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?

2 comments

2 Comments

charlie_roberts8717h agoMost Upvoted

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.

lilyo3013h 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.