Farrier tools pony club

Until we do, none of the worksheet links will work. These are some of the study materials, worksheets, aids, and documents we use to prepare our members for the Delmarva regional US Pony Club Quiz Rally. The study group sessions are scheduled for the winter months, usually beginning in November and ending in February. Most of the worksheets are designed so a non-horseman can facilitate the study group with very little research.

We don't mind if you use these worksheets for your club's study groups, but please retain credit to the author as indicated on the worksheet. And, finally, we are only human; there may be a mistake here and there. Please, send an email telling us mistakes you have found so we can get them corrected. I am still trying to figure out how to do Adobe forms, so this may improve as I learn more.

There are 4 fields you can fill out on this certificate: 1 Club Name, 2 Instructor Name, 3 class subjects, and 4 the date. Then print it, sign it, and present it with many thanks to your study group instructor. This is an especially nice touch if you have C's come to teach the group.

Done improperly, the horse may sustain injury. Many of the tools mentioned in this article are useful tools in the hands of a farrier, or used under the guidance of a farrier. To learn how to best use these tools for your horse, always work with your farrier to make sure the health of the horse is not compromized. A device used in the examination of the horse's hooves to pinpoint sources of pain by applying pressure in certain areas.

This tool is used by the farrier looking for an abscess, or by a veterinarian as part of a standard lameness exam. Care must be taken by the user to reduce the chances of a false positive reading from a sensitive horse. This is a multi-purpose tool that all farriers use. It is like a nail file for horses and enables the farrier to keep the horse's hooves even and level if unshod or lightly rasp any hoof that overhangs a shoe.

It is used to finish a trim by rasping off any extra hoof and rounding up the edges. It can also be used to rasp down nails and hoof wall where needed. Recently available are rider's rasps. These are small rasps that can be used by the horse owner to round-off sharp edges that may occur on the trail. The farrier uses this specialized knife to cut out excess sole and frog in the feet of the horse. Both left-handed and right-handed versions of this knife are available, allowing the farrier to use the appropriate hand depending on the side of the horse he is working on.

These are used to cut the hoof wall down to the correct length and to cut off any excessive or damaged sole or hoof area to reduce the need for extra rasping. Skilled farriers use hoof nippers to remove not only the overgrown hoof, but also to bevel the edge of the hoof to reduce the amount of rasping that is required.

Hoof nippers are also used to trim the frog of the hoof. Because hoof nippers look similar to hoof pullers, the traditional finish of the hoof nipper has straight handle ends while the handle ends of the puller are rounded balls see below. This tool looks like a hoof nipper, but is larger.

It is used to pull off the horse's shoe or shoes when necessary. Before using this tool, the farrier will unclinch the nails used a clinching block prior to pulling.

This reduces the damage that would otherwise occur in pulling a shoe with the clinches still holding fast. Patience is key to pulling a shoe. Work both sides of the shoe branches to gradually loosen the nails. Used incorrectly, pullers can place undue pressure on the horse's sensitive sole and cause pain or bruising. All farriers need an anvil to mold horse shoes into the proper shape and style needed. Since each horse's hoof is different, the farrier needs to custom fit each shoe by shaping it on the anvil.

Another use of the anvil is to make sure that the shoes are absolutely flat. It is very difficult to flatten a shoe without the skill of the farrier and the use of an anvil. If the shoe is not absolutely flat, then it will certainly pull off and may cause pain to the horse. Farrier's Nailing Hammer - A farrier's nailing hammer is a small hammer that is used to punch nails through the horse's hoof to hold the shoe in place.

The one side is used to drive the nails and the other side, which has two protruding claws, allows the farrier to "wring off" the nail when it comes out the side of the horse's hoof. This hammer is surprisingly small. It is important that the farrier obtain a "feel" for the nail as it is driven to make sure the nail emerges at the correct level.

These clinches are used to fold over the nail to make sure the horse shoe stays on the hoof. Two different kinds of clinchers are used.