I don’t ruin the edge of my nippers. 

They are used just as you would imagine, to grasp the shoe and pull it off, starting at the heels and pulling forward and inward. These are not a difficult tool, but the use of them does require some strength and practice.

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Nail Pullers make removing shoes way easier. This tool is able to grab the heads of the nails and pull them free of the hoof one at a time, minimizing the amount of potential damage that could be done when removing the shoe and the amount of discomfort for the horse. I find that removing as many nails as possible with these makes the horse much more likely to cooperate with shoe pulling. These are used only after the nail clinches have been cut and filed down on the outside of the hoof. Again, not a difficult tool.

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Half Round Nippers are used in the same manner as regular nippers, but the cutting edge is curved, meaning that they have a “scooping” effect on the hoof wall when used. These are mainly used for resections and not to be used in a simple trim. If you think it is easy to remove too much with nippers, it is doubly so with these. Definitely an advanced tool.

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Other than things like hoof picks and wire brushes, that’s all you really need to trim well!

[barefoothooves]

Do you have any suggestions on what hoof knife to buy for an inexperienced trimmer? At this point I'm only concerned about my horse and one of my lesson horse's hooves, so it won't be getting a ton of use (for awhile at least)...

A lot of tack and feed stores carry basic trimming supplies of medium to low quality for not that much money. You might be able to pick up a hoof knife somewhere like that for kinda cheap. Otherwise, I say go for the best quality you can afford. You can get away with one knife for your dominant hand for a couple horses probably, but having a knife for each hand is ideal. Loop knives have their place, but it’s unlikely you would need one for a basic trim.

Also, remember to SHARPEN your knives. A sharp knife is a safe knife.

[barefoothooves]

questioning-equestrian replied to your post “do you have any reccomendations as far as brands of rasps and hoof...”

are rasps for softer hooves a finer 'grain'? (for lack of a better term) and rasps for harder hooves larger/rougher?

most rasps are all the same size ~14" long. there are shorter ones and wider ones, but i don't use them. most have a rasp side (coarse teeth) and a file side (fine teeth). The coarse side is for removing a lot of material, the file side is for touching up and the "finishing" that farrier sometimes do.

the difference between the ones i use for dry/hard hooves and normal/wet hooves is the amount of teeth in a row on the rasp side but also the shape of the teeth. more teeth (Bellota) = better for a hard hoof. my normal/wet rasps (Heller Blackmaster) have a black coating that helps prevent rust. i feel that the coating makes the edge dull quicker, personally, so they aren't the best rasps for hard hooves as they just kind of glance off the surface. i haven't noticed a difference between the files sides.