I finally had a shoe blow out on a draft horse in the middle of a trim

I was working on a Percheron in Lancaster last month, and the old shoe I was pulling just shattered under the pull. A big piece shot off and hit my apron. I had to calm the horse down fast, then use my nippers to carefully break the rest of the shoe off in smaller pieces. Has anyone else had a shoe explode like that on a big horse, and what's your go-to move to keep everyone safe?

3 comments

3 Comments

pat7815d ago

Had a Belgian last year where the shoe cracked clean across the heel. My first move is always to step back and keep my body out of the line of fire while I talk to the horse. After that, I switch to breaking it down with the nippers instead of trying to pull it all at once.

murray.cora5d agoTop Commenter

Ever have a shoe snap where the nail clinches hold tight? I had one last month that wouldn't budge until I clipped each branch. Your method with the nippers is the only safe way to go.

gavin3655d agoRising Star

My old gelding had a shoe do that last spring, and I learned the hard way that @pat781 is right about stepping back first.