I used to think a quick rasp was fine for a mild flare, but a horse in Spokane changed my mind.

I was working on a big quarter horse at a stable outside Spokane last fall. The horse had a mild flare on the left front, and I figured I could just rasp it down quick and be done. I got about halfway through, being a bit too aggressive, and I heard a tiny 'crack' sound. My heart just dropped. I stopped immediately and checked the hoof wall. I'd gone too thin in one spot and caused a small vertical crack. I had to stop, clean the area, and apply a patch with acrylic. It added a full hour to the job and I felt awful. Now, I take my time with the rasp, even on what looks like an easy fix, and I check my progress constantly. Has anyone else had a simple correction go sideways because you rushed it?

3 comments

3 Comments

knight.xena2mo ago

My uncle's old farrier in Boise always said the rasp is the most dangerous tool in the box because it feels so harmless. He told me about a time he was just cleaning up a quarter crack on a trail horse, got distracted by a wasp, and took off way too much heel in one stroke. The horse went lame for a week.

jana_davis901mo ago

Yeah, that's the thing with tools that don't seem scary. It's like a kitchen knife. You're not scared of it chopping an onion, so you get sloppy, and that's when you slice your finger. The danger is always in the stuff you do without thinking, because you've done it a thousand times. Your brain checks out, your hands keep moving, and that's when a small mistake becomes a real problem. It's not the tool, it's the comfort with it.

phoenixh742mo ago

Nah, @knight.xena, that's just bad handling, not the rasp's fault.