Choosing Between Handmade and Keg Horseshoes

I don't know about Eric. Those are what I use for a generic flat shoe in size 1, 2, and 3. I use a lot more Kerk. Classic Rollers for fronts or Kerk. TDR for fronts on small footed horses. If a horse is heavy with a big foot I use a 3/8" (or more) thick shoe. Any horse over a 5 I build handmade shoes, but haven't got any "big hairy things" in shoes right now.

I don't think they are intended to be nailed on the horse out of the box.

I would think an apprentice/student would have to learn to hand make shoes, I would think that there's alot more it teaches a farrier than just how to make it. But I guess it goes with the love of the craft.

Oh Chris, you can't be that old and idle!

i think it would be easier to make a pair and better

The hinds I use look just like the pic. The fronts are a little different but just as bad. I'm not a big fan of all the work that needs to be done to get them on a foot like I want but I work inside my truck so making shoes all day long isn't an option.

Smitty, What keg shoes do you prefer, and why. Thanks.

Regards

Mc Loughlin brand!

[quKote="Karen Fletcher, post: 2004, member: 72"]Oh Chris, you can't be that old and idle![/quote]
Karen , short ,fat , loud , no teeth ,no hair , old , and lazier every day just about sums me up , its only my stunning good looks and charismatic character that keeps me going
chris

When I was 23 old, in my old home town,I worked with a farrier in his shop.We made all shoes for shoeing and for sale to others farriers. Afterwards,I work in my own shop and I made some shoes and I buy others. Today,I live in Madrid,I don't have shop,save truck.My elbow hurt me and the shoes that I learn to make in my youngness,don't work in the sports horses today. I buy all shoes and if I have need, I modify them.

From a business perspective, the USA market generally does not look at farriery as a "profession." With price being the first and most important qualifier, the horse industry does a good job of keeping a fresh supply of cheap commodity labor entering and leaving the trade.

If one chooses to become a "full time career professional farrier" and make a good living as a competent practitioner, then the cost of entry (time and money) is just as high as 4 years of college. One of those costs is putting in the time to develop forging skills to hand-make shoes. Other costs include putting in the time to learn functional anatomy, horsemanship, biomechanics, finance, business management, people skills, time management, etc.

Then there is the capital investment in tools and the shoeing rig itself. It is a long and expensive road. While traveling on this road, you will be competing with uneducated beer money hack shoers - and many of them will have good reputations despite their incompetence because, well, they serve an ignorant market that values low price so much that they can't see the results on the ground.

Then, too, there's the cost of continuing education.

Farriers do need to create some kind of licensing system. Maybe even have grades depending on some criteria. Now who can enforce it? Animal cruelty association? The SPCA? AFA?
How can there be a fine for not having credentials and what would those credentials be? Certified car mechanics have grades, A,B,C, and I recall car repair shops ads for help wanted specify what grade you need to be. Is there a farrier association that's big enough to establish rules for anyone taking care of horse hooves to have some sort of certificate or receive a fine?

Rick when the old KK century were availible to us over here i liked them
the clip was the only hang over i had with them

i use mostly Billys and make anything else i need
all bar shoes are hand made

i just left the app at tea time tonight making 2 sets of Shire shoes
21" of 1 1/4x 1/2 3/4 fullered he will sleep tonight

Karen , short ,fat , loud , no teeth ,no hair , old , and lazier every day just about sums me up , its only my stunning good looks and charismatic character that keeps me going
chris[/quote]

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Chris, I fail to see the short, fat, no teeth, no hair, or old!!!

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Chris, I fail to see the short, fat, no teeth, no hair, or old!!!
[/quote]

Karen, it's all perspective. Like me, Chris was probably once taller, thinner, had better teeth, more hair and was younger.

Regards

LOL, its hard to think of them as "keg shoes" when the company name is "Hand Made Shoes UK Ltd."

Tom, there are human hands operating the machines that turn Billy's shoes out. So hand made. No feet allowed.

Without a striker? you animal !

keeps them from getting soft

Nothing wrong with that. Miller sells "genuine draft beer" in bottles . . .