In my 20 odd years as a farrier I've never done trotter/pacers never chased that business and never saw myself ever doing any. But as mentioned I've just moved to a new area in NZ and as providence has it, one of the local guys that does trotters just got himself 3 months on crutches and I might have a mess of trotting stables land in my lap. I've done a few already under the trainers eye; just basically did what he wanted me to do.... Kings Plates in front (lower and longer than I'm comfortable doing) and lateral trailer behind low medially. I guess I'm asking for tips on learning more on shoeing harness racing horses. Where would I find more info on this?
technically: full swedge all 4 is mostly for trotters; and full swedge up front and half swedge/half round on the hinds for the pacers. pacers are easier to shoe and more of a 50* fronts and 52* hinds with a short toe. trotters are more difficult and trainers want to have a longer toe up front and the angles are sometimes lowered. aluminum outer rims are sometimes used up front; in order to lighten up the gate. remember this is a racing gait that is pacer = lateral and trotters are a diagonal gait.
Thanks guys. George I was just going through a bunch of books I am sorting (still in the process of unpacking) and somehow I have a copy of that book that I can't even remember how I got, then I come back to the 'puter and that's the book you recommend. Spooky. Ok I'll get my nose into that. Thanks
I shod a few early in my career. I kept the feet as balanced as possible and applied O'Dwyer plates all round with the hinds having a trailer. The trainers preferred to have prominent nailheads to act as "grass nails" with a tungsten nail in each heel for traction once the nailheads had worn down. I also used malaysian or st croix trainers should the hoof warrant a wider section for cover.
years ago, I was in Chantilly France at Mark Kerkart's place. There was hundreds of shoes that were made for trots and paces. the pallets of shoes were stacked to the roof. As I recall, "A miss is a miss" when shoeing those buggars.......
that's a heck of a name for a horse. can we e-mail them and tell the trainer we want hoof pictures? *wink*
Are they like gallops trainers? When they're going well it's THEIR training, when they going badly it's YOUR shoeing?
That is the "drug"; "Gettin' 'em dialed in". Whether they trot, pace, jump, dressage, rein, cut, endure, and just take care of the babies riding around the farm pond....... It's a "drug"; "Passion" is the addiction
First two years of my shoeing career, I visited Ben White Raceway in Orlando and learned alot by watching and listening...Never really shod one but sure liked watching them Wizards work around a horse...
Wow!!! Did I hear 1:49??? Does he still race? You got me looking for the nearest harness track-4.5 hours away in Pompano Park. Hmmm. They race all summer (at night). Hmmm.
You will need also 1/2 rounds as well. all in various sizes; pacers mostly use 3 3x in Equine made in Canada. trotters will sometimes have a more of 3x 4 4x and even up to 5/6 your babies will be in a 2 to 2x and 3's all of this is subjective; and you will have to see what sizes are available. also some are hot shod and you will need a forge. these horses will have trailers, toe-weights, cross-firing shoes mods, lateral toe extensions [?rare?] Also one of the best nails out there is the Capewell PS5 size nail. It is a strong good nail for the fit of the standardbred shoes.
forgot, sometimes use a 1/2 round up front with a full-swedge hind for trotter. also there is different sizes in your 1/2 rounds to change gait; usually in trotters. Pacer are more easier. I use to shoe a few standardbreds back in 1994-1995.
