Shoeing

[mstacy]

I’d like to shoe my steers late this fall. Does anyone have any suggestion on how to aquire the skill? Is it something that a persistent and determined individual can teach themselves? Or do you really need a mentor?

-Matt

[Tim Harrigan]

I don’t shoe mine but I have watched carefully a few times when someone good at it was doing it. I could probably do it OK if I had to, but I would be slow and would prefer to do it under the guidance of someone more skilled. I would need a good set of stocks for restraint. They need to hold still and you will not be quick until you gain some experience. Why do you need to shoe them?

[mstacy]

Tim,

I’m just looking for a little extra traction on packed snow / ice this winter. I use my little guys to skid firewood, haul manure on a sled and stuff like that. We experimented with plowing the driveway too. I want to rig up a better plow this year.

-Matt

[bivol]

hi!

i’d warmly recommend a shoeing stock. it’s the best way for learning to shoe.
first, research hoof anatomy; you need to to get the mental picture of hooves inside and out.
once you have the necessary equipment, get some cattle joints from a butcher and shoe them. you can then saw them in half to see where the nails went.
this is what was written in oxen; a teamster’s guide.

also,
if you shoe your oxen by throwing them to the ground, you should deprive them of food so their bellies are empty while you’re shoeing them. you’d also need a few people familiar with cattle.
oxen have thinner hoof walls than horses, so thinner nails are needed.

[CharlyBonifaz]

oxen have thinner hoof walls than horses, so thinner nails are needed.

also leaves you with less room for error
at the same time their hoofhorn is a lot harder/resistant than horses’, so regular hoofnails won’t do the trick: they will bend/curl
we used a dremel to put the holes were we wanted them……
elke

[bivol]

@CharlyBonifaz 10889 wrote:

also leaves you with less room for error
we used a dremel to put the holes were we wanted them……
elke

did you pre-drill the holes for nails, or use screws instead of nails?:confused:
maybe the nails should be made of steel…. does anyone know how to make shoeing nails?

[CharlyBonifaz]

did you pre-drill the holes for nails, or use screws instead of nails?

sorry, for not clarifying: 🙁
pre-drill the holes! don’t screw!

[bivol]

OK, thanks!

[Author]

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