At that point, why not just have like...a foot stool? Like why hold it that way and have to keep adjusting? It takes long enough that carrying around a little wooden u shaped stool to hold the foot would be worth it.
Fun fact: in the vast majority of cases shoes are actually detrimental to the horse. They prevent the hoof from properly expanding on impact with the ground, thus transferring the concussive force to the soft tissues of the leg. They also restrict blood flow to the lower leg by impeding the function of the frog (the triangle bit). This can mask lameness as the decreased blood flow deadens sensation in the hoof. There's a saying: if your horse is lame without shoes, then he's lame IN shoes.
Weird question, do all horses have the same hoof size? I feel like there have to be breeds with bigger feet but maybe not? Do they make different size horseshoes?
Horseshoes not only come in (VERY) different sizes, they're also differently shaped for front or hind feet. Plus, every horse has a unique hoof shape. so, even the right size and type shoe will still be changed and shaped a little to fit perfectly.
Others commented on the why, but just to add on, hooves are pretty freaking heat resistant, so don't worry about the toes behind them. I saw a cow hoofer take the shed shell of a hoof they stumbled across, put it over his hand, and just BLOWTORCHED IT to prove how heat resistant it is.
It will also get rid of any tiny high spots or rougher patches and smooth out the contact area a bit. Its magic watching them look at one with bad hoofs say well its gonna be lame for a month or but after the next few visits it will be right as rain and sure enough. We got one one that cracked a hoof and got an abcess and was pidgeon toed. Guy had a whole rack of special shoes to fix it.
Our older horse really feels discomfort from the farrier holding her leg up more than anything. We give her pain meds starting the day before to get her ready. The shetland pony doesn't care as long as she is getting attention and a cookie after.
I imagine it's like getting a manicure, with a little bit of the relief you get from picking out a popcorn kernel that's been stuck between your teeth.
They definitely need to be acclimated to tolerating it. Some seem to enjoy it, especially when their feet are sore or unbalanced. Others ABOSLUTELY will pull their feet away, paw, kick, and otherwise resist and fight. Unless a horse has been trained to behave for the farrier, they will not.
Can't just have complete strangers come in and lift your foot up, you know. Oh, nonononono ...what? Carrot? Yeah, carrots are delicious but still nope on the foot.
When I first met the missus, she had a pony that hadn't finished training as a riding horse, had been stung and couldn't be shod. Took me years to earn enough trust to be able to inspect, scrape, and finally at least file away what she did not wear off naturally, especially during winter. That horse lived 26 years barefoot.
Its like getting your nails cut, so they don't feel anything. Horses essentially walk on their toenails ;) Its normal upkeep for a horse to get Its hooves checked for wear and tear. If they walk on soft ground (grass, meadow, hay, soft earth) they might need to get them trimmed as the hoof won't wear down enough and can cause pain in feet and joints etc. If a horse walk on hard ground they may wear their hooves too fast and need shoes. Also depending on season they may need winter shoes :D
A little uncomfortable to have your foot held up and smacked on the bottom, I would imagine, but nothing to bad. Cutting their hoof is not really any different than use cutting our nails. Someone that doesn't know what they are doing could cut too deep and injury the horse, just like you cutting your nails too short.
The outer wall of the hoof is similar to fingernails... the hoof itself is the fusion of the 4 digits. The residual thumb is what is called the 'chestnut' and is on the inside of the 'knee'(front) and hock (back).
The frog, which is that triangle at the back, is thought to be digits 2 and 4, but basically everything you see here is equivalent to trimming nails.
Nailing shoes on is like piercing a'long fingernail (so hopefully not going into the skin under the nail)
Your deduction about pain is correct, because the cutting, burning, and nailing all happen in the darker section of the hoof in this image, labeled sole and hoof wall, where there's as many nerve endings as the part of your fingernail that gets cut off during a manicure or pedicure.
My wifews horse used to fall asleep during his mani-pedi, and the farrier would thump him in the side, because having a sleeping horse leaning against you makes work hard
And trying to lift the leg of a happily snoozing horse would be like pulling the sword out of the stone! But it's also for safety as I've understood it, if there is a balance mishap with the remaining three legs it's safer if the horse is awake and able to correct it in a more thought out way way instead of flailing while waking up.
TooSoonOldTooLateSmart
One of the characters in Disney's 2019 live action Dumbo movie is a former circus horse rider named ... Farrier.
amildpsychosis
SKILLZ!!!
mirrorz
That coconut looks disgusting.
Artoris
What happens with wild horses and their hooves?
Snooj
If you start watching videos like this on YouTube it will suddenly be Monday morning.
horseman05
Nailed it......
IliveIdyeIliveagain
The first comment on this post, and username checks out!
laserbanane2718
thats so freaking scared, did u ever cut to deep into your fingernails?
TheAnswerIsViolence
At that point, why not just have like...a foot stool? Like why hold it that way and have to keep adjusting? It takes long enough that carrying around a little wooden u shaped stool to hold the foot would be worth it.
possiblyafakeaccount
How do they know how deep to cut? Just theough experience?
Sheari
Fun fact: in the vast majority of cases shoes are actually detrimental to the horse. They prevent the hoof from properly expanding on impact with the ground, thus transferring the concussive force to the soft tissues of the leg. They also restrict blood flow to the lower leg by impeding the function of the frog (the triangle bit). This can mask lameness as the decreased blood flow deadens sensation in the hoof. There's a saying: if your horse is lame without shoes, then he's lame IN shoes.
StellarJay77
Not their first rodeo I see.
IHaveAGuyForEverything
Love this shit. My fave YT follow is HoofGP. Mostly cows, but satisfying AF.
FPAlpha
And only on occasion disgusting. I think i only saw him almost throw up once or twice when draining an abscess or something.
And yes, it is satisfying AF when he fixes a hoof or at least prepares it to a point it can start healing itself.
Flwrchld77
Guy is obviously a professional, but I simply would not pull the sharp knife towards my genitals
Yasashii93
It took the first 3 seconds of the clip for me to realize it’s not the kid of video I initially thought I was watching.
ThatQuietlySmirking
I've been watching a lot of The Incredible Dr. Pol lately and I was half-expecting there to be some nasty injury under that horse's hoof.
NLOVNI
This does not kill the horse
ahorseelbowdeepinme
ExTechOp
Buster Keaton was a genius of comedy.
This is The Blacksmith (1922): https://youtu.be/jmbfP1KwIB8
UserNamesArentEasy
pandemicpolemic
Well then.
AyatollahBahloni
Clop paper scissors
MelfsAcidArrow
Weird question, do all horses have the same hoof size? I feel like there have to be breeds with bigger feet but maybe not? Do they make different size horseshoes?
ifyoutakemeseriouslythatsonyou
Horseshoes not only come in (VERY) different sizes, they're also differently shaped for front or hind feet. Plus, every horse has a unique hoof shape. so, even the right size and type shoe will still be changed and shaped a little to fit perfectly.
MelfsAcidArrow
Oh awesome! I know a horse around here had some reeboks since he walked on pavement and it made me chuckle
JasonFndrbrkr
💅
epicallyefficientflower
Asking for a friend. Why does he apply the red-hot horseshoe to the hoof?
[deleted]
[deleted]
netutoring
Probably like why you do the bite paper at the dentist after a filling.
Sheari
To get a better idea of the fit and to provide a better "seal" between hoof and shoe
ChazzK
Others commented on the why, but just to add on, hooves are pretty freaking heat resistant, so don't worry about the toes behind them. I saw a cow hoofer take the shed shell of a hoof they stumbled across, put it over his hand, and just BLOWTORCHED IT to prove how heat resistant it is.
StellarJay77
They are made mostly of keratin, same as our fingernails so technically at the same density as a hoof our fingernails are just as heat resistant.
McUUID
I bet that smells lovely.
InoffensivePablum
“It did not, in fact, smell lovely.” - Ron Howard
AllBent
Smells like money!
Keenwa
It smells vile. The farriers I've seen all wear masks.
mouthfullofpebbles
They should! Not primarily for the smell, but for the fumes and dust that can do really nasty things to you. Protect your lungs people!
evilgriff
I think to make sure there are no gaps between the hoof and the shoe.
HulaJesus
It will also get rid of any tiny high spots or rougher patches and smooth out the contact area a bit. Its magic watching them look at one with bad hoofs say well its gonna be lame for a month or but after the next few visits it will be right as rain and sure enough. We got one one that cracked a hoof and got an abcess and was pidgeon toed. Guy had a whole rack of special shoes to fix it.
Corrodias
What's the reason he tapped it with a hammer like 4 times while it was hot? Didn't look like a significant change in shape.
HulaJesus
Haven't a clue. I assume to change the shape to match the hoof better. Probably made adjustments only the ferrier could see.
adjacentengels
That's really bad. Pigeons' toes are not built to handle the weight of a horse.
Everyonespersonaltherapist
Yeah girl get them nails did
weidermeijer
The smell.
FPAlpha
Yeah well, nature smells.
sentientbunnysuit1
Horses are generally cool with it. Also, this smells like burning hair times 100.
misterCT
So, who trims all the wild horses?
FinalMagus
They run a lot more on harder ground and get natural wear. Like how humans used to just walk barefoot always until we invented shoes
Jaqdakloun
I know it doesn't hurt them, and it's good for them, but I always feel that this hurts the horse.
PutItInNeutral
The Nazgul have been doing it all wrong.
ElbowDeepInAPoliceState
Pretty sure the rules are different for the supernatural steeds of the witch kings, but then again this is Tolkien so maybe not
ItHappenedInThe20thCentury
if memory serves, the horses weren't supernatural, just extremely abused to the point of not fleeing the Nazgûl on sight.
jackcb1
Humble observation:
Two different horses , two different farriers.
ifyoutakemeseriouslythatsonyou
Three (different horses).
Snooj
Maybe he stopped halfway through to get a tattoo.
GanjalfTheClear
I wonder what that feels like from the perspective of the horse.
It's not pulling away, it's not showing any signs of stress or pain, so we can generally assume it's not a bad thing for them.
But experience wise, is it more like a haircut? A manicure? A pedicure? Or is it more akin to shoe shopping? Something completely different?
sentientbunnysuit1
Our older horse really feels discomfort from the farrier holding her leg up more than anything. We give her pain meds starting the day before to get her ready. The shetland pony doesn't care as long as she is getting attention and a cookie after.
goodbyeitwasfunwhileitlasted
I imagine it's like getting a manicure, with a little bit of the relief you get from picking out a popcorn kernel that's been stuck between your teeth.
Sheari
They definitely need to be acclimated to tolerating it. Some seem to enjoy it, especially when their feet are sore or unbalanced. Others ABOSLUTELY will pull their feet away, paw, kick, and otherwise resist and fight. Unless a horse has been trained to behave for the farrier, they will not.
UneventfulLover
Can't just have complete strangers come in and lift your foot up, you know. Oh, nonononono ...what? Carrot? Yeah, carrots are delicious but still nope on the foot.
When I first met the missus, she had a pony that hadn't finished training as a riding horse, had been stung and couldn't be shod. Took me years to earn enough trust to be able to inspect, scrape, and finally at least file away what she did not wear off naturally, especially during winter. That horse lived 26 years barefoot.
yondoloki
Its like getting your nails cut, so they don't feel anything. Horses essentially walk on their toenails ;)
Its normal upkeep for a horse to get Its hooves checked for wear and tear.
If they walk on soft ground (grass, meadow, hay, soft earth) they might need to get them trimmed as the hoof won't wear down enough and can cause pain in feet and joints etc.
If a horse walk on hard ground they may wear their hooves too fast and need shoes.
Also depending on season they may need winter shoes :D
artemiyny
I would think close to all of the above, but leaninig more into exfoliating dead skin on your feet via pumice stone
baldertindaicon
A little uncomfortable to have your foot held up and smacked on the bottom, I would imagine, but nothing to bad. Cutting their hoof is not really any different than use cutting our nails. Someone that doesn't know what they are doing could cut too deep and injury the horse, just like you cutting your nails too short.
Firestar002
I like to think a horse is watching us clip our nails and is like “wait, that’s it? No getting underneath and scraping?”
Ajierene
The outer wall of the hoof is similar to fingernails... the hoof itself is the fusion of the 4 digits. The residual thumb is what is called the 'chestnut' and is on the inside of the 'knee'(front) and hock (back).
The frog, which is that triangle at the back, is thought to be digits 2 and 4, but basically everything you see here is equivalent to trimming nails.
Nailing shoes on is like piercing a'long fingernail (so hopefully not going into the skin under the nail)
InitHello
Your deduction about pain is correct, because the cutting, burning, and nailing all happen in the darker section of the hoof in this image, labeled sole and hoof wall, where there's as many nerve endings as the part of your fingernail that gets cut off during a manicure or pedicure.
[deleted]
[deleted]
firlefranz
AntaNce
Neat! Thank you.
haki23
My wifews horse used to fall asleep during his mani-pedi, and the farrier would thump him in the side, because having a sleeping horse leaning against you makes work hard
mouthfullofpebbles
And trying to lift the leg of a happily snoozing horse would be like pulling the sword out of the stone! But it's also for safety as I've understood it, if there is a balance mishap with the remaining three legs it's safer if the horse is awake and able to correct it in a more thought out way way instead of flailing while waking up.
LateNightBunnyParty
This honestly makes me feel good to know. They not only put up with it, at least some of them find it relaxing!
Strategicgnomer
Or boring?
battlebetter5772
They said it wasn't too bad
InitHello
You heard it here, straight from the horse's ... body part.
BeaverOnFire
https://media1.giphy.com/media/v1.Y2lkPWE1NzM3M2U1d2JzcTV5NXA4ZnZkMDZ1YTc3aDJodGtldm0xNTRtb2Q0Nm1ieGJ5cSZlcD12MV9naWZzX3NlYXJjaCZjdD1n/NaFeqOTQ8CEEw/200w.webp