Old timer told me my clinches were garbage, he was right

Been shoeing for about 6 years and thought I had my clinching down. Last month a retired farrier watched me finish a set and just said "your clinches look like they were done with a butter knife." He showed me how to use a lighter hammer and not over-rotate the nail. First horse I tried it on took half the time and the clinches sat flat as a dime on glass. Anyone else get a tip that made you feel like you had been doing it wrong for years?

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2 Comments

charlie_roberts874mo ago

Learned the same thing last year with a lighter hammer. Total game changer for how clean and fast you can finish a set. Makes you wonder why nobody says anything sooner.

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lilyo304mo ago

Heard something interesting from an old timer about why nobody mentions it. Said the light hammer technique only works after you've already built up the muscle memory with a heavier one first. Kind of like how you can't skip the hard part and jump straight to the easy way. Might be why most tutorials skip it - they figure you'll figure it out on your own eventually after enough frustration.

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