Remember when we all used to shape shoes cold?

I started in the late 90s and we shaped everything cold with a rounding hammer and anvil. It took forever, maybe 45 minutes per shoe if you were good. Around 2005, I finally bought a propane forge for my truck. Now I can heat and shape a shoe in under 15 minutes, and the fit is so much better. It was a big change, but seeing the difference in hoof health made it worth the cost. Does anyone else still keep a rounding hammer handy for quick cold fixes, or is it all hot work now?

3 comments

3 Comments

amy3022mo ago

Still keep the rounding hammer in the truck box. Some things you just gotta do cold.

riley5952mo ago

Man, @amy302, that's the real deal. I've got a mini sledge rolling around my back seat for those special moments. Like when a control arm bushing just won't quit and you need to... persuade it. Or when a rotor is rust-welded to the hub and the only language it understands is a few sharp, cold taps. It's the universal adjuster.

veraramirez16d ago

Question if it's really that serious with @amy302 - I've done plenty of cold fixes with a hammer and never felt like the hoof suffered for it, a good farrier can make either method work just fine.