Pro tip: I was trimming a quarter crack for months before a vet pointed out my angle.

I was working on a horse with a persistent quarter crack, trimming it back every few weeks like I always did. The vet, Dr. Miller, was out for a vaccine and just casually said, 'You're cutting that almost vertical, right?' I was. She showed me how a shallower, more gradual bevel from the coronary band down actually lets the hoof wall grow out stronger. I'd been creating a weak spot that kept splitting. Has anyone else had a vet or another farrier catch a basic technique flaw you didn't even know you had?

3 comments

3 Comments

terry_jones23d ago

Wasn't a shallower bevel always the standard way to prevent that?

rubyk8623d ago

Right, but didn't that just trade one problem for another? A shallower bevel is weaker for heavy work. So you'd see people grind a steep micro-bevel just at the very edge for strength, while keeping the main bevel shallow. It's like having two angles doing two different jobs.

morganhill13d ago

Wait, you think a shallow bevel was the standard for heavy work? That's wild.