SHOEING  

1. The farriers first task is to remove the old shoes. He uses a buffer and  hammer to remove the clenches which were formed by hammering the ends of the nails so that they are bent down on the wall. He then pulls the old shoe off with pinchers.

2. The growth of horn has to be cut away with either a drawing knife or a hoof- cutter.  A rasp is then used to give the sole of the foot a level surface.  It needs to be level so that the shoe of the foot will fit closely all the way around.

3. The farrier must make sure that the new shoe is a perfect fit. In hot shoeing he does this by pressing the hot shoe on the sole. It will leave a mark showing whether any adjustments have to be made.  In cold showing the farrier selects ready made shoes of the right size.  

4. The shoe is nailed on to the sole of the foot and the  points of the nails emerge on the wall. These are bent over and twisted off leaving a small piece to be hammered down to form a clench. Finally the outside of the hoof is rasped so that there are no sharp edges.