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That time a hot nail went straight through the hoof wall and I panicked
So I was shoeing this big draft cross in Tacoma last Tuesday, dude was around 1700 pounds and super patient. I got a little cocky with my hammer and drove a nail way too deep, it came out the coronary band area. Horse didn't even flinch but I about had a heart attack. Yanked the nail out, packed the hole with iodine and called the owner over to explain what happened. Luckily the horse was fine after a week of stall rest and some epsom soaks, but man I felt like an idiot. Lesson learned the hard way - slow down and check your angle twice if the horse has big upright hooves. Anyone else ever nail into the sensitive laminae and have a close call?
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theawest4mo ago
Oh man, that's the kind of thing that sticks with you for weeks. I'm still cringing just imagining that moment. But here's what I've been wondering ever since I started dealing with drafts more often - do you think the angle of the hoof wall actually changes the way the nail travels through the horn, or is it more about how the bone sits inside? Because I've had a couple of close calls on the big upright feet too, and I swear the nails just don't land the same way as on a regular quarter horse hoof. Like, is there a specific spot on those steeper hooves where you have to adjust your aim or just totally rethink your nailing pattern?
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parker_bell4mo ago
I read somewhere that draft horses actually have steeper coffin bones than lighter breeds, so that upright hoof thing makes total sense with why the angle threw you off. Glad that big guy didn't hold a grudge, man.
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