Heard a guy at the Ohio Farrier's Convention say he never uses a buffer on shoes

He was talking about how a hand-finished shoe gives a better seat and that buffers just make things too smooth and slick. I've been thinking about it all week, and I think he's onto something, especially for those hard-working draft horses up in Amish country. Has anyone tried ditching the buffer for a full shoeing job and seen a difference?

3 comments

3 Comments

the_hayden1mo ago

Spot on. Everything's getting too smooth these days.

rileyp491mo ago

Man, that's a whole mood. I tried skipping the buffer once on my own horse's front shoes, and let's just say my attempt at "hand-finishing" looked like a kindergartner went at it with a dull file. The farrier I use now took one look and just slowly reached for his buffer without a word. Total defeat. But for a real pro? I bet it makes a huge difference in grip.

anna_ross1928d ago

Wait, do you think @the_hayden was right about everything getting too smooth, or is the buffer just part of that problem? Your farrier grabbing it without a word says a lot about how much it matters.